"I think your god is cruel" says the brother of Moses after his son had been smitten along with the rest of the children of Egypt. But let's get to the point, God in the Old Testament can be very cruel, and they let that be known in this film.
One thing I liked about this mini-series is that it didn't hold back when it came to this. You will see the massacre of the Amalekites as well as the killing of all the prisoners that had surrendered after the battle with Moses's army when they chose not to stand with him. I think showing the children being killed was a bit much for network television. But it's all written in the bible, so it must be shown.
Moses is depicted as a tortured leader throughout. He seems to really not want to have this responsibility, and seems to really feel bad when kills in the name of God. But he still does it. There are times when you begin to think that he's going crazy, and leading a bunch of people to their deaths. But you quickly remember that this is The Bible, and that he is their savior.
I'm not quite sure what the director/writers were trying to accomplish with this portrayal. Whether their critiquing the Bible, God's motives, judaism, or simply the side of the bible most films seem to ignore. Or maybe they believe that this is truly the way we should live. More likely it was a way to get ratings, violence sells. Either way, it's interesting to see this side of the Bible. The darker nature of God. In the New Testament God seems so much nicer doesn't he? I guess this is reminder of how powerful and cruel he can be, so that we can be kept in line and not stray from the laws.
In the end, it doesn't matter what their motives were. The film is what it is just as the bible is what it is. It's not entirely accurate of course, a lot of artistic liberties were taken. And it's not as grand as the original film with Heston, a superior film in my opinion. But I like the alternative depiction. Most people are unaware of the many massacres committed by God's people in the Bible. Those depictions have been avoided because it makes God look like a bad guy. http://www.thebricktestament.com is one example of this "darker" side of the bible resurfacing.
I'm not a religious person. I don't subscribe to any of the major religions out there. But I do love the Bible as a literary work and I enjoy most films based on it. This one was very good. But the original is still better. Still, it's worth seeing this darker version of the story.
One thing I liked about this mini-series is that it didn't hold back when it came to this. You will see the massacre of the Amalekites as well as the killing of all the prisoners that had surrendered after the battle with Moses's army when they chose not to stand with him. I think showing the children being killed was a bit much for network television. But it's all written in the bible, so it must be shown.
Moses is depicted as a tortured leader throughout. He seems to really not want to have this responsibility, and seems to really feel bad when kills in the name of God. But he still does it. There are times when you begin to think that he's going crazy, and leading a bunch of people to their deaths. But you quickly remember that this is The Bible, and that he is their savior.
I'm not quite sure what the director/writers were trying to accomplish with this portrayal. Whether their critiquing the Bible, God's motives, judaism, or simply the side of the bible most films seem to ignore. Or maybe they believe that this is truly the way we should live. More likely it was a way to get ratings, violence sells. Either way, it's interesting to see this side of the Bible. The darker nature of God. In the New Testament God seems so much nicer doesn't he? I guess this is reminder of how powerful and cruel he can be, so that we can be kept in line and not stray from the laws.
In the end, it doesn't matter what their motives were. The film is what it is just as the bible is what it is. It's not entirely accurate of course, a lot of artistic liberties were taken. And it's not as grand as the original film with Heston, a superior film in my opinion. But I like the alternative depiction. Most people are unaware of the many massacres committed by God's people in the Bible. Those depictions have been avoided because it makes God look like a bad guy. http://www.thebricktestament.com is one example of this "darker" side of the bible resurfacing.
I'm not a religious person. I don't subscribe to any of the major religions out there. But I do love the Bible as a literary work and I enjoy most films based on it. This one was very good. But the original is still better. Still, it's worth seeing this darker version of the story.