FIRST THINGS FIRST: Exodus is inspired by the biblical account of Moses and his leading the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt. Exodus is not a direct adaptation of that biblical story. If it was, it would be a disjointed, almost incomprehensible mess. Biblical stories often lack all of the necessary information that cinematic storytelling demands: events are sometimes told more than once (the creation story), they are told briefly (the flood), or they lack the basic nuts and bolts that all films require—supporting characters, motivating factors, information about settings and costumes, etc.—(nearly every story in the Bible). As a result, screenwriters are forced to elaborate on these narratives to tell a more cohesive story. In turn, the director, producers, actors, makeup artists, and everyone else involved in the production process “interprets” the script to complete the film.

In many ways, this is similar to an ancient Jewish practice known as midrash, a method of interpreting biblical stories that fills in gaps left in the narrative regarding events and personalities that the scripture only hints at. Midrash (both the practice and resulting texts) has helped both Jews and Christians engage more difficult

passages of scripture. We might even say that we practice midrash when we listen to or read stories from the Bible and imagine what those events looked like. As a result, the questions or concerns should not be whether or not filmmakers add to or adapt biblical texts, because in order to make a film based on scripture, they have to. Rather, we should ask what those adaptations do: are they faithful to the narrative (as far we can know it) or are they contrary to it? Are we challenged to think about a familiar story in new ways or is the adaptation so different that we are forced to return to the biblical story itself. Of course, the way we interact with or interpret biblical films will depend greatly on how we interpret scripture itself.

Moses and the exodus of the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity is one of the most recognizable biblical stories. As the central narrative of the Jewish tradition, it is integral to the lived experience of that faith. Early Christians even used the story of Moses to interpret the life of Jesus. As a narrative, it is full of larger-than-life characters, epic, divine action, exotic settings, and rich drama. It is not surprising that this was one of the first biblical stories adapted for film in the early 1900s and has continued to inspire and challenge filmmakers for generations.

Below are a series of questions that might get you thinking about the Bible, Exodus, and the ways they influence our understandings of each.

TO BEGIN:1. Without looking at the Bible, tell one another the story of Moses and the exodus. Now turn to the Bible. What did you add or leave out? Were you surprised by your reconstruction of the story? If not, why? Talk about those connections and disconnections.

2. Consider Exodus as an adaptation of the biblical story. In what ways does it connect with scripture? In what ways is it different?

3. Good films have the ability to make us think differently about the world around us. Adaptations of familiar stories make us think about them in new and different ways. What about the Exodus film made you think about the Bible story in a new or different way?

4. Was there something about your experience with or knowledge of this biblical story that made you think more deeply about the film? If so, explain.

5. In the Bible and in Exodus, Moses confronts Ramses on behalf of God. He demands the release of the Israelites from their unjust enslavement. In many circles, this act is often described as “speaking truth to power,” which begins to get at the reality of oppressed people using a prophetic voice in their defense. How does Moses confront Ramses in scripture? How does this happen in Exodus? When have

you seen someone in your life “speak truth to power?”

6. Sacrifice. It’s a big idea, and something we’re not often great at doing. Given the decision that Moses faced, many of us might have chosen to remain in a life of luxury, but as people of faith, we’re called to put others before ourselves. What does Moses sacrifice? How might we be more like Moses in our own lives?

7. Although God sends a host of devastating plagues on Ramses and the Egyptians, Ramses was cursed before that. Ramses, even with all his wealth and power, is cursed. Long before the plagues arrive, Ramses is cursed with arrogance and a disregard for the suffering of others. Just as he enslaved the Israelites, in a very real way, Ramses brings punishment on himself and his people by refusing to let them go. While we celebrate Moses and the exodus, do we ever stop to think about how we have lived our lives in ways that make us the Ramses of the story? Think about ways you have been like Ramses. What did this lead to? How can we live differently?

DIG DEEPER1. In the introduction, we discussed the reality that biblical stories often lack certain details or narrative events that would otherwise help create a more complete dramatic narrative. How have you, or ministers you have known, addressed this lack of information? How does Exodus fill in these missing elements?

2. John Wesley, the leader of the Methodist movement, articulated what has become known as the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. He argued that four sources contribute to the practice of theology: scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. How do the stories of Moses and the exodus shape your understanding of God?

3. Every film version of Moses has been different from the Moses of scripture. If you’ve seen other film versions of this story, which Moses (or Moses’) stands out to you and why? The same is true for Exodus – talk about the differences between the Moses of scripture and Christian Bale’s Moses.

4. The plagues are one of the most memorable elements of the exodus story. While they were integral to the freedom of the Israelites, they also resulted in the deaths of countless Egyptians. That God would be responsible for these deaths has been troubling to believers, theologians,

and scholars for centuries. Through their interaction with the biblical text, some scholars and historians have attempted to attach natural explanations to these plagues. How does Exodus adapt and interpret these plagues? How have you interpreted them in your reading of the Bible?

5. As one of the earliest and perhaps most popular stories of liberation in human history, the exodus has proven to be a source of inspiration for oppressed people throughout history from peasant uprisings to the Civil Rights movement to the recent Arab Spring. Where do you see widespread suffering and oppression in your community and around the world? How can we use the stories of Moses and the exodus to inspire those who work for freedom and peace?

6. Earlier this year, another famous biblical story was adapted for film. If you saw Noah, discuss how it and Exodus adapt scripture. How are they similar? In what ways are they different?

7. Staying with this conversation between Noah and Exodus, compare the worlds that Noah and Moses lived in. Although the divine (or supernatural) is at work in both (a rapidly-growing forest, Nephilim, and the plagues, to name a few), in what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?