6 life lessons 'Exodus: God's and Kings' taught me.

Let me just start by explaining how much I LOVED  director Ridley Scott's Exodus. 

Movie poster

The film is the story and built mostly factually on the Bible's story of Moses. The story follows Moses from Egypt to the desert and all the way back to Pharaoh and then crossing the red sea. 

I learnt so many things from this movie. As I say a lot, there are so many things we can learn about ourselves and others from the movies. As you know by now, when I'm moved by a character or movie I HAVE to find out more...

Lessons: 

1. Bible characters are so human. As a church kid, I learnt about Moses the great leader of Israel, He was brave and rescued the people and of course they skipped through the red-sea. No ounce of pain, no insecurity, no frustrations. Can you imagine how Moses must have felt watching the place and people he came from suffering? I don't think He found it easy. They might come from the Bible but God's Holy book is full of all kinds of people who were just like you and me- living the human experience. 
2. Leaders are insecure too! we have a tendency to believe that our leaders are above the laws, like above feeling what me and you feel. The guy who gave Ramases a physical form - Joel Edgerton- said a great point about leaders having deep insecurities. There was a scene where Ramses is crowned as the new Pharaoh and He looks like unsure of himself, like someone is going to notice He is a phony anytime soon. Turns out that what Joel thought too! In another scene Ramases yells "I AM A GOD" like He is trying to convince himself (fun fact: Joel adlibbed that!!) interesting that a man who was worshipped as a God couldn't sleep himself and was a insecure wreck. 
3. The right things have the right time. I grapple with this idea of the right time for something, but its true. Moses tries to come back to Egypt and fight in his own strength and his own way. Ramases then just ups his game too, and more life is lost. When Moses waits for God to move and then moves when God moves in cohesion the result is different. Things have their time, and sometimes we have trust in the journey, the timing and the process. This taught me so much about my dreams, sometimes I think they're not happening fast enough, then I remember that I'm probably not ready or have all the skills to do the task adequately yet. 
4. I have a firmer idea of what how the red sea was crossed than I thought.  Okay, so confession time; The Prince of Egypt (dreamworks) animated musical film is one of my favroite films of all time. In the animation, the red sea is crossed by the water going to the sides- as though you're walking through a aquarium. It never states in the Bible what happened so this could've, that also means its possible that the sea just disapeared in the form of tide out- like in the Ridley Scott film. I was so confused as to why in Exodus: Gods and Kings, the people were walking on what looked like a desert floor. 
5. Its not easy to see someone you love suffer regardless of whether they are right or wrong. One scene I can't get out of my brain, is when Moses and his group meet Ramses and the Egyptian guards and Egyptians and Rameses has his child who is longer alive in his arms. Moses looks broken, thats His nephew. That man would've felt so so sad for his brother, it would've being hard to see someone you love suffer- even if you've warned them that its going to happen if they don't stop what they are doing. 
6. Knowing you're loved makes you sleep peacefully.  Hats off to the person who noticed Ramses in Exodus said the same line as Commodus in Gladiator? Both men, in both films looked at a sleeping child and said "you sleep so well because you know you are loved. Both characters said it completely differently, but focusing on Rameses He can't sleep- He watches him child sleep (before He is no longer alive). He is worried and concerned. Ramases didn't know He was loved, he felt his Dad loved Moses more than Him. It affects a person knowing their loved. 

Girls, this drawn on brow only looks good on a Pharaoh's eyebrows. Not everyday girls. 

'The Riot Club' is terrifyingly accurate.

'The Riot Club' it is fictitious take on the 'Bullingdon club'...

It follows a group of lads who are at the 'top table' of Oxford the absolute elite. They can do what they want, with who they want, how they want. They have no responsibilities in life, they have money to pay their way out of it. 

When you watch the film, there is an unease about it. Its a great film, but not easy to watch... you sit and think to yourself "gosh, there is something so real about that!" it doesn't feel a fake story but real events. In once scene, they beat a poor working man within an inch of his life and then the guy responsible gets a fancy lawyer- pays his way out- and then gets an internship in a politician's office (he will go straight through into being an MP most probably) after being kicked out of Oxford for nearly committing MURDER. 

Some people get away with things scott free and others get all the blame. 

The Bullingdon club, is a famous club in Oxford for its debauchery and elitist ideals. It once had as a member: David Cameron  ( current Prime Minister), Boris Johnson (Mayer of London), George Osborne (chancellor of the Exchequer) and Nick Clegg (Lib Dem leader)... Yes, you do recognise those names because they are English politicians. Awkward. 

The system we have in England is a problem. We have a class problem, we have to actually admit it. However, the biggest issue I've found is the disillusionment. You're a politician, person for the people. NOT for yourself.  Where is the empathy and understanding of another person's life... why are selfless politicians. The 2015 election is the only one on record where all is to play for, because of how reckless and untrustworthy politicians have become. WE voted for you!! So LISTEN to us. 

The film reflects the current political situation: its not working. 

Our politics can be so ignorant at times. They are not working, they are not understanding or sympathetic. 

Until we are willing to get some empathy and listen to each other, we are going no further. Unless you understand the life of another person or try to understand their lives, you can't stand and govern them. You don't have to live the same way, you can be rich and they poor- but you absolutely need to understand their trials and battles in life before telling them what their lives are going to look like. 

The Riot Club helped me understand how accurate the gap and lack of understanding between the rich and poor is. 

Celebrity and Royalty.

I think celebrity is some form of modern Royalty- Joel Edgerton. 

I love watching real interviews, not the crappy Hollywood trash where someone says some mediocre rubbish and gets praise for stating the obvious.  Real, honest and good conversations that are utterly thoughtful. Those kinds are the greatest kinds. 

I watched Joel Edgerton (Actor, writer...etc etc) and his brother Nash (stunt man, director...etc etc) on '60 minutes' an Australian TV show. However, as I'm a Brit living in good ol' England I couldn't watch the real thing just a few snippets on YouTube. 

After watching 'Exodus: God's and King's' directed by Ridley Scott, I was stuck by Ramases and Joel's portrayal because it truley challenged me and my perceptions of Kings and being at the top table. Ramases was so arrogant yet at the same time so so so insecure. When I'm challenged like that, reading interviews and watching video's is the way forward because a curiosity bites and questions rage; How did I just feel compassion for a raging lunatic? That was believable why? WOW, I never considered how Moses would've felt and Ramases! endlessly searching, I began looking. 

Wow. 

Joel Edgerton is a bit intelligent. He hates celebrity (ME TOO!!!), He hates the whole fame thing and just wants to act and get on with life. Great, I want you to answer my questions, challenge me and then I can get on with my life. AHH. We see eye to eye! I really respect him for being a talented believable actor but I don't have the same respect for the A-listers actor & celebrity people/things/objects. Celebrity is the modern day royalty- hmm, great idea. 

For a while, I've had a thought; America's celebrity is the British equivalent of Royalty. We already have a system of class, the Queen...then everyone else. They don't. America don't so they make one, think about it. Celebrity is not AS big a phenomenon in England as it is America. I quoted Edgerton because I felt He put it better than me, but what a thought to ponder on. 

Has society ever moved on, or just morphed with the same problem- just now clothed differently? 

We've made Prince Harry into a celebrity, putting his daily musings in the newspapers. We never did that with the Queen or even with Charles- only when it was newsworthy- not now when Harry eats Nando's does it go in the news. This is celebrity. There is a mix, the reaction we give to celebrity would've being that they gave the Queen's coronation. The hysteria, the phenomenon, the obsession, the tea towels back then or now the t-shirts. Its all muddled, muddy and blurred lines. 

Thanks to Joel Edgerton for not talking crap. Appreciate it mate.