Esther and the King ('60)

If you're looking for a true storytelling of the Megillah, you won't find it with this movie. Hollywood has taken many, many liberties with the Story of Esther. It is loosely, VERY loosely based on the Megillah. If you are a conservative Christian or Jew, I don't recommend this movie because it contains some racy scenes, though mild by today's standards. The alterations to the story might also be offensive. Amazon carries other Megillah DVDs that are true to the story, so check those out instead. Read the reviews by Amazon members before you purchase to make sure of their adherence to the original Megillah.My aunt and I are great fans of Joan Collins, so we thought it would be fun to watch Joan as Esther, since the character Esther is extremely opposite of the strong-willed, man-stealing vixens Joan usually portrays (Alexis Carrington comes to mind). She was absolutely lovely as Esther in this film.With such steamy cover art that resembles those cheap1950s racy romance books found ins drug store, we knew this movie would not follow the Megillah. But how much it deviated, we had no idea until we watched the film. These sword & sandal Biblical epics from the 50s and 60s always amped up the stories to attract audiences to the movie theaters.In Hollywood's retelling of the Megillah, Queen Vashti is having an affair with Haman (Boo), which is hilarious but can offend highly religious folks. I've seen paintings and depictions of Haman (Boo) and he's most unattractive, so Queen Vashti wouldn't have given him a second thought. (Note, being a Jewish family, every time Haman's name is mentioned, he is booed).Haman (Boo) is acted by a handsome blonde, square-jawed actor named Sergio Fantoni and he does not resemble anybody from ancient Persia whatsoever. He looks more like Tab Hunter and would have been better cast in a Beach Party movie. But Fantoni plays Haman (Boo) with gusto and is so unabashedly wicked, that he steals every scene he's in. Sometimes his Haman (Boo) borders on camp. I wonder if Raoul Walsh selected the Germanic-looking Fantoni as a subtle reference to the cruelty of the Germans against the Jews during the Holocaust. Or it could be just a coincidence.King Ahasuerus is played by Richard Egan, one of those 50s and 60s actors you see in many films in supporting roles with a handsome but familiar face that you just quite can't place. It wasn't until I researched his filmography and found out he starred in many films we have in our collection. He does a good job as the King who finds himself temporarily at a crossroads in his life.In the original Megillah, Vashti refuses to dance at a party the King is giving; he wants to show off her beauty to his guests. By refusing his command, she is banished and/or executed. In this Hollywood version, Vashti performs a dance at the King's party in order to humiliate her husband. She dresses in a bejeweled bikini with chiffon scarves and performs a seductive striptease, even doing an early1960s version of Twerking! The dance ends with her standing in front of her husband, tearing off her bikini top. Only her bare back is shown (it was after all, made in the 1960s). Naturally the King is enraged and orders her to get out. Her lover Haman (Boo) decides Vashti is a security risk to his plans to take over as king, so he has his big, oafish manservant (think Lenny from "Of Mice and Men") suffocate her to ensure her silence. Then we never hear about Vashti again--did the King even know she was found dead? It seems like he was clueless to a lot of things. Haman (Boo) said he would return Vashti to her village. For somebody who knew how ambitious and ruthless Haman (Boo) was, the King sure gave him a lot of power for a mere prince/advisor. Another Hollywood enhancement--Haman (Boo) in the Megillah was not a prince.In the Megillah, the young women come willingly to be considered as the new Queen. In this movie, the soldiers on horseback go into the countryside and grab hapless young virgins and carry them screaming off into the night. Esther is in the process of marrying a man named Simon (who is not in the Megillah). She is under the chuppah with her betrothed Simon when a soldier comes by and scoops her up and away. Simon attacks another soldier, as a result, is now a marked man to be killed, so he flees and hides. Again, this is a Hollywood addition to add more drama to the story.Any stabbing or killing is done off-screen, but the audience knows what's going on. What is shown are two dead people who were hanged--those are long distance shots, not closeups. Presumably long-distance shots were done so as to not shock audiences and because the actors were rigged with invisible wires or even platforms to stand on. So this movie would not be appropriate for children.The story does have a lot of action--many shots of soldier on horses going to battle. It was directed by Raoul Walsh, a famous actor turned director.What's a hoot is at the King's party, his harem performs a pseudo-Arabian type dance. The women are all beautiful, sporting 1960s teased coiffures which do not resemble ancient Persian hairstyles. That seemed to be a common practice in these 50s and 60s films--historically accuracy was not a strong point. The King's harem was supervised by a Eunuch who is depicted as an obviously stereotyped gay man. But he was endearing and good to the women. Haman (Boo) manages to plant a non-virgin named Keresh in the group of candidates; she is another one of his lovers and a spy. When the Eunuch decides that Esther is the most beautiful, he bestows her with a golden cape, but Esther objects, not wanting to wear something so flashy. Keresh offers to take the cape but the Eunuch refuses her request. As Keresh goes to present herself to the King, she snatches the cape off of Esther before leaving. I won't give up the rest of the story, but you'll have to buy this movie and see for yourself.Mordecai is played by older actor Denis O'Dea, who is wonderful--he advises the King on many matters, but remains true to Adonai and is wonderfully spirtual and stoic. He serves not only as an adviser but as the King's conscience and attempts to foil Haman (Boo) at every turn. Initially he does not speak ill of the young man or of Queen Vashti when questioned by the King, but his facial expressions and body language convey their treachery and treason.The copy of the film leaves a lot to be desired. It looks like a transfer from a well-worn copy of the film. At times the picture flips, just like the old TVs used to do in the analog days. You'd have to adjust the TV antenna (AKA "Rabbit Ears") to stop the flipping. The colors are a bit faded and inconsistent throughout the film, the resolution is that of a second-generation VHS copy. Parts of the film has black specks/scratches on it.A digitally-remastered copy of "Esther and the King" is available on Amazon, though it is considerably higher than the $6.50 I paid for this DVD. I've decided to order it, since I enjoyed this film so much. If you aren't bothered by the less-than-stellar picture quality, I recommend you purchase this more economical version of "Esther and the King." If you prefer the high quality, restored version, then check out the digitally enhanced version available on Amazon.

Very much regret this purchase. The DVD is a horrible transfer and almost seems like a bootleg with the picture screen bouncing around. It's unwatchable and I had to turn it off after about 20 minutes. There's probably better DVD's out there of Esther & the King, but this particular DVD version is unfortunately not good.

Loved this old movie....

A really good rendition of Esther and the King. Richard Egan has been my favorite actor for many years and I always enjoy a Bible Story brought to life on the screen.

This utter corruption of the true story of Esther is a sorry spectacle, the link to which is barely discernable right from the start. Don't waste your money or time on this twisted rendition of Esther's real person and story. There are better films out there by far.