One Night With the King
Ok, so I normally don't blog about movies, and the impressions they make on me. Actually, I don't think I've ever said much about a movie on my blog. But I'm not going to look through all my archives to verify that. Anyway, I just watched One Night With the King, and I feel compelled to say something about it.
Wow. That's what I say about it! What a beautiful and inspiring story! I really enjoyed this one. It was very powerful. Not quite at the same level as The Passion of the Christ, but even so an impressive story that helped to bring a biblical story to life. It was very colorful, and I think helped to (rightly) destroy the images I created in my mind when I heard/read the story as a child. Namely, something along the lines of all the characters being white. Which of course is stupid, since it was Persia! The multiethnic flavor of the subjects was not an effort to be politically correct. Rather, it was an effort to be historically correct. Which is correct. And I approve. Persia encompassed a number of different ethnic groups, so it was neat to see that historical aspect of it portrayed. And it was good to have the images of my less developed brain replaced by more historically accurate ones.
I won't ever think of Hegai in the same way. His character in the movie was totally different than I imagined as well. Not that it doesn't work. It's just I didn't imagine a big huge black guy who talks strangely. But it was nice to see he had a tender side.
(Speaking of weird characters, it was strange to see a friend of Esther's played by a guy from 24 season 5, who worked in CTU. And it's strange to see two prominent Lord of the Rings characters in the same film together, John Rhys-Davies and the guy who played Saruman. But that's beside the point!)
I felt like I had an epiphany when the connection was made between Saul and the Agagites he was supposed to slay and then Haman as a survivor of that sin years later. The whole story about Haman being a survivor from that must be extra biblical, because I had never heard about it. Must be in the Jewish sources that aren't in the Bible. But it doesn't strike me as being anti-biblical, so it serves as a great lesson and fresh insight. Disobedience to God can result in many difficulties/ unpleasant consequences many years later.
I was pleasantly surprised by the well-developed and admirable character of Esther, which I guess is a good thing since the story does kind of revolve around her. Anyway, her grace, purity, intellect, innocence, courage, carefreeness, total lack of obsequiousness (what's the opposite of that?), soberness when the time required it, and faith, all of these qualities shone through and inspired me. It helped me to see a biblical hero made so alive, so human, and yet still so amazing. Methinks there's hope for us to achieve great things for God as well.
So if you haven't seen this film, check it out. At least if you're an adult. Parents might want to view it first to decide what to allow their kids to see. There are a few slight alterations from the biblical text. There isn't a three day fasting period before Esther goes in to the king, and there aren't two banquets she invites Haman and the king to, but these are literary licenses that I'm not too worried about, as long as you don't take the movie as the authoritative account! I could also find fault with the tension created in the relationship between the king and Esther, some of which didn't make much sense to me, but that would be quibbling over the small stuff.
Overall, I am inspired to be a part of God's plan, and carry on. "Perhaps you were appointed for such a day as this."
Wow. That's what I say about it! What a beautiful and inspiring story! I really enjoyed this one. It was very powerful. Not quite at the same level as The Passion of the Christ, but even so an impressive story that helped to bring a biblical story to life. It was very colorful, and I think helped to (rightly) destroy the images I created in my mind when I heard/read the story as a child. Namely, something along the lines of all the characters being white. Which of course is stupid, since it was Persia! The multiethnic flavor of the subjects was not an effort to be politically correct. Rather, it was an effort to be historically correct. Which is correct. And I approve. Persia encompassed a number of different ethnic groups, so it was neat to see that historical aspect of it portrayed. And it was good to have the images of my less developed brain replaced by more historically accurate ones.
I won't ever think of Hegai in the same way. His character in the movie was totally different than I imagined as well. Not that it doesn't work. It's just I didn't imagine a big huge black guy who talks strangely. But it was nice to see he had a tender side.
(Speaking of weird characters, it was strange to see a friend of Esther's played by a guy from 24 season 5, who worked in CTU. And it's strange to see two prominent Lord of the Rings characters in the same film together, John Rhys-Davies and the guy who played Saruman. But that's beside the point!)
I felt like I had an epiphany when the connection was made between Saul and the Agagites he was supposed to slay and then Haman as a survivor of that sin years later. The whole story about Haman being a survivor from that must be extra biblical, because I had never heard about it. Must be in the Jewish sources that aren't in the Bible. But it doesn't strike me as being anti-biblical, so it serves as a great lesson and fresh insight. Disobedience to God can result in many difficulties/ unpleasant consequences many years later.
I was pleasantly surprised by the well-developed and admirable character of Esther, which I guess is a good thing since the story does kind of revolve around her. Anyway, her grace, purity, intellect, innocence, courage, carefreeness, total lack of obsequiousness (what's the opposite of that?), soberness when the time required it, and faith, all of these qualities shone through and inspired me. It helped me to see a biblical hero made so alive, so human, and yet still so amazing. Methinks there's hope for us to achieve great things for God as well.
So if you haven't seen this film, check it out. At least if you're an adult. Parents might want to view it first to decide what to allow their kids to see. There are a few slight alterations from the biblical text. There isn't a three day fasting period before Esther goes in to the king, and there aren't two banquets she invites Haman and the king to, but these are literary licenses that I'm not too worried about, as long as you don't take the movie as the authoritative account! I could also find fault with the tension created in the relationship between the king and Esther, some of which didn't make much sense to me, but that would be quibbling over the small stuff.
Overall, I am inspired to be a part of God's plan, and carry on. "Perhaps you were appointed for such a day as this."
posted by redsoxwinthisyear at 10:38 PM
10 Comments:
Cool! Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks for the review...I'd heard good rumors of that one...
Thanks for the thoughts on the movie.
I've heard the other side and thought I would not see it. But perhaps so, sometime.
I'll admit, I just kind of glanced over this, b/c I want to see it, and didn't want to know anything about it except that you like it & think it's worth watching. (After I watch it, I'll come back and read word for word :)
Thanks, Chadleyheim!
Correction: the actor who played Denethor is in this film, NOT Christopher Lee, who played Saruman. I got these two confused somehow!
Huh, my interest is indeed piqued now. Is it in video yet or still in theaters?
I watched it on DVD, it came out recently I believe.
I'm glad you liked it, because I thought it was hackneyed and hideous beyond description.
That's funny that you'd never heard about Haman being an Amalekite descendant, because I learned that in Bible School. From Uncle T, I think. At least I think that's where I learned it. I had it definitely in my mind as a possibility...it isn't clear in the Bible, so it was only introduced as a "could it be?" sort of discussion question, and it stuck in the far recesses of my mind.
Isaac--Too bad you didn't like it. Maybe you're not as in touch with your sensitive side as I am. :-)
But as far as the "hackneyed" criticism, would you have a movie of a biblical story be anything but that? It should seem unoriginal because it closely follows the story already written in the Bible.
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