CARISSA MARSH
A & E Editor
The story of a peasant girl who becomes a princess is a common one, and the rags to riches tale is an often overused theme. But long before there was Cinderella or Annie, there was Esther, who not only rose from poverty to become the Queen of Persia but rose against the law of the land to save her people from genocide.
The amazing story of Esther is a relatively short book in the Bible. Despite its brevity, the story is brought vividly to life in the upcoming film, “One Night with the King,” based on the novel “Hadassah: One Night with the King” by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen, who drew their literary inspiration from the best-selling book of all time, the Bible. Both the novel and the film tell the Old Testament’s story of Esther, a beautiful Jewish orphan who was improbably chosen to be queen and then became a hero for the Jews.
Hollywood newcomer Tiffany Dupont plays Esther, who is raised by her uncle Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies) after the murder of her parents. Esther, whose real name is Hadassah, lives in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, when King Xerxes (Luke Goss) calls for all the beautiful virgins in the empire to be brought to the palace so that he can choose a new queen to replace the one who disobeyed him. Hadassah is taken to the palace against her will, and Mordecai tells her to keep her nationality and family background a secret, going as far as changing her name because it sounds too Jewish.
Despite an endless parade of beauties, the King favors Esther and makes her queen. But the palace is embroiled in political intrigue and double-crossings, and as the empire prepares for war, Haman the Agagite (James Callis) convinces the king that the complete annihilation of the Jewish people is in order. It is then that Esther must put her own life at risk to save her beloved people from death.
The film is slightly disjointed at the beginning, as the story jumps back and forth in time to explain history. The action moves quickly at the onset of the film, leaving those unfamiliar with the story of Esther scrambling to understand what they are seeing in each brief scene. But soon the film settles into a more even pace, and any holes in the viewer’s understanding are eventually filled if not forgotten for the rest of the 121-minute movie. While it is not necessary to have any knowledge of the story of Esther beforehand, people who went to Sunday school might find themselves less confused at first.
Though the history may leave one’s head whirling, it is the charismatic screen presence of Dupont and her contagious smile that draws the viewer further into the story. Dupont easily plays the spirited Esther, whose wonderment, innocence and intelligence not only wins over the heart of the king, but also the film’s audience. The cast also features the talents of established actors, such as Peter O’Toole (Sam the Prophet), Omar Sharif (Prince Memucan), John Noble (Prince Admantha) and Tommy Lister (Hegai).
The film, which opened in more than 850 theaters in select cities across the nation, was directed by Michael O. Sajbel. Shot on location in Rajasthan, India, the country lent itself beautifully for creating a scene right out of ancient texts. However, according to cinematographer Steven Bernstein, almost everything in the movie is a set that had to be created by hand by local craftsmen. Sweeping camera angles give the film and the story a sense of grandeur suited for a biblical tale and make the viewer feel as though they are being transported back in time.
The film was shot using only natural light — sunlight during the day and torches at night — and the use of shadow during Esther’s night with the king helps heighten the suspense and drama of their first encounter. The film’s superb costuming adds to the opulent feel of the palace, as do the colorful tapestries and flowers. While the acting can be over dramatic at times, the historical nature of the film and the truly biblical proportions of the story allows this fact to slide.
As with the biblical story, the film’s message is a bit muddled, and it is hard to say whether it is a story about love, faith, courage, destiny or anything else. On reflection, one can see the themes of Esther carried out in the film, such as the pride of the Jewish community, God’s care and deliverance for his chosen people and the fact that everyone — even a poor Jewish orphan — has a purpose.
10-26-2006
