Religious Reflections In Movies
... more so than when reading it in a book. I really got the sense, even though I already knew Moses was destined for great things, that God guided the basket to safety, as if he had a plan for this child. Of all the bad things that could have happened to the basket, no harm came to it; I instantly felt a sense of safety in my heart knowing that God watches over all his children and keeps us from harm in such a manner as he did Moses. The evidence of the audience DreamWork’s was going for was obvious when Moses life growing up a prince was depicted in the movie. He and his brother, Ramses, were shown racing through the town in chariots causing trouble. Scenes like these were, I felt, integral in this movie by adding a little fun and humor to the story to keep the attention of a younger audience, including myself. The Bible did not go into so much detail of the falling out between Pharaoh and Moses as did the movie, and so the movie better prepared me to understand why it was that Moses felt it necessary to leave his life behind and seek who he really was. Again, this film adaptation answered many more questions I had about the story of Moses. The ‘burning bush’ scenes in the movie had great impact on me as well. I am stimulated more by visuals than I am by reading; so when I had the chance to experience their vision of what Moses and the burning bush would have looked like, I was moved more deeply than before. To visualize God’s communication with man in such a way was humbling for me; as great as man becomes, he is still dwarfed by his maker, and this scene showed me that there might be a true interaction between man and the Heavens. After this particular chain of events, I was comforted in the thought that no matter how tough life may seem to me, no matter how clouded my future looks, I can take hold in the belief that God has a plan for me, and that if I just stick to it, I will realize my goals in His time. Moses became at peace with himself and God while he was away; this prepared him to carry out what God had planned for him. He went back to Egypt to speak with Pharaoh and deliver God’s message to free his people. However, Moses was not prepared to put himself at odds with his brother. He tried to reason with him, but Ramses would not have it. God’s power was demonstrated again, visually, when Moses threw his staff to the floor and it was changed into a snake. Pharaoh’s magician’s attempted to conjure up their own brand of magic, but God’s might and will was demonstrated when the snake of Moses’ staff swallowed the snakes of Pharaoh’s men. God’s power was evident throughout the rest of the movie and its impact on me was even greater. Moses confronted Ramses again on the riverbed and pleaded with him to let his people go; angered, Ramses sent his guards to seize Moses, but a breeze blew across Moses and he was instructed to place the staff in the water. When he did, the river was turned into blood, once again proving the awesome power of God. Again, actually being able to see these miracles played out before me had a more profound effect on me than by reading about them in the Bible. The ten plagues were much the same, it is hard to see what kind of impact frogs and gnats would have on Egypt, but by seeing it, I was able to understand the magnitude of power, using many different ways to try to command Pharaoh to free his people. The miracles God allowed Moses to perform were great but these were nothing compared to what happened at the end of the movie. After the last plague, the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh, losing his own son, allowed Moses and the Israelites to leave Egypt and seek their freedom. They began their exodus to a promised land to live free from persecution. However, Pharaoh soon changed his mind and set out after Moses and the Israelites in anger. Soon, Moses came to the edge of the Red Sea; on the other side lay freedom and God’s promise, but Pharaoh and his army had cau...