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| Exodus: Gods And Kings |
After a poor opening weekend which means it may struggle to make significant profits, Ridley Scott's Biblical epic Exodus: Gods And Kings received another blow yesterday when it was banned in Egypt, the country where it's set. The ban follows a last minute decision by Moroccan censors to stop it screening in that country.
The official reason for the ban is historical inaccuracy, a big deal in Egypt, which is acutely aware of the economic value of its heritage. Supporters of the ban have pointed out that the great pyramids are thought to have been built around 1,000 years before the time when the story is set, while the censors argue that the parting of the Red Sea occurred a a result of an earthquake, not a miracle.
Although no direct comment has been made about religious sensitivities, Islam prohibits the depiction of prophets, and Moses (played in the film by Christian Bale) is generally considered to have been a prophet. This was one of the reasons why Darren Aronofsky film Noah was banned in several countries, including Egypt, earlier this year.
Exodus, which cost $140m, has suffered from several high profile bad reviews as well as being badly received by some Christian group. In addition to this, it has been criticised for having a poor understanding of geography and for using predominantly white actors to portray historical figures of other races.
