Review of Exodus

Exodus (I) (2007)
5/10
Weird. Just erm... weird. But thanks anyway C4.
25 November 2007
First of all let's start with the good stuff that I can comment on. Great production values. Very well directed, and seemed to be high budget (whether it was, or was just well executed, I don't know). It was great to see something so well produced in the UK, when the other channels dish up endless reality shows like Celebrities Dancing In The Jungle. Channel 4 must be applauded for creating original programming, and when it comes to a programme like this it really is original.

However that doesn't mean it worked. I just didn't get it, or understand it. When it was tackling accessible things (such as racial tensions and segregation of populations) it was great. But when Moses is turning the sea red with some bacteria which kills people, I just go "eh?". And I think that's where the bible influence lets this production down.

I don't know the bible, so I expect that a lot of the story and its strange plot points comes directly from that. And whereas I could watch Romeo + Juliet and get pleasure from how they'd taken Shakespeare and updated it, and nod knowingly at a gun with 'dagger' written down its side thrown into the sand, I think Exodus loses out in this way because I just plain don't know what they're on about or what their influence is. And that leaves to the plot points being odd.

That also leads to a clash of stories. These people are segregated, being killed off randomly, but not killed off completely and they have the power to take down the internet with a massive virus and crash stock markets. Erm, yeah, okay. It just doesn't make sense.

So I didn't get it, and I think that's because they rely on you knowing the bible. But as I said in the first paragraph, I'm glad Channel 4 are creating such things. After all, I don't come on here to comment on the drivel that the BBC and ITV create. So at the very least Channel 4 engaged me to think a bit while watching TV today.
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