Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014

In the sweltering heat of ancient Egypt, circa 1,300 B.C., the Hebrews have languished under Pharaonic rule for over 400 years. Their collective memories are etched with the longing for their ancestral homeland and a deep-seated faith in a singular deity, which has been reciprocated by divine providence.

Within the sacred precincts of Memphis’ majestic temple, Moses (Christian Bale) and his adoptive brother Ramses (Joel Edgerton) receive an ominous portent: the Hittite army is poised to encroach upon the city. Pharaoh Seti (John Turturro), advised by the High Priestess (Indira Varma), hears whispers of a prophecy foretelling the ascension of a leader. United, the two brothers embark on their chariots, eager to confront the Hittite threat and secure Egypt’s borders. The ensuing battle is a testament to their martial prowess, as they vanquish the enemy forces. Ramses’ narrow escape from certain death, his chariot crippled and nearly trampled by the Hittites, owes its salvation to Moses’ swift intervention, which shatters the opposing chariot with a well-placed spear. Pharaoh Seti subsequently expresses his gratitude to Moses for preserving his brother’s life.

Moses is then dispatched to confer with Viceroy Hegep (Ben Mendelsohn), overseer of Egypt’s enslaved Hebrew populace. During their stroll, he bears witness to the brutal whipping of a slave, Joshua (Aaron Paul), an act that appalls him. This jarring experience serves as a poignant reminder of the egregious injustices perpetrated against his people.

Subsequent encounters with the tribe of Hebrews, led by the venerable Nun (Ben Kingsley), reveal a profound truth: Moses is himself a Hebrew, and his life has been marked by an extraordinary circumstance – he was sent to Egypt as an infant. This revelation sends Moses reeling, precipitating a crisis of identity.

Word of Moses’ true heritage eventually reaches Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), now the supreme ruler of Egypt, through the agency of Hegep. A servant named Miriam (Tara Fitzgerald) is summoned to face interrogation at the behest of Queen Tuya (Sigourney Weaver). Ramses subjects her to a withering examination, probing whether she might be Moses’ sister. Just as he seems poised to sever her arm, Moses intervenes, asserting his sibling’s innocence. The monarch’s ire is further inflamed by this turn of events, and ultimately, it is he who sends Moses into exile.

As Moses departs Egypt, he encounters Miriam and their birth mother, who impart to him the truth about his name at birth: Moishe. His odyssey takes him through the unforgiving expanse of the desert, where he finds solace in the company of Jethro (Kevork Malikyan) and his daughter Zipporah (Maria Valverde). Over time, Moses evolves into a skilled shepherd, forging deep bonds with both Zipporah and the land, ultimately culminating in their union through marriage.

As the years go by, Ramses solidifies his dominance over Egypt, now a husband to Nefertari (Golshifteh Farahani) and father to an infant son. Meanwhile, Moses remains in Midian, where he has started a family with Zipporah, their young son Gershom (Hal Hewetson) being a constant reminder of the faith that now eludes him, much to his wife’s dismay.

A tempestuous journey takes Moses up a mountain during a violent storm, only to be caught off guard by a treacherous rockslide. The force of the landslide leaves him unconscious and severely injured, with a broken leg submerged in mud. As he awakens to the sound of divine whispers, a burning bush beckons his attention. In this sacred moment, Malak (Isaac Andrews), an innocent child, appears before him, representing the will of God come to converse with Moses. The young prophet stacks stones into a pyramid, serving as a poignant reminder of his duty and the identity of his people.

Upon returning to his village, Moses shares his mystical encounter with Zipporah, but her skepticism regarding God’s manifestation as a child is palpable. Despite this, Moses feels an unmistakable calling, which only grows stronger when he reunites with Nun and Joshua. Moreover, he meets his brother Aaron (Andrew Tarbet) for the first time, accompanied by Aaron’s own son. As if driven by an otherworldly force, Moses returns to the temple and confronts Ramses with unwavering conviction, recounting his divine commission.

Seared by this revelation, Ramses resolves to eradicate Moses and hunt down the Hebrews in the city, publicly executing them until Moses surrenders himself. Undeterred, the latter rallies the Hebrews, instructing them in the art of combat against Ramses’ forces. Together with the tribesmen, they hone their skills, mastering the use of bows and arrows as well as defenses against the Egyptians. Throughout this tumultuous period, Moses remains attuned to Malak’s prophetic warnings, hinting at a calamity yet to come.

As the unsuspecting fishermen reel in their final catch, a gruesome massacre unfolds beneath the scorching sun. A horde of ferocious crocodiles, their jaws snapping with deadly precision, tear apart the hapless boat dwellers and each other, leaving the waves crimson with blood. This ghastly tableau serves as a grim omen for the impending doom that descends upon Egypt, where the Ten Plagues unleash their wrath.

First, the very fabric of reality is distorted as all water within the city’s boundaries transforms into a grotesque, lifeless liquid, replete with the rotting corpses of sea creatures. Then, an endless horde of frogs, their tiny bodies blanketing the streets, overwhelms the city, accompanied by a putrid stench that clings to everything.

The Egyptians, including the once-mighty Ramses and his family, are beset on all sides by rashes, boils, and festering sores, their usually imposing palaces now transformed into symbols of suffering. As desperation sets in, Ramses consults his trusted grand vizier and High Priestess for a solution, but when they fail to provide an answer, he orders their execution.

Meanwhile, Moses confronts Ramses once more, imploring him to release the Hebrew slaves from bondage. But Ramses remains unmoved, arguing that altering the status quo would be catastrophic for Egypt’s economy, which relies heavily on the labor of its subjugated people. As the plagues continue to ravage the land, a ghastly pestilence afflicts the livestock, causing them to cough up blood before succumbing to their fate.

The city is then beset by an insatiable swarm of locusts, their voracious appetites leaving crops in ruins. A fierce hailstorm follows, further ravaging the already-battered landscape. Amidst this chaos, Moses learns of the final plague from Malak, his expression etched with horror.

Moses implores the Hebrews to prepare for the impending disaster by slaying a lamb and smearing its blood on their doorposts. That night, an inky darkness descends upon the city, claiming the lives of every Egyptian firstborn not protected by this crimson seal – including Ramses’ own son. The once-mighty pharaoh is left wailing amidst his fallen child.

Seared by grief and rage, Ramses commands Moses to depart with the Hebrews, leaving Egypt behind. As the people begin their arduous exodus, they eventually arrive at the shores of the Red Sea, where a despondent Moses casts his sword into the waters in frustration. Later, as the tides recede, the Hebrews are given passage across the sea’s dry bed.

But not all is tranquil: one skeptical Hebrew voices their discontent with Moses’ leadership, only to be convinced by the prophet’s solemn vow to guide them to their promised land of Canaan. With renewed resolve, the people set forth into the unknown, the Red Sea stretching out before them like an endless, crimson-hued chasm.

As Ramses’ grief over the loss of his son continues to weigh heavily on him, a sense of resolve sets in, driving him to exact revenge upon the Hebrews. His relentless pursuit takes him and his men across treacherous mountain terrain, where exhaustion is ignored and the horses are pushed to their limits. The rugged landscape proves to be their undoing, however, as a devastating landslide claims the lives of many Egyptian soldiers, leaving only a handful to continue the chase. As the Hebrews near the shores of the Red Sea, Ramses’ remaining troops finally catch up, only to find themselves racing against time as the waters begin to reform and the shoreline rapidly retreats. Moses, flanked by Joshua, Aaron, and others, gallops towards Ramses, while his people scramble to safety as the sea surges forward. With a flick of his wrist, Moses orders the Hebrews to turn back, while most of Ramses’ men falter in their pursuit. Undeterred, Ramses presses on, only to be consumed by the waves alongside his soldiers - all but one, who survives to reunite with the Hebrews and mourn the loss of his comrades.

As the dust settles, Moses leads his people through the arid expanse of Midian, seeking solace in the company of Zipporah and Gershom. With a sense of renewed conviction, he implores her to draw strength from their shared experiences, embracing her warmly as they share a tender kiss.

Later, as Moses carves out the Ten Commandments onto the stone tablets, his spiritual guide Malak reappears, urging him to demonstrate unwavering faith in the principles he is recording. The Hebrews proceed to make their way across the sacred terrain of Mount Sinai, accompanied by the venerable figure of a significantly older Moses, who rides proudly with the Ten Commandments close at hand. As he scans the horizon, his eyes momentarily lock onto Malak’s familiar form amidst the throng before she vanishes into thin air. With the tablets complete, the Hebrews continue their journey towards the Promised Land, guided by Moses’ unwavering vision and conviction.