The Prince of Egypt
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. The second feature film from DreamWorks and the first to be traditionally animated, it is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to a prophet chosen by God to carry out his ultimate destiny of leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. The film was directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells (in Chapman and Hickner's feature directorial debuts), and produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg, Penney Finkelman Cox, and Sandra Rabins, from a screenplay written by Philip LaZebnik. It features songs written by Stephen Schwartz and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. The film stars the voices of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin, and Martin Short.
For the musical, see The Prince of Egypt (musical). For the soundtrack, see The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack).The Prince of Egypt
- Jeffrey Katzenberg
- Penney Finkelman Cox
- Sandra Rabins
DreamWorks Pictures[2]
- December 16, 1998 (Royce Hall)[4]
- December 18, 1998 (United States)[5]
99 minutes[6]
United States
English
$60 million[7]
$218.6 million[8]
Katzenberg had frequently suggested an animated adaptation of the 1956 film The Ten Commandments while working for The Walt Disney Company, and he decided to put the idea into production after leaving Disney and co-founding DreamWorks Pictures in 1994. To make the project, DreamWorks employed artists who had worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation and Amblimation, totaling a crew of 350 people from 34 countries. The film has a blend of traditional animation and computer-generated imagery, created using software from Toon Boom Animation and Silicon Graphics.
The Prince of Egypt premiered at Royce Hall in Los Angeles on December 16, 1998, and was released in theaters on December 18, followed by a release on home video on September 14, 1999. Reviews were generally positive; critics particularly praised the visuals, songs, score, and voice acting. The film grossed $218 million worldwide in theaters, which made it the most successful non-Disney animated feature at the time. The film's success led to the direct-to-video prequel Joseph: King of Dreams (2000), and a stage musical adaptation which opened in London's West End in 2020.[9][10]
The song "When You Believe" became a commercially successful single in a pop version performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, and went on to win Best Original Song at the 71st Academy Awards, making it the first animated film independently outside of Disney and Pixar films, as well as the first DreamWorks Animation film to receive Academy Awards, succeeded by Shrek (2001) and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). The film also won the inaugural Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, in a tie with Disney and Pixar's A Bug's Life.[11]
In the decades since its release, The Prince of Egypt has been widely acclaimed and regarded as one of DreamWorks' best films, and one of the greatest animated films of all time.[12][13][14][15]
Plot[edit]
In Ancient Egypt, the enslaved Hebrew people pray to God for deliverance. Pharaoh Seti, fearing that the growing numbers of Hebrews could lead to rebellion, orders a mass infanticide of all newborn Hebrew boys. Yocheved and her children, Miriam and Aaron, rush to the Nile River, where she places her newborn son in a basket on the water, bidding him farewell with a final lullaby. Miriam follows the basket as it floats to Seti's palace and witnesses her brother safely adopted by Seti's wife, Queen Tuya, who names him Moses. Before leaving, Miriam prays that Moses will return to free the Hebrews.
Years later, Moses and his adoptive brother Rameses, heir to the throne of Egypt, are scolded by Seti for accidentally destroying a temple. After Moses suggests that Rameses be given the opportunity to prove his responsibility, Seti names Rameses prince regent. High priests Hotep and Huy offer Rameses a beautiful but rebellious young Midianite woman, Tzipporah. Moses humiliates Tzipporah by letting her fall into a pond after she refuses to submit, appeasing the crowd but disappointing Tuya. Rameses gives Tzipporah to Moses and appoints him Royal Chief Architect.
Later that night, Moses follows Tzipporah as she escapes from the palace, choosing not to stop her. He runs into the now-adult Miriam and Aaron whom he does not recognize. He disbelieves their claims and almost has them arrested until Miriam sings their mother's lullaby, triggering Moses's memory. He flees in denial, but learns the truth of Seti's genocide from a nightmare, then from Seti himself, who disturbs Moses by claiming the Hebrews were "only slaves". The next day, Moses tries to stop an Egyptian slave driver from flogging an elderly Hebrew slave, accidentally pushing the slave driver to his death. Horrified and ashamed, Moses flees into the desert in exile, despite Rameses's pleas that he stay.
Arriving at an oasis, Moses defends three girls from brigands, only to realize their older sister is Tzipporah. Moses is welcomed by Jethro, Tzipporah's father and the high priest of Midian, who helps Moses gain a more positive outlook on life. Moses becomes a shepherd, falls in love with Tzipporah, marries her, and grows adjusted to life in Midian. Moses discovers a burning bush, through which God tells him to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews. God bestows Moses's shepherding staff with his power and promises that he will tell Moses what to say. When Moses tells Tzipporah of his task, she decides to join him.
Arriving in Egypt, Moses is happily greeted by Rameses, who is now Pharaoh with a wife and son. Moses demands the Hebrews' release and transforms his staff into a snake to demonstrate God's power. Hotep and Huy deceptively recreate this transformation, only to have their snakes eaten by Moses's. Not wanting to have his actions cause the empire's collapse and feeling betrayed by Moses, Rameses denies Moses's demand and doubles the Hebrews' workload.
The Hebrews, including Aaron, blame Moses for their increased workload, discouraging Moses, but Miriam inspires Moses to persevere. Moses casts the first of the Ten Plagues of Egypt by changing the waters of the Nile into blood, but Rameses remains unmoved. God inflicts eight more plagues onto Egypt: frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hailfire, locusts, and prolonged darkness, but still Rameses refuses to relent, vowing never to release the Hebrews. Disheartened, Moses prepares the Hebrews for the tenth plague, instructing them to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. That night, the final plague kills all the firstborn sons of Egypt, including Rameses's young son, while passing over the Hebrews' marked homes. Grief-stricken, Rameses permits the Hebrews to leave. After leaving the palace, Moses collapses in anguish and remorse.
The following morning, Moses, Miriam, Aaron and Tzipporah lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Once at the Red Sea, a vengeful Rameses pursues them with his army, intent on killing them. However, a pillar of fire blocks the army's way, while Moses uses his staff to part the sea. The Hebrews cross the open sea bottom; the fire vanishes and the army gives chase, but the sea closes over and drowns the Egyptian soldiers, sparing Rameses alone. Moses mournfully bids Rameses farewell and leads the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments.
Director Brenda Chapman briefly voices Miriam when she sings the lullaby to Moses. The vocals had been recorded for a scratch audio track, which was intended to be replaced later by Dworsky. The track turned out so well that it remained in the film.[17]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The Prince of Egypt grossed $101.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $117.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $218.6 million.[8]
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $14.5 million (a $4,658 average) from 3,118 theaters, finishing second place at the box office, behind You've Got Mail.[44] The opening was seen as somewhat disappointing given the film's high production and promotional costs, as well as the studio's faith in the project, and industry insiders had doubts it could leg out to $100 million domestically.[45] Due to the holiday season, the film gained 4% in its second weekend, earning $15.1 million and finishing in fourth place.[46] It would hold well in its third weekend, with only a 25% drop to $11.2 million for a $3,511 average from 3,202 theaters and once again finishing in fourth place.[47]
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 79% based on 92 reviews and an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Prince of Egypt's stunning visuals and first-rate voice cast more than compensate for the fact that it's better crafted than it is emotionally involving".[48] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[49] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[50]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film in his review saying that "The Prince of Egypt is one of the best-looking animated films ever made. It employs computer-generated animation as an aid to traditional techniques, rather than as a substitute for them, and we sense the touch of human artists in the vision behind the Egyptian monuments, the lonely desert vistas, the thrill of the chariot race, the personalities of the characters. This is a film that shows animation growing up and embracing more complex themes, instead of chaining itself in the category of children's entertainment".[51] Richard Corliss of Time magazine gave a negative review of the film saying that the film lacks creativity and joy.[52] Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post praised the film saying that "the movie's proudest accomplishment is that it revises our version of Moses toward something more immediate and believable, more humanly knowable".[53]
Lisa Alspector from the Chicago Reader praised the film and wrote: "The blend of animation techniques somehow demonstrates mastery modestly, while the special effects are nothing short of magnificent".[54] Houston Chronicle's Jeff Millar praised the animation of Prince of Egypt and called it "an amalgam of Hollywood biblical epic, Broadway supermusical and nice Sunday school lesson".[55] James Berardinelli from Reelviews highly praised the film, saying that the animation is "top-notch" that can rival to Disney films.[56] Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail gave a somewhat negative review, writing that Prince of Egypt is spectacular but that the film takes itself too seriously.[57] MovieGuide also reviewed the film favorably, saying that The Prince of Egypt took animated films to a new level of entertainment, also commenting that the "magnificent" art, music, story, and realization make The Prince of Egypt "one of the most entertaining masterpieces of all time".[58]
Retrospective reception[edit]
Since its release, the film continues to receive acclaim from critics and audiences alike. When the film reached its 20th anniversary, SyFy made a retrospective review of The Prince of Egypt, calling it the greatest animated film of all time, predominantly due to its voice cast, animation, characters, cinematography, and most importantly, its musical score.[12] Lisa Laman of Collider wrote that it "stands out" among the other films in DreamWorks Animation's catalog for its dark but inspirational and uplifting tone when compared to the studio's later titles. Laman further noted that the film is "content to let these kinds of dark moments simmer. Sadness is allowed to wash over the audience rather than get undercut by abrupt jokes", and he called it the studio's best film.[59]
Julia Polster of The Daily Pennsylvanian wrote that the film showcases "complex emotions and history in ways even children can appreciate" and positively compared its handling of the portrayal of Jews under oppression to Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List (1993) and the stage musicals Fiddler on the Roof and Parade. She went on to explain how the film continues to remain relevant and essential in modern times, in part due to an increase of antisemitism and Holocaust denial in the United States during the early months of 2020, saying that "this lack of security is why films like The Prince of Egypt and its more adult counterparts must exist: to teach in an accessible way" and that The Prince of Egypt and other films carry on the history and legacy of Judaism.[60]
For The Film Magazine, Katie Doyle in her 2015 retrospective called the film's portrayal of Moses's encounter with God's voice coming through the burning bush as "a masterpiece of animation" and one of the best depictions of God shown in the film, and she wrote that, for younger viewers, it is "a shining example of a children's movie that delivers mature content to children in a manner that is not too frightening but still gets the deep message across".[61]
It has appeared on many lists as among the best animated films of all time.[14][15] Jackson Lockhart of Comic Book Resources ranked it first place on his list of the top 10 non-Disney animated musical films, writing that the "songs and visuals are transcendent and packed with symbolism, such as God collapsing a statue of Amun-Ra, the Egyptian God of the sun, before inflicting his plague of darkness".[62] Hannah Shortt of MovieWeb ranked it at number 8 on her list of the "Best Animated Movies From the 1990s", commenting that placing Moses and Ramases' relationship as brothers at the forefront of the film's focus helped make the story feel new and fresh for a modern audience.[63] Jacob Oller of Paste named it the third-best DreamWorks Animation film of all time, calling it "dark, beautiful, and filled with songs as epic as its visuals".[64] It was also voted number 40 on the "Top 100 Animated Features of All Time" list by the Online Film Critics Society, published in March 2003.[65]
Cultural impact[edit]
The Prince of Egypt saw a resurgence in visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, most notably when Cynthia Erivo and Shoshana Bean, with piano accompaniment by Stephen Schwartz, performed a rendition of "When You Believe" during the virtual Saturday Night Seder that April, in response to the shutdown of Broadway and the film's stage musical adaptation suspending performances in the West End.[66][67] The performance was well-received and their rendition was released as a single on June 30, 2020 to benefit the Jews for Racial and Economic Justice organization.[68] In November 2021, the "River Lullaby" leitmotif became the subject of a TikTok mash-up between that and Hans Zimmer's "Gom Jabbar" score cue from the film adaptation of Dune, created by Nashville singer JADA. The video went viral on the platform within its first 24 hours, garnering 2.3 million views and over 500,000 likes.[69]
In July 2023, to celebrate the film's 25-year anniversary, many crew members who worked on the film, including directors Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner and Simon Wells, songwriter Stephen Schwartz, and cast members Amick Byram and Eden Riegel, reunited by participating in a 3-hour livestream on YouTube on The Tammy Tuckey Show. The event had been organized ahead of time.[70]
Censorship[edit]
The Prince of Egypt was banned in the Maldives, Malaysia and Egypt, and all state Islam countries, on the grounds that Islamic prophets (who include Moses) are not to be visually depicted. The film was also banned in Indonesia, but was later released in video CD format.
The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives stated that "all prophets and messengers of God are revered in Islam, and therefore cannot be portrayed".[71][72] Following this ruling, the censor board banned the film in January 1999. In the same month, the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia banned the film "so as not to offend the country's majority Muslim population". The board's secretary said that the censor body ruled the film was "insensitive for religious and moral reasons".[73]