The Prince of Egypt, a 1998 American animated musical drama, stands as a remarkable achievement in filmmaking. Directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells, with a screenplay by Philip LaZebnik, this DreamWorks Animation production adapts the Book of Exodus, narrating the life of Moses from prince to prophet, leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. The film features songs by Stephen Schwartz and a score by Hans Zimmer, enhancing its emotional depth and storytelling power.
DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, inspired by the 1956 film The Ten Commandments, initiated the project after leaving Disney in 1994. The production united 350 artists from 34 countries, including veterans from Walt Disney Feature Animation and Amblimation.
the Prince of Egypt: From Dream to Screen
Premiere and Reception
The Prince of Egypt premiered in Los Angeles on December 16, 1998, and was released in theaters on December 18, followed by a home video release on September 14, 1999. Critics lauded the film's visuals, songs, score, and voice acting. Grossing $218 million worldwide, it became the most successful non-Disney animated feature at the time.
The song "When You Believe," performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, achieved commercial success and won Best Original Song at the 71st Academy Awards. This made The Prince of Egypt the first non-Disney/Pixar animated film, and the first DreamWorks Animation film, to win an Academy Award.
Storyline
In Ancient Egypt, the enslaved Hebrews pray for deliverance. Pharaoh Seti, fearing rebellion due to the growing Hebrew population, orders the infanticide of newborn Hebrew boys. Yocheved saves her son Moses by placing him in a basket on the Nile River. Seti's wife, Queen Tuya, adopts him and names him Moses.
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Years later, Moses and his adoptive brother Rameses, the heir to the throne, are reprimanded for accidentally destroying a temple. Moses suggests Rameses prove his responsibility, leading Seti to name Rameses prince regent. Moses later encounters Miriam and Aaron, learning the truth about Seti's genocide. He accidentally kills an Egyptian slave driver while defending an elderly Hebrew slave and flees to Midian.
Moses finds refuge with Jethro, marries Tzipporah, and becomes a shepherd. He encounters a burning bush and is instructed by God to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews. God grants Moses's staff divine power.
The Ten Plagues
Returning to Egypt, Moses demands the Hebrews' release from Rameses, now Pharaoh. He demonstrates God's power by transforming his staff into a snake. When Rameses refuses, God inflicts ten plagues upon Egypt, including turning the Nile into blood, infestations of frogs, lice, and flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. Despite these calamities, Rameses remains defiant.
The final plague kills all the firstborn sons of Egypt, including Rameses's son, leading Rameses to permit the Hebrews to leave. Moses, Miriam, Aaron, and Tzipporah lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. At the Red Sea, Rameses pursues them, but Moses parts the sea, allowing the Hebrews to cross safely. The sea then engulfs the Egyptian army, sparing Rameses.
Character Development and Design
Character designers Carter Goodrich, Carlos Grangel, and Nico Marlet focused on creating realistic character designs. They distinguished the symmetrical, angular look of the Egyptians from the organic, natural appearance of the Hebrews.
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Voice Acting
The actors recorded their lines individually, guided by the directors. The voice tracks were crucial for the animators in building their performances.
Consideration was given to accurately depicting the ethnicities of the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, and Nubians.
Production Insights
The story was developed collaboratively by a team of storyboard artists and writers. Story supervisors Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook led the team in sketching out the entire film sequence by sequence.
DreamWorks consulted Biblical scholars, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim theologians, and Arab American leaders to ensure theological accuracy.
The animation team comprised 350 artists from 34 nations, recruited from Walt Disney Feature Animation and Amblimation.
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The special effects department worked on 1,180 scenes, animating non-character elements such as wind, dust, and shadows.
Lon Bender and Hans Zimmer's team created God's voice, aiming for a unique and unprecedented sound through extensive research and voice manipulation.
Music and Soundtrack
Stephen Schwartz wrote the songs from the beginning of production, crafting pieces that entertained and advanced the story. Hans Zimmer arranged and produced the songs and wrote the film's score.
DreamWorks Records released three soundtrack albums: the official soundtrack with film songs and Zimmer's score, a country-themed "Nashville" soundtrack, and a gospel-based "Inspirational" soundtrack.
The following table shows the composition of the official soundtrack album:
| Track Number | Song Title | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deliver Us | Ofra Haza, Eden Riegel, and Chorus |
| 2 | River Lullaby | Amy Grant |
| 3 | All I Ever Wanted (With Queen's Reprise) | Amick Byram and Linda Dee Shayne |
| 4 | Through Heaven's Eyes | Brian Stokes Mitchell |
| 5 | Playing With the Big Boys | Steve Martin and Martin Short |
| 6 | When You Believe | Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky |
| 7 | Red Sea/End Title | Hans Zimmer |
Release and Legacy
The Prince of Egypt was released on DVD, VHS, and LaserDisc on September 14, 1999, with a fast global rollout. The rights to the film are now owned by Universal Pictures via NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation.
Critics have praised the film's animation, voice cast, characters, cinematography, and musical score. It is celebrated for its dark yet inspirational tone, complex emotions, and handling of sensitive historical events.
Controversies and Adaptations
The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives banned the film due to its portrayal of prophets. Malaysia also banned the film to avoid offending its Muslim population.
DreamWorks Animation released Joseph: King of Dreams, a direct-to-video prequel based on the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis, in November 2000.
A stage musical adaptation debuted at TheatreWorks in Mountain View, California, on October 14, 2017, and had an international premiere in Denmark on April 6, 2018.
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