FIRST THINGS FIRST: Exodus
is inspired by the biblical account of
Moses and his leading the Jewish people
out of slavery in Egypt. Exodus is not a
direct adaptation of that biblical story. If
it was, it would be a disjointed, almost
incomprehensible mess. Biblical stories
often lack all of the necessary information
that cinematic storytelling demands:
events are sometimes told more than
once (the creation story), they are told
briefly (the flood), or they lack the basic
nuts and bolts that all films require—
supporting characters, motivating factors,
information about settings and costumes,
etc.—(nearly every story in the Bible).
As a result, screenwriters are forced to
elaborate on these narratives to tell a
more cohesive story. In turn, the director,
producers, actors, makeup artists, and
everyone else involved in the production
process “interprets” the script to complete
the film.
In many ways, this is similar to an ancient
Jewish practice known as midrash, a
method of interpreting biblical stories that
fills in gaps left in the narrative regarding
events and personalities that the scripture
only hints at. Midrash (both the practice
and resulting texts) has helped both Jews
and Christians engage more difficult
passages of scripture. We might even
say that we practice midrash when we
listen to or read stories from the Bible and
imagine what those events looked like.
As a result, the questions or concerns
should not be whether or not filmmakers
add to or adapt biblical texts, because in
order to make a film based on scripture,
they have to. Rather, we should ask what
those adaptations do: are they faithful to
the narrative (as far we can know it) or are
they contrary to it? Are we challenged to
think about a familiar story in new ways or
is the adaptation so different that we are
forced to return to the biblical story itself.
Of course, the way we interact with or
interpret biblical films will depend greatly
on how we interpret scripture itself.
Moses and the exodus of the Israelites
out of Egyptian captivity is one of the
most recognizable biblical stories. As the
central narrative of the Jewish tradition,
it is integral to the lived experience of
that faith. Early Christians even used
the story of Moses to interpret the life of
Jesus. As a narrative, it is full of largerthan-life characters, epic, divine action,
exotic settings, and rich drama. It is not
surprising that this was one of the first
biblical stories adapted for film in the early
1900s and has continued to inspire and
challenge filmmakers for generations.
Below are a series of questions that
might get you thinking about the Bible,
Exodus, and the ways they influence our
understandings of each.
you seen someone in your life “speak truth
to power?”
6. Sacrifice. It’s a big idea, and something
we’re not often great at doing. Given the
TO BEGIN:
decision that Moses faced, many of us
1. Without looking at the Bible, tell one
might have chosen to remain in a life of
another the story of Moses and the exodus. luxury, but as people of faith, we’re called
Now turn to the Bible. What did you add
to put others before ourselves. What does
or leave out? Were you surprised by
Moses sacrifice? How might we be more
your reconstruction of the story? If not,
like Moses in our own lives?
why? Talk about those connections and
disconnections.
7. Although God sends a host of
devastating plagues on Ramses and the
2. Consider Exodus as an adaptation of the Egyptians, Ramses was cursed before
biblical story. In what ways does it connect that. Ramses, even with all his wealth and
with scripture? In what ways is it different? power, is cursed. Long before the plagues
arrive, Ramses is cursed with arrogance
3. Good films have the ability to make us
and a disregard for the suffering of others.
think differently about the world around
Just as he enslaved the Israelites, in a very
us. Adaptations of familiar stories make
real way, Ramses brings punishment on
us think about them in new and different
himself and his people by refusing to let
ways. What about the Exodus film made
them go. While we celebrate Moses and
you think about the Bible story in a new or
the exodus, do we ever stop to think about
different way?
how we have lived our lives in ways that
make us the Ramses of the story? Think
4. Was there something about your
about ways you have been like Ramses.
experience with or knowledge of this
What did this lead to? How can we live
biblical story that made you think more
differently?
deeply about the film? If so, explain.
5. In the Bible and in Exodus, Moses
confronts Ramses on behalf of God. He
demands the release of the Israelites from
their unjust enslavement. In many circles,
this act is often described as “speaking
truth to power,” which begins to get at
the reality of oppressed people using a
prophetic voice in their defense. How does
Moses confront Ramses in scripture? How
does this happen in Exodus? When have
DIG DEEPER
and scholars for centuries. Through their
interaction with the biblical text, some
1. In the introduction, we discussed the
scholars and historians have attempted
reality that biblical stories often lack certain
to attach natural explanations to these
details or narrative events that would
plagues. How does Exodus adapt and
otherwise help create a more complete
interpret these plagues? How have you
dramatic narrative. How have you, or
interpreted them in your reading of the
ministers you have known, addressed this
Bible?
lack of information? How does Exodus fill
in these missing elements?
5. As one of the earliest and perhaps
most popular stories of liberation in
2. John Wesley, the leader of the
human history, the exodus has proven to
Methodist movement, articulated what
be a source of inspiration for oppressed
has become known as the Wesleyan
people throughout history from peasant
Quadrilateral. He argued that four sources
uprisings to the Civil Rights movement
contribute to the practice of theology:
to the recent Arab Spring. Where do you
scripture, tradition, experience, and
see widespread suffering and oppression
reason. How do the stories of Moses and
in your community and around the world?
the exodus shape your understanding of
How can we use the stories of Moses and
God?
the exodus to inspire those who work for
freedom and peace?
3. Every film version of Moses has been
different from the Moses of scripture. If
6. Earlier this year, another famous biblical
you’ve seen other film versions of this
story was adapted for film. If you saw
story, which Moses (or Moses’) stands
Noah, discuss how it and Exodus adapt
out to you and why? The same is true
scripture. How are they similar? In what
for Exodus – talk about the differences
ways are they different?
between the Moses of scripture and
Christian Bale’s Moses.
7. Staying with this conversation between
Noah and Exodus, compare the worlds
4. The plagues are one of the most
that Noah and Moses lived in. Although the
memorable elements of the exodus story.
divine (or supernatural) is at work in both
While they were integral to the freedom
(a rapidly-growing forest, Nephilim, and
of the Israelites, they also resulted in the
the plagues, to name a few), in what ways
deaths of countless Egyptians. That God
are they similar? In what ways are they
would be responsible for these deaths has
different?
been troubling to believers, theologians,