The Prince of Egypt (1998) has remained a favorite for many, and the story of the Book of Exodus is one that has been studied and retold countless times. The story of Moses freeing his people is truly inspiring, bringing up dark ideas of sacrifice and loss while also celebrating the beauty of life and the power of belief.
This article delves into various aspects of the film, including its music, animation, character development, and its faithfulness to the source material.
Image courtesy of Dreamworks
Music: The Heart of the Story
There’s a famous quote typically attributed to Hans Christian Anderson: “When words fail, music speaks.” While the quote has become a bit cliché and overused, perhaps it offers a succinct explanation for why The Prince of Egypt works so well as an adaptation of the story of Exodus.
Words have power (after all, the Bible itself is words), but when adapting this story to film, music seems to be the best way to fully capture the grandeur, emotion, and spiritual gravity of the events portrayed.
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Hans Zimmer, the film’s composer, brought his powerful orchestration and themes to this film as well, interweaving and reusing them in meaningful ways. Zimmer openly admitted his difficulty in crafting a theme for God, listening to “dozens of classical recordings with religious significance” when trying to find the appropriate tone, particularly for the burning bush encounter.
Stephen Schwartz, the film’s songwriter, paired memorable melodies with meaningful lyrics at every stage of the film. There’s an efficiency of storytelling present in the songs that’s poetic but succinct.
Musical Numbers Analysis
Several songs from the movie stand out for their narrative and emotional depth:
- "Deliver Us": Sets up the entire story, communicating the Israelites’ enslavement to Egypt, the Egyptians killing the newborn Israelite boys, and Moses being set down the Nile by his mother, ultimately found by Pharaoh’s wife.
- "The Plagues": Communicates via montage and song the plagues that Egypt suffered alongside Moses and Pharaoh’s reactions, all in 3 minutes.
- "All I Ever Wanted": Verbalizes Moses’ internal motivations in a clever play on the “I Want” song, communicating Moses’ growing unease with the life he thought he wanted.
- "When You Believe": Conveys the hope and joy of the Israelites as they leave Egypt in freedom.
MARIAH CAREY and WHITNEY HOUSTON behind the scenes of When You Believe and Vh-1 Countdown
When You Believe
"When You Believe" is a song made for the 1998 DreamWorks musical animated feature The Prince of Egypt, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. A pop single version of "When You Believe" performed by American singers Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, with additional music and lyrics by writer-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, was also recorded for the film's end credits and its soundtrack album by DreamWorks Records.
The original version of the song, featured in the narrative portion of the film, is performed by Sally Dworsky, Michelle Pfeiffer, and a children's choir soloist Andrew Bryan. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics and experienced moderate success, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, despite heavy media attention and live promotion. It achieved better charting throughout Europe and other nations, reaching number one in Hungary, peaking within the top five in Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
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"When You Believe" was awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 71st annual ceremony on March 21, 1999.
Critical Reception
"When You Believe" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who favorably described the track as "epic", "powerful", "beautiful", "stunning", "bombastic", and "a devout duet". Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote: "The Babyface-stamped track is indeed lovely, offering an instantly accessible chorus and a squeaky clean message of "all things are possible when you believe in your dreams".
He added that "the genuine story in this track is the return of Houston, who sounds fantastic-as clear and confident as ever". Another editor, Paul Verna stated that it is a "high-powered" duet, and later highlighted the song while reviewing Houston's album.
Animation and Visuals
The all-star voice cast delivers emotional and layered performances, worth the price of admission alone. The ten highest billed on the cast list is practically a who’s who of the 90s and 00s: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin, and Martin Short.
The truly jaw-dropping blend of hand-drawn and 3D animation communicates a sense of wonder and supernatural awe in ways few other films ever have. Special attention is paid to blocking and “camera” angles, with each shot and cut visually conveying vital information in a manner often ignored by animators.
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Scenes like the burning bush, the shifting hieroglyphics, the angel of death arriving, and Moses parting the Red Sea carry a weight and mysticism that has rarely been matched over 25 years later thanks to the unique animation and shot selection.
Use of Color
The conflict between the Israelites and the Egyptians, Moses and Rameses, and, more broadly, God and Idols are all contrasted with the colors red and blue. Throughout the film, Israelites are associated with the color red through their clothing. The reason for using the color red could possibly symbolize the Israelite blood spilled by the Pharaoh’s violence and enslavement.
The color schemes also play a significant role in Moses’s relationship with his brother, Rameses. During the night of a large banquet, Moses is appointed Chief Architect by Rameses and he is given a blue jeweled ring in honor of his new title. This is the only piece of blue Moses wears in the film. The color and symbolism of the ring represent Moses’s role as the Prince of Egypt, the son of the Pharaoh.
Throughout the film, the God of the Israelites is represented by the color red while the Egyptian Gods are the color blue. During the plagues in Egypt, the works of God are once again represented by the color red. Prior to the plagues, Egypt is animated in a light blue color. During the “Plagues Song” sequence, the sky turns red, representing God’s manifestation in Egypt.
Faithfulness to the Source Material
When adapting an existing story to film, it’s important to stay true to the source material. In Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1956), Moses isn’t the hesitant and unsure servant who comes to find courage in the power of God. He’s a courageous and wise hero played by the strong-jawed Charlton Heston. While it may seem like a small change, it can make a substantial difference in how audiences view this biblical story.
Points of Contention
Every film needs a dramatic inciting incident. In this film, that moment is Moses discovering who he really is, a Hebrew who was sentenced to die by Pharaoh. While we don’t know for sure, most scholars believe Moses would have been aware of his heritage, having been nursed and cared for by his Hebrew mother for the early part of his life.
Another of the film’s questionable storylines is the close relationship between Moses and the new Pharaoh-something never referenced in Scripture.
Questions to Consider
As Christians, we shouldn’t expect to love or agree with everything Hollywood produces that takes the Bible as its source material. In this way, bringing the stories of Scripture to the screen can serve as powerful conversation starters with believers and unbelievers alike:
- What does the Bible actually say about this, and how does this movie or TV rendering interpret it?
- Does the story on screen evoke a sense of wonder or curiosity about God?
- Does it lead me to think about things I’ve never considered about the story when I’ve read it in my Bible?
- Does it prompt me to ask better questions and trust God more deeply?
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