One Night With The King Movie
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"One Night With The King" chronicles the life of the young Jewish girl, Hadassah, who goes on to become the Biblical Esther, the Queen of Persia, and saves the Jewish nation from annihilation at the hands of its arch enemy while winning the heart of the fiercely handsome King Xerxes.
| Tiffany Dupont | Hadassah/Esther |
| Luke Goss | King Xerxes |
| John Noble | Prince Admantha |
| Omar Sharif | Prince Memucan |
| John Rhys-Davies | Mordecai |
| Tommy 'Tiny' Lister | Hegai, the Royal Eunuch |
| James Callis | Haman, the Amelekite |
| Peter O'Toole | Samuel, the Prophet |
| Javen Campbell | Prince Tarshish |
| Jyoti Dogra | Queen Vashti |
| Neal Bhattacharya | Bigthan |
| Jonah Lotan | Jesse |
| Dilshad | Hannah |
| Nimrat Kaur | Sarah |
| Takesh Singh | Harbona, the Eunuch |
| Michael O. Sajbel |
5.80 out of 10 (1407 votes)
Visitor Reviews
The Faithfulness of God
posted on 27 Aug 2009St. Paul wrote in the letter to the Romans regarding the Jews, ch.11, v. 28, "...as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarch." The Jehovah God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, time and time again, never fails to show his faithfulness to the covenant people whom He foreknew. I have not read the book, but the movie is beautiful. What is particularly memorable to me was when Mordecai read from Isaiah 40:31 to a Jewish gathering to rally them to plead to God for deliverance from Haman, and of course, Esther's resolution to go to the king Ahasuerus and plead for the cause of her people despite her own life being at stake, "If I perish, I perish." And there was a reference to the coming of the LORD Y'shua HaMashiach as all Old Testament books do, when, (I think it was Haman) accused the Jews of plotting to overthrow the Persian kingdom because they believe there is a King coming to rule over all kings. Give thanks to YAHWEH for He is good; his love endureth forever, Amen! One Night with the King is a clean, meaningful, educational, God-exalting movie for the whole family, a rarity indeed in our days.
One Night with the King
posted on 22 Aug 2009This was a fabulous movie! The chemistry between the king and queen is passionate. The actress playing Ester is beautiful and intriguing. I was hoping it would go on and on. This is a romantic movie, written by God,and interpreted artistically. I really liked the costumes...they were beautiful, the jewels, head pieces and the king's palace scenes too. Some of the characters were a little too "American" looking though. I thought they should have been more representative of that part of the world. I did have a little trouble hearing some of the speaking parts due to the loud scenes that preceded and some of the more quietly spoken lines were difficult to hear. I'm headed to look for more Luke Goss movies.
So Bad It was Pulled from the theater
posted on 20 Aug 2009My fiancé and I heard a rumor that "One Night With The (effemanent) King" was based on the BIBLICAL book of Esther. We nearly fell asleep waiting for something ACCURATE to happen. I realize that most movies are fantasy, and that Hollywood likes to make fun of Christians, but don't screw with the Holy Word of God and promote it as such. I'm quite angry that I wasted my time and money on such drivel. I assume that the reason there are no commercials for this movie is that perhaps the filmmakers KNOW they are grossly wrong in the true historical portrayal of this story. The next morning it was pulled from our Westminster, Colorado theater. I have never heard of this happening, but I guess it was judgment from above...
Go See This Movie.
posted on 20 Aug 2009In The beginning its a little hard to follow, but boy towards the end I was at the edge of my seat crying. It's very insightful, romantic, and comforting. Although, you may be forced to ask the question if I was her would I do the same thing, to be so brave? I'd really need to think about it. She was indeed, very brave and had to totally trust in God, because at that point she couldn't even trust her own husband. I love how beautiful everything was in the movie, the jewelry, the clothes, the palace. It really made you feel that you were back in that time, and Esther is so gentle, free, and full of wisdom if only everyone could be this way, well we can if you ask God for it! Please go see this movie, you'll leave uplifted and full of peace. I commend TBN for making such a good movie, BRAVO! God Bless You All!
Obvious Agenda Colors Retelling of Esther
posted on 19 Aug 2009There is a current trend in evangelical churches that desires to use Esther's story as a romantic parallel of Christ's relationship with the Church. This movie is obviously colored by that interpretation, as well as the obligatory romantic bent of hollywood love stories.
The problem with this is that these comparisons don't withstand Biblical scrutiny. The idea of equating God with a particularly brutal pagan king is galling enough, but the romantic repurposing of the Esther narrative betrays an ignorance of the Biblical metaphors of Christ and His Church. The entirety of the bride-and-groom metaphors in the New Testament refer to the Hebrew engagement process, until the book of Revelation, where the SECOND coming of Christ is referred to as the "wedding supper." To tell Christians that they should approach Christ's inner chambers as "his bride" amounts to nothing more than a spiritualized form of immorality.
Besides the theological considerations, the simple historical reality is that Xerxes was brutal and likely entirely un-romantic. The idea (as prortrayed in the movie) that Esther pleased him because she could read is about as plausible as Joseph being the object of the immaculate conception. Obviously, the more immoral concepts in this story can be played tactfully, but they should be there. In the Bible we're given no reason to think there was any romantic attachment between the Xerxes and Esther. If there had been, it wouldn't have been any big deal at all for her to see him unnannounced. It's clear that she feared him, and the movie should have portrayed that, rather than making up some secondary story about her lying to him on some other count.
In the end, I gotta' agree that some beautiful art direction / set design got wasted on a weak script. It's amazing how easy it is to do historical research and how obvious it becomes when people ignore history in favor of their prejudices.
In the end, the movie's not so foul I'll refuse to buy it, but not so wondrous that I'll jump at the chance.
All of the wit and charm of a syndicated Keven Sorbo action series!
posted on 17 Aug 2009While the film recalls the Biblical epic of Esther, and the visuals are quite nice, this is a monstrosity of a film. The two stars are for the costumes and the scenery. It is neat to see the recreation of the Persian Empire. That is the only redeeming quality about this film. To put it bluntly, this is possibly some of the worst acting I have ever seen.
Usually, the story and scenery are enough to distract the viewer from any lacking performances from the actors. But in One Night with the King, the acting is so atrocious, that the viewer doesn't even care about what the film looks like. When the film was just opening, I sat in disbelief of how campy the dialogue was, but consoled myself with the notion that it must have been just a fluke, and would get better.
Instead I was punished with 2 hours of hoping it would get better.
The dialogue is not only condescendingly simplistic, but so robotic and contrived that it begins to remind you of an Old Navy commercial. The characters are annoyingly predictable and simplistic, thus eliminating any real humanity or connection with real life. Even family movies possess a certain amount of charm in simplicity. This movie lacks all of those qualities.
The music is hilariously overdone, to make up for the lack of any real compassion the viewer holds for the actors or the story. So every time the viewer is supposed to feel sad or scared, the music cues up to let you know what you should be feeling. So don't worry if you can't follow the story, there is plenty of "Bad Guy" music and "Love" music to keep you right on track. Apparently, this is a new feature that allows you to take bathroom/throwup breaks without actually pausing the film.
Xerxes, the magnificent king and pivotal character in the film, has all the mentality and political wit of Keanu Reeves. Lucky for us, he frequently has his shirt off, or is wearing a see through shirt, or his shirt has such a tremendous v-neck that you can see the fact that he works out. Fabio would have fit nicely into the part, and, in all reality, not changed the temperament or class of the film noticibly.
However, the film does allude to a little know historical fact, that tanning beds were readily available to the nobility of Ancient Persia, as noted by Xerxes slightly red complexion and raccoon eyes. As a person who is interested in ancient history, I was simply blown away by this discovery.
Frankly, I was hoping to see the recreation of Ancient Persia and a powerful biblical tale of political power struggles and the perseverance of faith over all. Perhaps the directory was anti-semitic, and was looking to ruin the perfect set up to an epic and moving film. So stop thinking "Gladiator" and start thinking "Zena the Warrior Princess." My condolences to the men who had to edit this film, and spend a prolonged period of time looking at it.
A movie that had great potential, but ultimately fell short!
posted on 16 Aug 2009I must start this off by saying that any Christian movie is a step in the right direction. I give anyone an "A" for effort for trying to bring a little ray of hope to this lost and Godless form of communication, especially seeing how the fare offered at the local theater keeps getting worse and worse. Yet, in the midst of all the compliments it must be said that we, as Christians, have strayed from the importance of staying true to the word of God. My Dad had the privilege of speaking to Tim LaHaye this week, and one thing Tim LaHaye said has stuck with me. He said that only 12% of Non-Fiction books are read from cover to cover, whereas around 96% of Fiction works are. He further went onto say that he had wrote many Non-Fiction books, most of them sitting in pastors' offices collecting dust. He decided to make the Left Behind series, among others, to convey truth to this generation in a way that would be better received. How much more truthful is this statistic in movies, where many more people are exposed? We have a responsibility to not only make entertaining movies, but ones that will impact it's audience for eternity. They must be based on the unadulterated truth found in God's word! This is my main contention with the "Urban" Christian world. If we don't stay true to the Bible, what else do we really have? Yet, that doesn't seem to have been what the production team's goal was for One Night With The King ... Following the two Omega Code movies and Carman: The Champion, producer (and screenwriter) Stephan Blinn decided to take on Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen's novel Hadassah: One Night With The King as the newest installment of biblical stories seen through the eyes of TBN... The movie follows one of the most beloved stories in the Old Testament, that of Queen Esther's, (A.K.A. Hadassah) and her journey as a purloined Jew in the courts of a king. I don't feel a further description is needed, as it has been on the lips of every Sunday School teacher from ancient Persia to Present Day! The real question is: Did they pull it off? My answer: Yes and no. Please allow me to explain... While a major portion of the story stays true to the biblical account detailed in the book of Esther, there was enough divergence to make me say, "Hey! Wait a minute!" more than once. Esther was just how I imagined her to be, although a little too exuberant and "childish", not portraying the maturity and sincerity that surely characterized her after being taken from her uncle Mordecai's arms, and thrust into the courts of a king. Xerxes, on the other hand, was younger, nicer looking, and a bit more suspicious than anticipated. He had quite a temper, which is understandable from the biblical account (killing queens...and anyone else who didn't live up to protocol...), yet when coupled with the fictitious developments of his new found Queen, Esther, apparently (from his point of view) slipping a lover through the "Lover's Gate", and the underdeveloped, over-dramatized workings of his court to send him to "rest with his fathers", it seemed he was slightly exaggerated in his position as part lover/ part bitter son wanting to defend his father/ part puppet of his advisers. Saying "What?" yet? That's the point. This movie tried to be a romance, an action/war movie, a portrait of a political uproar in progress, and a sermon all at the same time...miserably failing at most, if not all. The romance starts to develop well, until Xerxes accuses Esther of cheating on him. The action/ war bit is seldom seen, or felt for that matter. The political shards seemed disjointed and confusing. The sermon seemed jumbled in the middle of all this, offering some good, though sometimes incoherent, truths. The musical score seemed to be competing for my attention the entire movie, which was quite irritating, as was the use of slow-motion in sequences to further deepen and dramatize action that was not truly felt in the first place. Add all of this to, in my opinion, an anti-climactic, unbiblical, and straight cheesy ending, I was glad I didn't pay a full $11 for a ticket. You might reconsider taking the "fam" to see this one before it goes to the Danbarry Dollar-Saver... Is their anything redeemable in this $20 million dollar portrait of one of the greatest sagas recorded in the Bible? Absolutely! The cinematography was exceptional, as were the costumes. All the acting was very good. Anything else? That about sums it up... Which shouldn't be a surprise, given the major promoter and financier of the project...TBN. They are great at putting on a good "show", but where is the substance? I walked away from this movie asking the same question I ask while watching most TBN programming..."Why don't they just stick to the Bible? Isn't it enough?" On a scale from 1 to 10, One Night With The King rates: Overall:5 Artistic: 5 Spiritual: 7 Family Friendliness: 6 (Although the sets and the characters may be somewhat entertaining to most viewers, younger viewers may have a hard time following the thick, dragging plot line...)
A inspiring story made into a decent film.
posted on 16 Aug 2009It is true some stories, though ancient, never seem to lose an audience. Such stories seem to have a life of their own, unwilling to die or be forgotten. They are a gateway to a past civilization where we can get a glimpse of an ancient people's culture and beliefs. But honestly, I think the only reason they've survived this long is because they're good stories.One Night With the King is such an example of a good story made into a decent movie. It's a rags to riches tale of a girl who would become queen; a kind of Annie meets Grace Kelly –without Tomorrow. This movie is based on a novel called, Hadassah: One Night With the King written by Tommy Tenny and Mark Andrew Olsen in 2004. That seems hardly ancient history, but it is a dramatization of the story of Esther from the Bible, a story lived and recorded several thousand years ago.The story is about a young Jewish girl who grew up in Susa near the palace of the King of Persia. A new king was on the throne, Xerxes, who had a beautiful wife. She was upset with him and refused to participate in one of his feasts. For that, she was no longer queen, or his wife. And the search went on for a new queen. All the maidens of the empire were brought to the palace to see if Xerxes would choose them to be his next bride. Hadassah changed her name to Esther at the counsel of her uncle to hide her true lineage.Meanwhile, there was a man rising through the ranks of the court, Haman, who hated the Jews and wanted to have them destroyed. Esther, who becomes queen, needs to somehow find a way to protect her people from genocide, even if it means her life is sacrificed.It's quite the story. I've never read the novel. I've read the biblical account several times and this movie does a decent job of fleshing out the characters using dramatic license to fill in the unknown details, without sacrificing the original tale.Michael Sajbel did a fine job directing the film. The story started a little slow with a lot of background, and was a little confusing with all of the plotting of the princes and what not, but it straightened itself out and overall was a did a good job.This is an independent film, no major studio backing, and it looks like one. I don't mean its artsy and we should all find great meaning in the floating sandwich. I mean the sound, the cinematography, the special effects (what little where needed) didn't have that big studio feel, so the movie had to rely more on story and acting. Basically, everything that should make a movie good was there – including the directing mentioned above.There were a lot of big name actors, including Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole who were both in Lawrence of Arabia. John Rhys-Davies and John Noble from The Lord of the Rings films also stared. Those are probably the four biggest names and they added weight to the cast. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the cast did well. A special mention should go out to James Callis who played a Haman you really hated. Overall the acting was good, though there were some spots where it didn't feel to fully mesh for me.The sets were beautiful. They were as majestic as they were colorful. They showed the glory of a kingdom which ruled the earth without getting in the way of the story. Filmed, in India it was able to give a feel of a non-western civilization.This was an independent film completed on what I believe to be a small budget. I think the cast and crew did the best job they could given the money they had. If this was done with a large studio budget, the sets would be bigger and bolder. We'd probably have Zeta-Jones or Theron as Hadassah/Esther and other big names as supporting roles. There'd be slicker music, better sound, everything would be there. This movie relied on the story and a cast who seemed to care about the story – and it showed. It, like any movie, could be done differently, or better. But given they worked with what they had, it is a decent film.The most important thing about the film is what is not in it. There is no gratuitous violence, sex, swearing, nor glorifying of immoral behavior. There is also no overt preaching of any religion. The main character is a practicing Jew who has a faith in God and that's not hidden, but it used to tell the story. It has many good morals and is very family friendly.It can't be emphasized enough that this film is an adaptation of a novel adapted from an ancient story. It does not follow the biblical account verbatim, but keeps the feel of the story, the morals of the story, and the reason for the stories existence in tact.I think it was worth the money I spent to see it on the silver screen. I would seriously consider buying it for my DVD collection not because it's a great film, but because it's a decent film that tells a good story in a manner I can play for my future kids without needing to have my finger on the fast forward button. (And if anyone from the cast or crew is reading this, I like extra features on my DVDs; lots of extra features.) The high score is a little on the sympathy side because there's a shortage of live action family films and it was done on a comparatively small budget. That did overcome, in my opinion, the sound issues and occasional acting goofs. It is worth seeing. It is enjoyable. It is a decent film.
I hope Peter and Omar made a lot of money
posted on 12 Aug 2009This movie stunk. I mean a real big time stinker. I haven't walked out in a movie in years, but gee-whiz! Right off the bat it white washes the Biblically recorded genocide of the Cannanites and then goes down from there. Peter makes his small appearance (not one of his more memorable roles) as the irritable homicidal prophet Samuel taking King Saul to task for not murdering a pregnant Queen along with the rest of the inhabitants of the kingdom including the Livestock! Then we are transported five hundred years later to Persia and a totally stupid, insipid love story, with all the sex appeal of Ozzie and Harriet! I felt that I needed an insulin shot! I finally had to leave the theater or go into a diabetic coma! I did catch the last half of the Departed next door, now that was a MOVIE!
Wonderful movie for everyone
posted on 10 Aug 2009Bravo, It is so nice to see a movie with so much substance,we need more movies like this. No foul language,sex,violence. Any age can watch and enjoy. I rarely want to go but I will buy this as watch it again and again. Tiffany shined along with her king!!!The cinematography great.The set or destination of the film was spectacular. I loved Tommy Listers character. I laughed and cried. So well done. Thank you to those who created and produced this wonderful film.I look forward to seeing more of this type of work in the future. I can't believe the reviews would be poor. I felt like I was there,watching this young beautiful girl transform before me into a respected,honored Queen. I had goosebumps from the chemistry between the King and Ester.
The First "Cinderella" Allegory of the 21st Century
posted on 04 Aug 2009This is more than just a love story; and it's more than just a Cultural Myth. Since time memorable, there have been Heroes and Heroines that have come out of each successive generation.I feel privileged to have heard the author's father preach this very message years ago when I was a child. I also feel privileged to have co-written the song, "For Such A Time As This",(once again) following a sermon preached back in the mid-1980's.This story transcends the "Top 20" list and it goes beyond an "Inspirational Fad", because it continues to be reborn in anyone who will rise to embrace the Call that leads a person to their Destiny.The cinematography of this motion picture is lavish and the music is luscious. Judeo-Christianity and all love-based religions have come out of the closet in the telling of this age-old story and we may be witnessing the re-birth of secular Hollywood, all because someone stood up and came forth... "For Such A Time As This".Not only did this movie make me feel good. It challenged me to once again embrace the hope and courage of Esther -- something more than religion; rather, a way of life.See this film not just because of it's "Faith-Based" theme. See it for the message of enduring Courage that it portrays. And stay tuned for the sequel.
Don't waste your time
posted on 01 Aug 2009I would only watch this if it was free to watch. It's not terrible, just don't go in expecting a whole lot of Biblical accuracy. I just thought some of the most important parts, such as when she was going to the king for the first time and at the very end as well, was a little anti-climatic. It could have been done a lot better. Just don't go in with high expectations.
One Night With The King- Wonderful Movie for all ages!
posted on 31 Jul 2009I loved this movie. The special effects were every bit as fantastic as the Mummy. The story was very well done. I was so impressed at how the story begins, and to make it easier to know what is going on they went back to tell about how Saul disobeyed God and how it caused all kinds of problems for the Isrealites later on. I loved the actors. Seeing the greats of Film coming together to make this picture a success. Tommy Tenney can be proud of the book and film he and his co-writer wrote for this movie that I feel will be as great as any of the others about the Bible. It had an impact on me and I so loved how the young woman they call Esther is so believable in her part. Each actor gave you the feel that one was really looking in on this era of time. It is romantic, it is amazing, the script is humorous, and it is enrapturing. I was intrigued and captured by the glamor and the lovely sets. I cannot say enough about this must see film. I have watched it maybe three times. Family, friends, general public cannot help but be entertained by this very fine story of a young woman risking it all for her people. Awesome film. I hope TBN keeps on making these valuable Films that are what we Christians want to see. Thank You TBN for not caring what the critics say, because they will always try to discourage you, but persevered and made a spectacular film.
THIS WAS GREAT
posted on 30 Jul 2009THIS MOVIE WAS GREAT AND I REMEMBER I WAS STATIONED AT KOREA WHEN IT CAME OUT AND I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO GET A COPY AND IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING . I KNOW MOST OF THE SOLDIERS GOT A COPY AND IT WAS SOLD OUT, I HOPE THEY WERE BLESSED BY IT. TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY. IT WAS SUCH A GREAT MOVIE AND AFTER WATCHING I READ THE BOOK OF ESTHER AND IT WAS ALMOST JUST LIKE THE WORD OF GOD, PRAISE THE LORD
Finally another good movie you would see again and again
posted on 25 Jul 2009I went to see this movie twice. I will definitely buy it when it comes out on DVD and I don't buy many movies. I had to drive 75 minutes to a theater that had this movie. Sadly none of our theaters wanted to take a chance on this movie. The acting was great. The story of Esther was done so well. You left feeling really good after the movie. Each actor played their role well. I must say King Xerxes(Luke Gross)was my favorite. Esther (Tiffany Dupont) was second. She was so beautiful as a dressed up Queen and as a young Jewish girl. for her first debut as an actress wow. She will have many more movies to come.Everyone actually clapped in the theater when it was over. Haven't heard that in along time.I hope more are to come.
ESTHER A BEAUTIFUL, GODLY WOMAN CHOSEN, BY A KING!
posted on 24 Jul 2009This is one of my favorite versions, of the book of Esther thats in the Bible. I loved it! It is about a beautiful jew who caught the eye, and heart of a king.
Esther, and her honorable kinsmen Mordeci lived in the kings kingdom, except Esther and Mordeci was jews! You will see how being a jew caused trouble for them, and how God helped the jewish people through Esther. It is a true, awesome story!
But first ,read the book of Esther thats in the Bible, it will give you God's true account, and version of this remarkable story! It is a awesome, true story of the Bible!
In the movie, I loved the beautiful colors, and the flowers, and the beautiful, colorful clothes, and of course, the handsome king, and the beautiful Esther! Esther and the king, is one of my favorite love storys from the Bible!
Amazing
posted on 18 Jul 2009
One Night With the King is a very great movie.
It looks great and the story is very interesting. It is based loosely on the Bible, but for some reason, some parts of the story have been changed. An example is that Haman (instead of begging for his life at the end), begins to mock Esther and make her feel afraid.
However, the movie is great and Tiffany as Esther is amazing. She embraces the 'look of wonder' in the eyes of a young woman, but also embraces strength. She was really well cast.
This is the best movie based on Esther I have ever seen! Well done 8x production people. Very, very, very good.
MORE JUNK FROM TBN
posted on 29 Aug 2009This vanity production is a sad attempt at a Biblical epic. A waste of time, talent and celluloid. Poorly written and talky. Screenplay is bloated, boring and tedious. Stilted dialog is painful. Oddly directed (I use the word loosely). Some OK attempts at "sweeping vistas" from India locations do not an epic make.
Imagine having Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif available for on screen reteaming and to waste that opportunity!
There's a great story here without ANY agenda (evangelical or otherwise) but this is not it. Too bad.
I am baffled by the good reviews posted here.