Biggest Biblical Epic Production “Exodus: Gods and Kings” Begins December 5 in Philippines
Academy Award winner Christian Bale, widely known for
his unforgettable portrayal in “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark
Knight Rises” once again puts on his heroic garb in the staggering biblical
epic ever to be produced in Ridley
Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings.”
Filmed in 3D, Scott’s film will tell
the extraordinary story of Moses. Abandoned by a desperate mother as a baby
after the Egyptian rulers order the murder of all boys born to slaves, he is
found in the bulrushes by the Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the royal
household, where he grows up alongside Ramses (Joel Edgerton), the future
monarch. As a man, Moses has a vision
from God and turns his back on his privileged life and leads his people, the
Israelites, from enslavement. Scott’s film will feature ground-breaking special
effects, to visualise some of the more fantastic elements of the story
including the plagues visited upon Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea.
“It’s
about two brothers – not by blood, but by bond – who grow up together, but
become absolute enemies, and surprise each other. We kind of presented them as
two atheists, who understand the necessity for the Egyptian pantheon of gods in
order to rule powerfully and effectively,” says Bale.
“Then suddenly you get one, Moses, who is exiled, who
experiences this purification in the desert, who has a calling, and who
returns, compelled by God, by a voice that is telling him what to do.
“Then you get the other character,
Ramses, who has always been sceptical, but now that he is actually the Pharaoh,
he’s really starting to convince himself that it’s true – that he is a living
god – and he’s enjoying that. “It’s an
unstoppable force and an immovable object. You’ve got one guy who is compelled
by the voice of God, telling him to liberate, and the other one, who has come
to believe he is a god, and that sets up a wonderful confrontation.”
Scott, and screenwriter Steve
Zaillian (Schindler’s List, Moneyball) who wrote the script with Bill Collage
and Adam Cooper, have remained true to the Biblical story of Moses whilst using
the very latest tools available to a modern filmmaker to realise some of the
more fantastical elements. “I can’t predict what religious audiences will
feel,” says Bale, “when there is a story that is so intensely personal.” “It’s beyond that thing of making a film based
on a book. Even in those circumstances, you so often find people saying, ‘I
just cannot get into the film because that’s not how I pictured it.’
In notable roles are Sigourney
Weaver, John Turturro, Ben Kingsley and Aaron Paul. Weaver plays Tuya, mother of Ramses, first
wife of Pharaoh Seti. Star of the director's seminal film, “Alien,” Weaver
later worked with Scott on the historical epic 1492: Conquest of Paradise. She
says of reuniting with Scott: “It feels like no time has passed at all. I still
see this brilliant man, in command of how to make his vision on screen.”
Of her role, Weaver notes that,
“It's been hard for Tuya to watch Moses be Pharoah Seti’s favorite,” Weaver
continues. “Ridley refers to her as a
panther, and although Tuya could be viewed as evil, to me she is a very good
mother. Tuya knows how much support
Ramses needs, even though he won't admit it. Ramses loves Moses and struggles
to do the right thing by him, but he and Tuya are unnerved by Moses’ closeness
with Pharaoh Seti. People may see Tuya
as a bit of a villain but she is not. She is protecting her son.”
John Turturro portrays Tuya’s
husband, Seti – ruler of Egypt, father to Ramses and father figure to his
nephew Moses. “Seti has held power for too long, and that’s a burden for him,”
says the acclaimed actor. “He has a
closer relationship with Moses than with his own son, Ramses, and he would have
preferred that Moses take his place as Pharoah, but Seti knows this cannot happen.”
Ben Kingsley is Nun, a Hebrew
scholar and spiritual leader of the slaves. Says Scott: “Nun unmasks Moses with
the truth, and starts the chain of events that leads to his exile.” Scott feels lucky to cast Kingsley, who
several years ago played Moses in a television miniseries. “Ben is a chameleon,
clever and adept. There is an iron-cast center to him that was perfect for the
role.”
Aaron Paul's role in the landmark
television series Breaking Bad earned him legions of fans, and a Primetime
Emmy® Award. As the show reached its conclusion after six seasons, he was
approached to play Joshua, a Hebrew slave who helps Moses lead the Hebrews out
of Egypt.
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” delivers a
new perspective on this time-honored tale of Moses as heroic and human as he
led God’s people out of slavery and at its very heart is a story between two men
raised as brothers with very different destinies.
Prepare for the staggering epic
onscreen when “Exodus: Gods and Kings” opens in Philippine cinemas on December
5 (Friday) nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by
Warner Bros.
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