The Bible Collection: Esther

must watch

source: The Bible Collection: Esther

Keeping in mind the fact that this film was made in 1999 when technology was much more limited than it is today, this film is very good. It stays faithful to the book of Esther, but brings in other characters of the Bible, such as Ezra and Nehemiah. I'm not sure how historically accurate the timing is, but it was an interesting addition that helped keep the story in perspective. I also enjoyed the brilliant acting on the part of the main characters. On this note, the king seemed a bit too childish for a king, but in a way it does seem possible for a pampered palace brat to remain so even when grown. Still, he gets really mature and romantic when it really counts, so all is forgiven. :) The setting was alright, but I'm looking forward to a more recent version with a larger budget that will show Persia in all its glory.

The two earlier movies, "Esther and the King" & "One Night with the King" are not more than ten % to twenty-five % honest & accurate! This one is by far, the best of all! Actress, Ginger Rogers portrayed Esther in one of those two earlier movies, I typed (up above & on to line of paragraph). I strongly want to own a DVD of Esther (1999)! PS: An additional fact to another IMDb member & commenter: Esther is not the only Biblical book that "God" is not listed/written in it! Very few know that Song of Solomon does not have "God" written/listed in it, either, (while so many know "God" is not written Esther, if not every body). In Sincerest Honesty. Additional facts of Mordecai, he is also in Ezra, as a new temple was to be built (after the Jews' 70 years of captivity, was ended by King Cyrus).

This movie's directing, editing, dialogue, scenography, acting and music are all 10/10. I really cannot find a fault and I find faults in most movies. I may not agree with the roles of women in the society or that the proposed solution to the massacre is a massacre, but then again, a movie doesn't have to be feminist or pacifist, but to describe a story, and this is a nice story, though not of our time. I suspect it may be looked down upon for its being a movie from the Bible and not being a big production. Probably no one expects excellency from it and its merits are not recognized. Its vote may depend more on what is expected such a production to be rated.

This was even worse than "The Story of Esther" which I didn't think was possible. If you want to have a good laugh by all means watch it...just make sure there is plenty of alcohol nearby.

This movie was a great rendition of the book of Esther. It showed God's love and plan for our lives and His people even though we don't see it. The book of Esther had two major themes in it for me, one was how a wife is to prepare for her husband, Esther prepared for the King 12 months, second Esther's obedience that ultimately led to the Jewish people being spared from slaughter. Please notice that the queen could only be summoned by the King, Esther and the Jewish people prayed and fasted for three days in order to soften the King's heart when Esther approached him unannounced. The movie also showed the sweet relationship between Esther and the King. I highly recommend this movie! Tania

This movie is exceptionally well made. It is also extremely faithful to the Scripture, except for the different notation on the result of the war between the Jews and their attackers among the Persian provinces. I saw some other movies of this Bible series, such as Joseph (another favorite of mine), David, and Solomon, and this one ranks up high with Joseph. The only thing I could think about after watching this movie was the magnitude of Esther's moral character. I was in awe when I saw the faith with which she prayed God. ***SPOILER: Maybe the scene that had the greatest impact was the one where Esther prostrated onto the ground to pray for the delivery of her people and fasted for three days and three nights. ***END SPOILER*** Awesome. Ten Stars.

This is another film in the Time Life series of Bible films, and in "Esther" we see the events of the book of Esther from the Old Testament played out in a convincing and realistic way. The film sticks closely to the Bible narrative, even using the script word for word from the Bible, at least from the New King James Version, which I read along with the film while watching. Acting is excellent, and Louise Lombard does well in the title role. F Murray Abraham, an excellent actor, plays the part of Mordecai very well, and Thomas Kretschmann, whom I had not previously heard of, does an excellent job as King Ahaseurus. Jürgen Prochnow does a good job of playing the evil Haman, and by the time Haman is executed, I was hating Haman for his evil crimes, and regarding Mordecai, Esther and Ahaseurus with great admiration. The film also uses other Biblical characters, not mentioned in the book of Esther, but whose books come before Esther in the Bible, i.e. Ezra and Nehemiah. I am not sure if they were contemporary with Esther, or shortly after her time, but the way they are used in the film fits in very well with the story. I had previously seen a 1950s film with Joan Collins about Esther, which was totally wrong and mostly made up, whereas this film is very true to the Bible and worth seeing. Even if you have never read the Bible or know the story of Esther, I would recommend this film as it is a great film in its own right, and very enjoyable and watchable.

I have yet to read Esther fully in the Bible (but will tonight after this review) so I cannot comment on the scriptural accuracy of this film, but I will say that whether Jew or Christian, its an exceptional moving film and the main actress worthy of her title as "queen"! F. Murray Abraham and the Louise Lombard are terrific and bring real feeling to their roles. I also leaped for joy when I saw Ezra and Nehemiah brought in as supporting roles. Of the films in this excellent DVD package (Solomon, Genesis and Jeremiah) I found this the most rewarding. Someone suggested that a theology student shouldn't be using this film and others like it as cliff notes for The Bible, but I would recommend them as a wonderful starting point and rewarding entertainment for others as well. My only wish is that the rest of the films in the series would get released on DVD (Notably "David" and "Moses". They are spiritually uplifting and well worth a rental or a purchase!