Christian Movie Review: One Night With the King

One Night With the King is now one of my all-time favorite movies. Seriously.

I went into watching it with little expectation – the story of Esther is one I am familiar with – but this movie really drew a lovely picture of the characters and the timeframe in which they lived, and I was captivated by it. It was a refreshing and lively version of a familiar story, that made me remember why I ever admired Esther in the first place.

Overview

While drawing on the characters of the story of Esther, the narrative effect – combined with the fine acting – traced the events of Scripture with a little flair of imagination. At a time when Persia ruled the world, and Jews were living in captivity outside of Jerusalem, the political drama of Persia vs. Greece, as well as Haman vs. Jew was illustrated beautifully.

The history of Haman – a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites that should have been executed by Saul, but was instead made a servant – gave some explanation as to his hatred of the Jews. (You can read more about this in I Samuel 15.)

The political intrigue in the palace, both internal and external, made for true drama – and the king had much to be concerned about.

And the story of Hadassah, who became Esther, was beautifully drawn out in a way that makes me want to study her even more deeply. She was just a Jewish girl, taken into the harem of a king, who was so enamored of her that Scripture says he was willing to give half his kingdom for her. (This from a man who had been publicly humiliated and scorned by his wife, Vashti, some short time earlier.)

My Review

Although there were only a couple of renowned actors in the movie (Peter O’Toole as the narrator, Samuel, Omar Sharif as Prince Memucan, and John Rhys-Davies as Mordecai), the actors and actresses brought their characters to life so well that I felt as though the Scripture was being acted out right in front of me.

While some details may have been constructed from guesswork – they were believable. Woven throughout what we know from reading Esther, was the story of romance between the king and Esther. While some liberty may have been taken with this particular story line, it was charming and sweet.

Considering Esther’s circumstances, she was a woman of courage and discernment. She sought to know what pleased the king (Esther 2:15), and won not only the royal eunuch’s favor, but ultimately the king’s favor. When she broke protocol at the risk of her life, the king chose to save her by extending the royal scepter, and granting her the small request for a dinner date. This was played out very well by Tiffany Dupont, as Esther, and I enjoyed her performance a great deal.

I was so reminded of what a wife should be after watching this movie. She was not a simpering fool; she was not a brash, contentious woman. Instead, Esther was a woman who accepted sage advice and trusted God to take care of her. Even at the risk of her own life.

This is a movie I plan to watch again. I recommend you consider watching it, too.

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