Biblical Esther Movie Opens in Theatres Nationwide

By Nathan Black, Christian Post Reporter Friday, October 13, 2006

"One Night With The King," a story based on the biblical tale of Esther, opens in more than 950 theaters in select cities tonight.

Based on the best-selling novel Hadassah: One Night With The King, the new film by Gener8Xion Entertainment has received both praise as a movie from a Christian company and criticism for its loose script.

Christianity Today said it "may well be the best-looking movie from a Christian company to date, with sumptuous visuals that are both artistic and authentic."

The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's "sumptuous costumes and design elements recreating the Persian empire in breathtaking splendor," but called the movie "inert."

"Director Michael O. Sajbel never gets a handle on a way to make the story come alive for modern audiences," the critic stated.

"A tighter script could have made this a classic Bible epic," stated the review by Christianity Today.

"One Night With The King" follows a young girl who rises from peasant to princess. She is orphaned at a young age and hides her Hebrew identity when she is taken into the harem of the Persian king, Xerxes. At the same time, a young prime minister is rising in prominence with a plan for orchestrating the genocide of Esther's people.

The Hollywood Reporter said the movie has "little chance" in reaching audiences outside the Christian demographic.

Overall, however, movie critic Michael Medved called it a "handsome" film and went as far as labeling it as a "pro-Jewish movie."

"This movie is a very, very powerful testament to how much the American Christian community loves the Jewish community," he said. "I hope that every American Jew who is afraid of alleged anti-Semitism or conversionary attempt ... will go out and see one night with the king.

Previous faith-based films such as Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" had been largely accused for anti-Semitism and representing a potential setback for Jewish-Christian relations.

The new film takes a different route.

"This is frankly the most pro-Jewish movie I've seen in many, many years," said Medved.