At times, Moses is depicted as a brooding, Hamlet-like hero. And, as if the story wasn't grim enough to begin with, the screenwriters invented a friendship between Ramses and Moses to elevate certain aspects of The Prince of Egypt to the level of a Shakepearean tragedy. In keeping with Exodus, the mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves is depicted (albeit not graphically), as is the mass slaughter of Egyptian firstborns that leads to the Pharaoh's freeing of the slaves. Every effort was made to follow the source material faithfully, although a disclaimer appears before the opening sequence reminding viewers that, while the movie uses "artistic and historical license," every effort was made to remain "true to the essence" of the tale as related in the first 14 chapters of the Book of Exodus (Moses' birth, exile, then return to lead his people out of Egypt).Īs in Mulan, the subject matter is fairly sophisticated for animated fare (witness the PG rating). Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious leaders were consulted about the script.
The last thing the studio wanted was an organized protest outside theaters on opening day. Of course, telling a Biblical story has forced Dreamworks to do a great deal of creative tap-dancing to avoid offending potential viewers. It ranks alongside the Magic Kingdom's Mulan at the top of the year's traditional-style animated pile. The Prince of Egypt is a worthy starting point. Like Fox (with Anastasia) and Warner Brothers (with the disappointing The Quest for Camelot), Dreamworks intends to challenge Disney's reign as the King of Animation. Now, the Exodus has been used as a basis for The Prince of Egypt, which marks Dreamworks SKG's entrance into the field of glossy, big budget animation.
The tale has inspired countless plays, a renowned oratorio (Handel's "Israel in Egypt"), and one of the most beloved epic motion pictures of all time (Cecil B. For many centuries, those producing mass entertainment have recognized the inherent drama and majesty in the story of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt.
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