The Prince of Egypt
| The Prince of Egypt | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Simon Wells Brenda Chapman Steve Hickner |
| Screenplay by | Philip LaZebnik Nicholas Meyer |
| Based on | The Book of Exodus |
| Produced by | Penney Finkelman Cox Sandra Rabins Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer) |
| Starring | Val Kilmer Ralph Fiennes Michelle Pfeiffer Sandra Bullock Jeff Goldblum Patrick Stewart Danny Glover Steve Martin Martin Short |
| Edited by | Nick Fletcher |
| Music by | Hans Zimmer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English / Hebrew |
| Budget | $70 million[1] |
| Box office | $218,613,188[1] |
The Prince of Egypt is a 1997 American animated musical drama movie made by DreamWorks Animation. It is a movie adaptation for the Book of Exodus. It follows Moses' life from being a prince of Egypt to ultimate destiny about defending the Israelites. The movie was directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells and Steve Hickner. It featured songs written by Stephen Schwartz. The score was composed by Hans Zimmer. The voice cast for the movie had very popular Hollywood actors. During the musical part of the movie, professional singers replaced them for the songs. The exceptions were Michelle Pfeiffer, Ralph Fiennes, Ofra Haza (who sang her song in over seventeen languages for dubbing), Steve Martin and Martin Short.
The movie was nominated for best Original Musical or Comedy Score. The film's success led to the direct-to-video prequel Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)[2] and the development of a stage adaptation. It won Best Original Song at the 1997 Academy Awards for "When You Believe".[3] The song's pop version was performed at the ceremony by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. The song was co-written by Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer. There were additional production by Babyface. The song was nominated for Best Original Song (in a Motion Picture) at the 1997 Golden Globe Awards.[4] It was also nominated for Outstanding Performance of a Song for a Feature Film at the ALMA Awards.
The movie was released on July 4, 1997. It was released on home video on September 2, 1997. The movie gross $218,613,188 worldwide.[1] It became the first animated featured not released by Walt Disney Pictures to gross over $100 million in the United States. This was before, Paramount/Nickelodeon's The Rugrats Movie. The Prince of Egypt became the top grossing non-Disney animated movie until 2000. The movie, Chicken Run, took the number one spot. The movie remains the highest grossing traditionally-animated non-Disney movie until 2007. The movie, The Simpsons Movie, took the number one spot.[5] This is DreamWorks Animation's first movie and only traditionally animated movie to win an Oscar.
Plot[change | change source]
In Ancient Egypt, the Hebrews have become slaves and pray to return to the Promised Land ("Deliver Us"). Meanwhile, a female slave called Yocheved and her children, Miriam and Aaron, witness several male infants being ruthlessly taken and butchered by the soldiers of Pharaoh Seti I, who fears that an increase in Hebrew men would culminate in rebellion. Fearing for her own son's safety, she places him in a basket on the Nile. The basket arrives at Pharaoh's palace and Miriam witnesses her brother being taken in by Pharaoh's wife, who names him Moses.
Twenty years later, Moses and his adoptive brother Rameses accidentally destroy a temple while racing their chariots, for which Pharaoh reprimands them. Moses tries to take the blame and tells Pharaoh that Rameses only wanted his approval. At a palace banquet that evening, Pharaoh appoints Rameses as Prince Regent and gives him authority over all the temples in Egypt. Moses is later given Tzipporah, a Midian girl the priests Hotep and Huy captured as a concubine, after she nearly attacks Rameses. Moses ends up humiliating Tzipporah by pushing her into a pool at the palace, and Rameses later appoints him as Royal Chief Architect.
Later that night, Moses helps Tzipporah escape from the palace and, by chance, runs into his siblings Miriam and Aaron. Miriam tries to explain to Moses about his true past, but he refuses to listen and runs back to the palace. He later has a nightmare in which he witnesses several Hebrew infants being thrown in the Nile and later, Seti reveals that he "sacrificed" the Hebrew children, to prevent retaliation. The next day, Moses witnesses an Egyptian overseer whipping an elderly Hebrew slave. He unintentionally kills the guard by pushing him off a scaffolding. Although Rameses pleads with Moses to stay and that he is innocent, Moses bids him farewell, before exiling himself into the desert.
Moses then arrives in the land of the Midianites, a tribe of which Tzipporah is a member. He is welcomed into the tribe by the High Priest and Tzipporah's father Jethro and becomes a part of their community ("Through Heaven's Eyes"). He and Tzipporah later marry. When chasing a stray sheep into a cave, Moses encounters a burning bush. Through this, the voice of God instructs him to return to Egypt and guide the enslaved Hebrews to the Promised Land. He bestows Moses' shepherding staff with his power and promises that He will tell Moses what to say.
Moses and Tzipporah then travel to Egypt and discover that while he was absent, the slaves' treatment has worsened and Pharaoh and his wife have since died, resulting in Rameses taking over. He happily greets Moses. When Moses asks Rameses to free the Hebrews and demonstrates his alliance with God by turning his staff into an Egyptian cobra, Hotep and Huy boastfully recreate this transformation ("Playing With The Big Boys Now"), only to have their snakes eaten by Moses'. Rather than relenting, Rameses doubles the Hebrews' workload. Moses and Tzipporah then encounter Aaron and Miriam, the former berating Moses for not feeling sorry for the years of slavery the Hebrews have endured. Miriam later convinces her brother and the other slaves to trust them. God later inflicts the Ten Plagues on Egypt, however Rameses is undeterred and refuses to give in to Moses' request.
Moses then prepares the Hebrews for the final plague by instructing them to paint their doorposts with lamb's blood. The final plague-the Angel of Death-sweeps through the city, killing the firstborn Egyptians-including Rameses' son-and sparing the Hebrew children. A grief-stricken Rameses then allows Moses and the Hebrews to leave.
The next day, Moses, Aaron, Miriam and Tzipporah along with the other Hebrews leave Egypt and arrive at the Red Sea ("When You Believe"). Rameses and his army then arrive and pursue them, and Moses parts the sea with his staff. The Hebrews are guided safely across and the waters close on the Egyptian army, while Rameses is spared and thrown onto the rocks. Moses then bids his brother a final, emotional farewell, before leading the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments from God.
Voice cast[change | change source]
- Val Kilmer as Moses, a Hebrew who was adopted by Pharaoh Seti.
- Amick Byram provides Moses' singing voice.
- Ralph Fiennes as Rameses II, Moses' adoptive brother and eventual successor to his father, Seti.
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Tzipporah, Jethro's oldest daughter and Moses' wife.
- Sandra Bullock as Miriam, Moses and Aaron's biological sister.
- Sally Dworsky provides Miriam's singing voice.
- Eden Riegel provides both the speaking and singing voice of a younger Miriam.
- Jeff Goldblum as Aaron, Moses and Miriam's biological brother.
- Patrick Stewart as Pharaoh Seti I, Rameses' father, Moses' adoptive father and the first Pharaoh in the film. Despite his uncaring attitude towards the Hebrew slaves, he is shown to treat Moses and Rameses with good care and love.
- Danny Glover as Jethro, Tzipporah's father and Midian's high priest.
- Brian Stokes Mitchell provides Jethro's singing voice.
- Helen Mirren as Queen Tuya, Seti's consort wife, Rameses' mother and Moses' adoptive mother.
- Linda Dee Shayne provides Queen Tuya's singing voice.
- Steve Martin as Hotep
- Martin Short as Huy
- Ofra Haza as Yocheved, the biological mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses.
- Val Kilmer also provides the uncredited voice of God
- Bobby Motown as Rameses' son
- Anne Lockhart as Hebrew Woman
Director Brenda Chapman briefly voices Miriam when she sings the lullaby to Moses. The vocal had been recorded for a scratch audio track, which was intended to be replaced later by Sally Dworsky. The track turned out so well that it remained in the film.
Additional voices[change | change source]
- Charlie Adler as Rameses's Soldiers
- Jack Angel as Egyptian
- James Avery as Overseer
- Michael Bell as Rameses's Soldiers
- Bob Bergen as Rameses's Soldiers
- Susan Blu as Hebrew Woman
- Rodger Bumpass as Rameses's Soldiers
- Corey Burton as Rameses's Soldiers
- Robert Clotworthy as Rameses's Soldiers
- David Cowgill as Rameses's Soldiers
- Jim Cummings as Rameses's Soldiers
- Aria Noelle Curzon as Jethrodiadah
- Jennifer Darling as Hebrew Woman
- Debi Derryberry as Hebrew Woman
- Paul Eiding as Rameses's Soldiers
- Bill Farmer as Rameses's Soldiers
- Don Fullilove as Rameses's Soldiers
- Michael Gough as Baka
- Robert Knepper as Kahma
- Matthew Labyorteaux as Rameses's Soldiers
- Sherry Lynn as Hebrew Woman
- Danny Mann as Rameses's Soldiers
- Mona Marshall as Hebrew Woman
- Mickie McGowan as Hebrew Woman
- Paul Pape as Rameses's Soldiers
- Patrick Pinney as Neria, Rameses's Soldiers
- Phil Proctor as Rameses's Soldiers
- Jan Rabson as Rameses's Soldiers
- Peter Renaday as Rameses's Soldiers
- Neil Ross as Rameses's Soldiers
- Stephanie Sawyer as Ajolidoforah
- Francesca Marie Smith as Ephorah
- Steve Susskind as Rameses's Soldiers
- Brian Tochi as Rameses's Soldiers
- B.J. Ward as Hebrew Woman
- Jim Ward as Rameses's Soldiers
ADR Group[change | change source]
- Roger Aaron Brown as Hebrew Man
- Hamilton Camp as Hebrew Man
- Louise Chamis as Hebrew Woman
- Erin Donovan as Hebrew Woman
- Laurie Faso as Hebrew Man
- Ruben Garfias as Hebrew Man
- Nick Jameson as Hebrew Man
- Lauri Johnson as Hebrew Woman
- Steve Kramer as Hebrew Man
- Don Maxwell as Hebrew Man
- Randy Montgomery as Hebrew Man
- Michelle Ruff as Hebrew Woman
- Doug Stone as Hebrew Man
- Leeza Vinnechenko as Hebrew Woman
Awards[change | change source]
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[3] | Best Original Musical or Comedy Score | Nominated | |
| Best Original Song | "When You Believe" | Won | |
| Annie Awards[6] | Best Animated Feature | Nominated | |
| Individual Achievement in Directing | Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells | Nominated | |
| Individual Achievement in Storyboarding | Lorna Cook (Story supervisor) | Nominated | |
| Individual Achievement in Effects Animation | Jamie Lloyd (Effects Lead - Burning Bush/Angel of Death) | Nominated | |
| Individual Achievement in Voice Acting | Ralph Fiennes ("Rameses") | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards[4] | Best Original Score | Nominated | |
| Best Original Song | "When You Believe" | Nominated |
Home media[change | change source]
| Format | Release date | Studio | Previews |
|---|---|---|---|
| VHS | September 2, 1997 | DreamWorks Home Entertainment | |
| DVD | September 2, 1997 | DreamWorks Home Entertainment | |
| VHS | August 1, 2000 | Hallmark/Artisan/Family Home Entertainment | |
| VHS | November 25, 2003 | Artisan/Family Home Entertainment | |
| DVD | February 6, 2007 | Lions Gate Home Entertainment | |
| DVD & Blu-ray | August 21, 2012 | Lionsgate Films | |
| DVD & Blu-ray | June 30, 2015 | 20th Century Fox | |
| DVD & Blu-ray | June 5, 2018 (same as the 2012 release) | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | |
| Blu-ray | October 16, 2018 | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment |
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Prince of Egypt (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ↑ "Out of Character: The Making of Joseph". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Academy Awards, USA: 1997". awardsdatabase.oscars.org. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "HFPA-Awards search". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- ↑ "Highest grossing animated films". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
- ↑ "Legacy: 22nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1997)". Annie Awards. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
Other websites[change | change source]
- 1997 movies
- 1997 animated movies
- 1997 musical movies
- American animated movies
- American musical movies
- DreamWorks Animation movies
- DreamWorks Pictures movies
- Movies about brothers
- Movies composed by Hans Zimmer
- Movies set in Egypt
- Movies set in palaces
- Multilingual movies
- Movies based on the Bible
- Movies about slavery
- Movies that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
- The Prince of Egypt