‘One
Night with the King’ gets mixed reviews
By NADIA POZO
CS&T Staff Writer
“One Night with the King” was among the top 10 grossing films
in its weekend release of Oct. 13 — despite its limited release
market — proving that the American public wants to see films based
on religious themes.
The film by Gener8xion Entertainment is one response by the industry to
the challenge set by the blockbuster success of “The Passion of
the Christ” to produce more religious-based films of high caliber.
The film attempts to create an epic film set in an ancient and exotic
world of adventure, intrigue and romance while providing a religious experience
reminiscent of the 1950s’ silver screen.
Although “One Night with the King” falls short in quality
and lacks the “religious experience,” it’s a decent
attempt to bring more family-based, wholesome entertainment to the big
screen.
Its story follows “Hadassah,” a young, Jewish peasant girl
whose parents are brutally murdered. She is taken under the protection
of her “Uncle” Mordecai — a scribe in the king’s
court, who is actually her much older cousin — and she comes to
love him as a father.
When the queen of Persia is banished after defying the king, a search
is set in motion for a new queen, and the maidens of the empire are rounded
up and taken to the palace.
Before she leaves, Mordecai makes Hadassah promise to keep her Jewish
identity a secret, and changes her name to Esther — a Persian name
that means star.
After her one night with the king, Esther is chosen queen. But as result
of Prince Haman the Agagite’s hatred of the Jews and political plotting,
King Xerxes orders the extermination of all Jews living in Persia. Esther
must decide between revealing her identity and interceding for her people
before the king, or saving her own life because going before the king
unsummoned means certain death.
The top performance in the movie is the portrayal of Mordecai by John
Rhys-Davies, known for his role as Gimli in the Lord of the Rings film
trilogy, and as the jovial Sallah in Stephen Spielberg’s Indiana
Jones films.
Rhys-Davis gives a solid performance as Esther’s adoptive father
— a character who begins by walking the fine line between his Jewish
heritage and his service as a courtier to the king, but eventually takes
a public stand that inspires Esther to sacrifice herself for her faith
and save her people.
His character is believable and likable and his performance shines, especially
in contrast to the over-acting and under-acting of some of the other principals,
which makes the romance between Esther and Xerxes unbelievable.
The film makes a big deal of bringing together the legendary actors Peter
O’Toole and Omar Sharif, who shared the screen in the highly acclaimed
Lawrence of Arabia, but the two never appear together — a disappointment
for those looking forward to their reunion. In fact, O’Toole appears
only in a brief cameo in the first five minutes of the film.
The film’s lavish costumes and breathtaking scenery is the best
part of the movie, and best appreciated on the big screen.
In an effort to create the feel of an epic, great pains seem to have been
taken to transport the audience to the height of the 4th century Persian
empire through the use of location shooting and production — choosing
India as a stunning locale for the film, using that nation’s palaces
as sets, and hiring an acclaimed Indian designer for vivid, handmade costumes
makes the film visually majestic.
But the modern acting style of some of the principals in the flim make
it difficult for a viewer to be swept into the Persian world the filmmakers
have so painstakingly recreated. Some of the editing choices and the movie’s
length add to that problem.
And although the movie was based on the Biblical account, it seems a water-downed
rendition of Queen Esther, focused more on the invented romance than on
her faith.
The film received the Dove Foundation’s family-approved seal, and
parents may safely take their children to watch the film. Despite its
failings, “One Night with the King” is a better choice than
most of what Hollywood is offering at the moment.
But for those expecting another movie of the caliber of “The Passion,”
this one turns out to be a well-intentioned underachiever.
CS&T staff writer Nadia Pozo can be reached at npozo@adphila.org
or (215) 965-4614.