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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The moving biblical tale of Esther--a humble Jewish girl who saved her people from annihilation and won the heart of the handsome Persian king Xerxes--is the subject of One Night with the King, a lush ode to one of the Old Testament's most inspiring women. Esther, played with spark and confidence by Tiffany Dupont, could perhaps be said to be the first career woman to "have it all"--while also serving her people, and God. The film, shot on location in India, has the feel of the great epics of the '60s--a sensation underscored by the appearance, in small but pivotal roles, of both Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole. (Even Raiders of the Lost Ark's John Rhys-Davies--"Bad dates!"--echoes earlier desert adventures.) But the film belongs to the willful Esther, who navigates among war, bloodlust, persecution, and terror with the strength of knowing she's serving the Lord, and her people. If the film has a few anachronisms--including the young Esther's suitor, who has blonde streaks and a surfer-dude delivery ("The market was rilly busy today")--its heart and its focus never waver. Fans of biblical tales and well-made drama for the entire family shouldn't miss it. --A.T. Hurley
Product Description
One Night with the King is a sweeping epic about Hadassah, the young Jewish girl who becomes the Biblical Esther, Queen of Persia.
Despite her position, Hadassah's life is in danger, as the state has decreed that all Jews will be put to death. Defying warnings to remain silent, however, Hadassah struggles to save her people, evens as she seeks to win the heart of the king, in this exciting and inspiring story about destiny.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
168 of 182 people found the following review helpful
By SCMLA
Format:DVD
The first time I went to see this movie, I enjoyed it (despite the obvious production flaws), but I was thoroughly overwhelmed by all the history & all the strange names & all the multiple/twisty-turny plotlines & so I walked out of the theater feeling like I didn't really grasp everything that happened ...
So then I went home & read the entire book of Esther (it doesn't take very long -- it's a small book) & then went BACK to the theater & watched the movie AGAIN ...
BIG DIFFERENCE!
At that point, I was also able to identify all the "poetic license" that was taken with the book of Esther, but I do NOT think that it detracted from the overall message & profound truth of the Biblical story -- rather, I think that it ENHANCED it.
And now, after watching "One Night With The King," the book of Esther is very REAL to me -- like it NEVER has been before.
********
NOTE: IF YOU FOUND THIS REVIEW HELPFUL, THEN PLEASE GO & GIVE MY "THE LAST MIMZY" REVIEW A VOTE, BECAUSE IT IS CURRENTLY BEING SLAMMED BY FOLKS WHO THINK IT IS WRONG TO WRITE A MOVIE REVIEW FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE. AND, IF YOU'RE REALLY FEELING GENEROUS, THEN PLEASE ALSO VOTE FOR MY "DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS," "UNACCOMPANIED MINORS," "APOCALYPTO" & "WE ARE MARSHALL" REVIEWS. (THINK OF IT AS A "RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS" ;) THANK YOU! & LOTS OF HUGS & BLESSINGS TO ALL MY BROTHERS & SISTERS IN CHRIST <><
So then I went home & read the entire book of Esther (it doesn't take very long -- it's a small book) & then went BACK to the theater & watched the movie AGAIN ...
BIG DIFFERENCE!
At that point, I was also able to identify all the "poetic license" that was taken with the book of Esther, but I do NOT think that it detracted from the overall message & profound truth of the Biblical story -- rather, I think that it ENHANCED it.
And now, after watching "One Night With The King," the book of Esther is very REAL to me -- like it NEVER has been before.
********
NOTE: IF YOU FOUND THIS REVIEW HELPFUL, THEN PLEASE GO & GIVE MY "THE LAST MIMZY" REVIEW A VOTE, BECAUSE IT IS CURRENTLY BEING SLAMMED BY FOLKS WHO THINK IT IS WRONG TO WRITE A MOVIE REVIEW FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE. AND, IF YOU'RE REALLY FEELING GENEROUS, THEN PLEASE ALSO VOTE FOR MY "DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS," "UNACCOMPANIED MINORS," "APOCALYPTO" & "WE ARE MARSHALL" REVIEWS. (THINK OF IT AS A "RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS" ;) THANK YOU! & LOTS OF HUGS & BLESSINGS TO ALL MY BROTHERS & SISTERS IN CHRIST <><
73 of 77 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Before anything else, I must say that I've read the Biblical book of Esther but NOT the book "Haddassah" by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen on which this film is based. With that said, I'll treat this film as just another love story and not an interpretation of the Biblical story of Esther, which does vary from this film quite a bit.
The story revolves around Haddassah (Tiffany Dupont), the lovely, wholesome Jewish daughter of Mordecai (the always wonderful John Rhys-Davies), a scribe for King Xerxes (Luke Goss). Early in the film, Xerxes "removes" his queen from power through the meddling of Prince Admantha (John Noble) and Haman (wickedly fun James Callis), both of which have their own delusions of grandeur in mind. Soon after, Xerxes goes on a quest to find a new queen to replace is "removed" one. Women throughout all the kingdom are taken to the king's palace and treated to all the wonders and niceties one would expect from the King of Persia. Eventually Xerxes falls for Haddassah (who's changed her name to the less Jewish-sounding Esther, for protection). While the two are falling for each other, Admantha and Haman are both putting their own plans for taking the kingdom into motion. One of those plans involves the destruction of all Jews in the kingdom. With both men attempting to convince Xerxes of their own plans, Esther has to stop the destruction of her people. If you're familiar with the Bible's version of "Esther," you already know how this tale ends.
Were liberties taken with the story? Yes, many in fact. Does it destroy the story of Esther? Absolutely not. This is a very good film with a wonderful cast. Unlike others, I failed to see the poor acting of the performers in this movie. Dupont did an excellent job of portraying Esther as a kindhearted and very loving person. John Rhys-Davies was fun as Mordecai, both proud and protective. Callis was probably my favorite of the bunch, portraying the double-crossing and vengeful Haman with vigor. Tommy "Tiny" Lister played Hegai, the Royal Eunuch in a loving manner. I feel that he loved Esther like a sister as much as Xerxes loved her as a wife.
I found no problem with the sound quality. I understood every word very clearly. Secondly, the visuals, especially the CGI created palace, were wonderful. The colors in this film hearkened back to the days of the old technicolor bright, popping colors that have long faded from many memories.
Overall, I highly recommend this film as a wonderful love story. Are there better films out there that are Biblically based? You bet. But as far as love stories go, this is one of the best in the last ten years.
The story revolves around Haddassah (Tiffany Dupont), the lovely, wholesome Jewish daughter of Mordecai (the always wonderful John Rhys-Davies), a scribe for King Xerxes (Luke Goss). Early in the film, Xerxes "removes" his queen from power through the meddling of Prince Admantha (John Noble) and Haman (wickedly fun James Callis), both of which have their own delusions of grandeur in mind. Soon after, Xerxes goes on a quest to find a new queen to replace is "removed" one. Women throughout all the kingdom are taken to the king's palace and treated to all the wonders and niceties one would expect from the King of Persia. Eventually Xerxes falls for Haddassah (who's changed her name to the less Jewish-sounding Esther, for protection). While the two are falling for each other, Admantha and Haman are both putting their own plans for taking the kingdom into motion. One of those plans involves the destruction of all Jews in the kingdom. With both men attempting to convince Xerxes of their own plans, Esther has to stop the destruction of her people. If you're familiar with the Bible's version of "Esther," you already know how this tale ends.
Were liberties taken with the story? Yes, many in fact. Does it destroy the story of Esther? Absolutely not. This is a very good film with a wonderful cast. Unlike others, I failed to see the poor acting of the performers in this movie. Dupont did an excellent job of portraying Esther as a kindhearted and very loving person. John Rhys-Davies was fun as Mordecai, both proud and protective. Callis was probably my favorite of the bunch, portraying the double-crossing and vengeful Haman with vigor. Tommy "Tiny" Lister played Hegai, the Royal Eunuch in a loving manner. I feel that he loved Esther like a sister as much as Xerxes loved her as a wife.
I found no problem with the sound quality. I understood every word very clearly. Secondly, the visuals, especially the CGI created palace, were wonderful. The colors in this film hearkened back to the days of the old technicolor bright, popping colors that have long faded from many memories.
Overall, I highly recommend this film as a wonderful love story. Are there better films out there that are Biblically based? You bet. But as far as love stories go, this is one of the best in the last ten years.
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By Boo Radley
Format:DVD
I had very low expectations of this film, and the film did not live up to them. How this film has garnered an average of 4 stars from Amazon viewers is beyond me. The producers, director, and presumably the writers of the novel on which this book is based have absolutely botched it. It's such a waste of a profound and beloved Biblical story.
My main complaint is that Esther's true character doesn't get a look in here. Tiffany Dupont is woefully miscast. A nasally American voice and a modern sensibility overwrite the gravity of her situation and Esther's unusual integrity and presence of mind. I couldn't help feeling like I was watching an incarnation of Disney's Princess Yasmin. She giggled like a schoolgirl throughout, and when brought to the harem along with all of half a dozen other beautiful virgins (seriously? That was all they could find? In all the provinces of the realm? It was a pretty big realm!) she spent a lot of time twirling under invisible showers of rose petals and not a lot of time contemplating her fate, which should have been pretty sobering. I do not think these are the qualities that impressed Hegai the King's eunuch, or led her to "win the favour of everyone who saw her". In short, she wasn't queen-like. What a waste of an opportunity to portray a dignified Jewish woman.
In the film, she meets Xerxes weeks before their official first meeting. It's love at first sight, obviously. He asks her to read to him, and she diverts from the text to tell a story about Jacob and Rachael, a story which probably would have been a dead give away to anyone remotely acquainted with Jewish history - not a smart move considering she's concealing her cultural identity. But Xerxes finds it charming and falls in love with her. Turns out he's a pretty sensitive guy. Their relationship is Hollywood standard complete with an emotional proposal of marriage, lots of talk about stars and jewels and plenty of tears and hugs. There's even a lover's spat in which Xerxes spots Esther walking through the "lover's gate" with the elderly Mordecai and assumes she's having an affair (what the...?!?). Rather than having her killed on the spot for infidelity and treason, Xerxes mopes around the palace for a days eating chocolates and watching romance movies (I presume). Unfortunately this entirely fictionalised episode overshadows the rest of the film, as the producers use the lovers' frustrations with each other to add drama to the rest of the story, which DOESN'T NEED IT. I'm not sure why any of these diversions from the true story are necessary. They undermine it.
The climax of the story is of course the moment when Esther risks her life by confronting Xerxes in the great hall. In the Biblical account, she puts on her royal robes and stands boldly in the entrance. Xerxes extends his gold scepter to her, thus sparing her life, and before she evens speaks, promises to grant anything she wishes, even up to half his kingdom. In other words, he's offering to let her share his reign. Of course she humbly invites him to a banquet and ultimately requests the salvation of the Jewish people, thus achieving immortality as one of the most heroic women, and one of the most heroic Jews, in history.
In the film, there are no Royal robes, and she actually runs through the rain in a beige dress, with no shoes on (?), and charges into the great hall looking like a (very pretty) drowned rat. Xerxes still thinks she's having an affair at this point, so he's none to pleased to see her, although at the last moment he relents and stops a nearby eunuch from beheading her with a scythe. Shortly thereafter she faints, which is just an insult and a shameful liberty to take with the story. The book of Esther remembers her as a courageous, articulate woman who was absolutely measured and determined in her approach. Xerxes virtually recognised her as an equal, so she must have been pretty self-possessed. I'm exasperated that the filmmakers have reduced her to a mere puddle of a woman - an hysterical Victorian sterotype.
Luke Goss makes a banal, if physically appropriate King Xerxes. A little too heavy on the eyeliner though, and I'm not sure it was necessary to be shirtless approximately half the time. I guess when the makeup artists spend so long slathering him in fake tan, it would be a shame not to show it off at every available opportunity. I suspect his teeth were bleached to glow-in-the-dark proportions for the same reason (ie., to emphasise the tan). He's not very authoritative, and not very interesting.
There were too many anachronisms and inaccuracies. Hegai had an unusually deep voice for a eunuch, and didn't appear suited to coordinating beauty treatments and accessories. Haman orates like Hitler and the film even appropriates a swastika for his own personal logo. Esther has a boyfriend prior to being drafted as a concubine. Coincidentally, he is recruited as a Eunuch in the palace, which makes for some unintentionally comic scenes as he pleads with her to run away with him (post-operatively).
John Rhys-Davis makes an excellent Mordecai - my only regret is that they didn't make enough room for him in what is essentially an insipid Hollywood love story. John Noble also put in a good performance. The props and sets were beautiful and seamless, and the costumes were exquisite. They must have made extensive use of CGI technology, but it wasn't obvious.
If you love the story of Esther, run - don't walk - away from this abysmal trainwreck of a movie. I can guarantee that the Biblical account alone is infinitely richer.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hollywood should not be trusted with Biblical accounts.
My main complaint is that Esther's true character doesn't get a look in here. Tiffany Dupont is woefully miscast. A nasally American voice and a modern sensibility overwrite the gravity of her situation and Esther's unusual integrity and presence of mind. I couldn't help feeling like I was watching an incarnation of Disney's Princess Yasmin. She giggled like a schoolgirl throughout, and when brought to the harem along with all of half a dozen other beautiful virgins (seriously? That was all they could find? In all the provinces of the realm? It was a pretty big realm!) she spent a lot of time twirling under invisible showers of rose petals and not a lot of time contemplating her fate, which should have been pretty sobering. I do not think these are the qualities that impressed Hegai the King's eunuch, or led her to "win the favour of everyone who saw her". In short, she wasn't queen-like. What a waste of an opportunity to portray a dignified Jewish woman.
In the film, she meets Xerxes weeks before their official first meeting. It's love at first sight, obviously. He asks her to read to him, and she diverts from the text to tell a story about Jacob and Rachael, a story which probably would have been a dead give away to anyone remotely acquainted with Jewish history - not a smart move considering she's concealing her cultural identity. But Xerxes finds it charming and falls in love with her. Turns out he's a pretty sensitive guy. Their relationship is Hollywood standard complete with an emotional proposal of marriage, lots of talk about stars and jewels and plenty of tears and hugs. There's even a lover's spat in which Xerxes spots Esther walking through the "lover's gate" with the elderly Mordecai and assumes she's having an affair (what the...?!?). Rather than having her killed on the spot for infidelity and treason, Xerxes mopes around the palace for a days eating chocolates and watching romance movies (I presume). Unfortunately this entirely fictionalised episode overshadows the rest of the film, as the producers use the lovers' frustrations with each other to add drama to the rest of the story, which DOESN'T NEED IT. I'm not sure why any of these diversions from the true story are necessary. They undermine it.
The climax of the story is of course the moment when Esther risks her life by confronting Xerxes in the great hall. In the Biblical account, she puts on her royal robes and stands boldly in the entrance. Xerxes extends his gold scepter to her, thus sparing her life, and before she evens speaks, promises to grant anything she wishes, even up to half his kingdom. In other words, he's offering to let her share his reign. Of course she humbly invites him to a banquet and ultimately requests the salvation of the Jewish people, thus achieving immortality as one of the most heroic women, and one of the most heroic Jews, in history.
In the film, there are no Royal robes, and she actually runs through the rain in a beige dress, with no shoes on (?), and charges into the great hall looking like a (very pretty) drowned rat. Xerxes still thinks she's having an affair at this point, so he's none to pleased to see her, although at the last moment he relents and stops a nearby eunuch from beheading her with a scythe. Shortly thereafter she faints, which is just an insult and a shameful liberty to take with the story. The book of Esther remembers her as a courageous, articulate woman who was absolutely measured and determined in her approach. Xerxes virtually recognised her as an equal, so she must have been pretty self-possessed. I'm exasperated that the filmmakers have reduced her to a mere puddle of a woman - an hysterical Victorian sterotype.
Luke Goss makes a banal, if physically appropriate King Xerxes. A little too heavy on the eyeliner though, and I'm not sure it was necessary to be shirtless approximately half the time. I guess when the makeup artists spend so long slathering him in fake tan, it would be a shame not to show it off at every available opportunity. I suspect his teeth were bleached to glow-in-the-dark proportions for the same reason (ie., to emphasise the tan). He's not very authoritative, and not very interesting.
There were too many anachronisms and inaccuracies. Hegai had an unusually deep voice for a eunuch, and didn't appear suited to coordinating beauty treatments and accessories. Haman orates like Hitler and the film even appropriates a swastika for his own personal logo. Esther has a boyfriend prior to being drafted as a concubine. Coincidentally, he is recruited as a Eunuch in the palace, which makes for some unintentionally comic scenes as he pleads with her to run away with him (post-operatively).
John Rhys-Davis makes an excellent Mordecai - my only regret is that they didn't make enough room for him in what is essentially an insipid Hollywood love story. John Noble also put in a good performance. The props and sets were beautiful and seamless, and the costumes were exquisite. They must have made extensive use of CGI technology, but it wasn't obvious.
If you love the story of Esther, run - don't walk - away from this abysmal trainwreck of a movie. I can guarantee that the Biblical account alone is infinitely richer.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hollywood should not be trusted with Biblical accounts.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Movie Review
I had this dvd before and misplaced it. This is one of those must have in your collection. I just love it and the characters are great.
Published 1 day ago by bajbiz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very inspirational!
I loved this movie and highly recommend it to those who enjoy viewing spiritual personages; especially on the big screen.
Published 1 day ago by Maria Teresa Alvarez
5.0 out of 5 stars
Happy
Best buy around. I saw this film and wanted to purchase the movie, but did not want to pay a lot money for it. This was a great buy.
Published 7 days ago by CRR
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiration with a twist!
This movie is based upon the book of Esther in the Bible. The story is timeless and the acting is really superb! it is a far cry from older movies based on the word of God. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Michele P. Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully done movie about Ester and the King
The Clothes were beautiful and the accuracy of this story of Ester was so well done and really made the bible come to life.
loved it. highly recommend
loved it. highly recommend
Published 16 days ago by Billie Guidi
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Night with the King
I loved this movie because Esther was a bold woman full of graciousness and a woman who stood up for what she believed even when she was afraid.
Published 21 days ago by Praying Mama
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good family film
Great movie for the family. The dvd arrived early then i expected
and great shape. I do suggest to watch family and freinds.
and great shape. I do suggest to watch family and freinds.
Published 1 month ago by willy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie
Wife and kids love this one, and price was excellent. We couldn't find it locally when netflix took it down. It was received fast, and made everyone happy.
Published 1 month ago by Doug Tester
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
I love this movie. It does a great job of incorporating the biblical story of Ester and historical records. My family and I watch it every year around Purim.
Published 1 month ago by Scott K Watson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast
This movie came really fast. I did not expect it to arrive as fast as it did. The movie plays well.
Published 1 month ago by Kanisha Williams
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