I think I’ve seen all five versions of this story(six, if you count the silent film).
The silent film was meh, except for the sets. This current story was less than that.
But as a Heston fan I loved the 1956 movie. And “Moses, the Lawgiver” with Burt Lancaster as Moses, had a lot of the story not included in the others, such as the wandering in the desert, and the taking over of Canaan. And in that one, when the baby Moses was discovered, it was in full sight of the court. Pharoh’s daughter had gone to the river, with priests and her entourage, to pray for an end to her barren state, she she’s the basket, and everyone takes it as a gift from the gods.
Heston’s son Fraser played the infant Moses, and Lancaster’s son played the young adult Moses.
The splendid actor Ben Kingsley played Moses in the TNT movie. I love him in almost anything, (except Species). There’s a poignant scene in that in which, after the death of the firstborn, Pharoah agrees to let the Hebrews go. Then, with a wordless plea on his face, he holds up the body of his infant son, probably hoping Moses can bring him back to life. With a look of sadness and despair, Moses has to turn away. I got the feeling he would have done it if he could.
Then there was “The Prince of Egypt” I liked it becauseof the splendid animation, and how they kept to the idea that God is a “person” not a magical force or mystical entity. And as has been said, the Angel of Death was visually stunning. When it passes through the bedroom where four children are sleeping together in one bed, it’s wrenching to see the oldest girl is still after it’s gone. Little details were changed from the Bible, but certainly no more than the Heston version.
When I was wondering about the similarities between the 1956 and 1923 versions, it was that very shot that I had in mind. It’s so…corny, that it appears to be in a style from a different era. The silent era, to be exact.
As to Heston’s health and mental state, I don’t know. Possibly a clue–his wife Lydia sent their regrets that they could not attend President Reagan’s funeral in June '04. I’m of the mind that if Chuck had been in even reasonable health he would have attended.
First of all, I was being a mensch and drove my son to orchestra rehearsal and so I MISSED THE SECOND NIGHT.
Ok. Anyway. --seeething-- When the Jews are told to mark the doors with blood from their meals? Remember that little bit of dialogue? Okay. Now, not for nothing, but unless each and every one of them were slaughtering a full-grown goat every night, that volume of blood would have been tough to come by. Mark? MARK? The door lentle ( sp? ) and verticals were COATED with blood that we saw slathered on by hand. I mean, please. Why so grossly obvious?
And, not for nothing, but didn’t the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob know where the Jews were sleeping even if they didn’t go schmearing blood around? I remember the markings being on the doors on the famous version we all grew up with. To me, this speaks a lot to the concept of animal sacrifice in early Judaism. It was a conflicted practice by the time Jesus was born, but this tale? It’s waaaaayyyyy before 30 C.E. I always took a subtext that said that the Jews were slaughtering an animal- one per household- as sacrifice to their God (s) in the hopes that they would be spared, and freed. Otherwise, where the heck did the volume of blood come from? And, volume aside, it’s a bit of a cheap shot since many folks don’t know that part of ancient Jewish history. ( the animal sacrifice part ) . Before the Temple was built, animal sacrifice took place outside of the walls of a Sanctuary, but was stopped and replaced with prayer once the First Temple was constructed.
I dug the parting of the Red Sea bit- but incredibly, since I missed the second night, I don’t know how Moses made it across with the army practically face to face with him. Did they chase him, and in doing so he just escaped with the waters closing in behind his heels? Damn. Now I gotta rent this thing.
I loved Pharoh. A highly dysfunctional man- what I suspect an awful lot of boys who are thrust into ultimate power grow up to be. ( Witness Prince Charles, and he’s not even ascended the throne. yet. )
This is the most memorable scene for me from the film. With the eerie screams and wails emanating from the Egyptians’ houses. It’s absolutely chilling.
Imagine some 1950s Bible Belt town, in Kansas or someplace, Sunday blue laws in full effect, traveling tent shows, the works. Almost nothing is clean enough to show at the local movie house, because everything is just full of sex and violence and immorality, and we can’t have that.
Unless, of course, it’s in the Bible! Nerfertiri sassing off, Pharaoh having slaves beaten to death, Moses bare-chested and chained to a wall – mercy sakes! The thing runs week after week, for two years, maybe. People see it over and over.
You’re right to put the “Viking” in quotes, for several reasons – Vikings didn’t wear horns like that, and I doubt if Friberg was suggesting any relationship to the Vikings. He was making up the clothing and armor on his own, trying for the visually interesting and dramatic. This is one pretty far-out case. His painting “Title of Liberty” seems more typical, and a lot more Roman, with no horns:
