Highly Overrated But Still Good

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I have to say i really got exited by this movie and i am not a model Christian. I am not an atheist but i haven't read the bible, I don't go to church, I don't keep lent, I don't pray. I don't even watch Bible movies. But I am really glad I saw this one. It speaks very well of it since it can excite even someone like me. There is faith, there is history, there is romance. It feels like a fairy tale for adults and I mean this in a positive way.The actors have done a wonderful job and what really pleases me is by the words of the other reviewers the film is faithful to the the way it is depicted in the Bible. I have always thought "When you film a book, be accurate" and I think this should be considered especially for the book of books.Marvelous, powerful movie. 10/10.

Keeping in mind the fact that this film was made in 1999 when technology was much more limited than it is today, this film is very good. It stays faithful to the book of Esther, but brings in other characters of the Bible, such as Ezra and Nehemiah. I'm not sure how historically accurate the timing is, but it was an interesting addition that helped keep the story in perspective.I also enjoyed the brilliant acting on the part of the main characters. On this note, the king seemed a bit too childish for a king, but in a way it does seem possible for a pampered palace brat to remain so even when grown. Still, he gets really mature and romantic when it really counts, so all is forgiven. :) The setting was alright, but I'm looking forward to a more recent version with a larger budget that will show Persia in all its glory.

The accuracy of the movie is pretty high. Even the dialog has quoted large chunks of the Bible and in many parts, they have attempted to extract and paraphrased many verses. It is quite biblical. I am inspired.Here are the parts which are most inspiring:1) Mordecai wailing in the streets, crying and praying. It depicted a man without any inhibition when it comes to expressing his emotions to God. It was recorded in the Bible and the movie depicted it accurately.2) The emphasis on the 3 days and nights fasting with praying was clearly depicted and was again very inspiring. Many verses from other parts of the Old Testament were quoted in their prayers. It relates fasting with a national catastrophe. 3) In the end, the wooing of the king by Esther was again accurately presented. Through her gutsy courage to appear before the court uninvited and throwing the two banquets for the king and Haman, the final climax was accurately depicted again.The movie, in short, was done to inspire and uplift the viewer spiritually. Well done and God bless!

This is another film in the Time Life series of Bible films, and in "Esther" we see the events of the book of Esther from the Old Testament played out in a convincing and realistic way. The film sticks closely to the Bible narrative, even using the script word for word from the Bible, at least from the New King James Version, which I read along with the film while watching. Acting is excellent, and Louise Lombard does well in the title role. F Murray Abraham, an excellent actor, plays the part of Mordecai very well, and Thomas Kretschmann, whom I had not previously heard of, does an excellent job as King Ahaseurus. Jürgen Prochnow does a good job of playing the evil Haman, and by the time Haman is executed, I was hating Haman for his evil crimes, and regarding Mordecai, Esther and Ahaseurus with great admiration. The film also uses other Biblical characters, not mentioned in the book of Esther, but whose books come before Esther in the Bible, i.e. Ezra and Nehemiah. I am not sure if they were contemporary with Esther, or shortly after her time, but the way they are used in the film fits in very well with the story. I had previously seen a 1950s film with Joan Collins about Esther, which was totally wrong and mostly made up, whereas this film is very true to the Bible and worth seeing. Even if you have never read the Bible or know the story of Esther, I would recommend this film as it is a great film in its own right, and very enjoyable and watchable.