Summary
Ernst Reicher’s 'Das Buch Esther' is a sumptuous, albeit idiosyncratic, cinematic revisioning of the Purim narrative, where the hallowed halls of Susa are transformed into a labyrinth of political machination and erotic peril. Departing from the strictures of the Tanakh, the film positions Haman and Queen Vashti—here a co-conspirator rather than a mere casualty of pride—as a duumvirate of malice plotting to usurp the throne. When Mordecai’s refusal to bow sparks a theological mandate for total conformity, the Jewish community finds its salvation in the pulchritude of Esther. Chosen through a high-stakes selection process that Vashti desperately attempts to sabotage, Esther ascends to the queenship, her beauty serving as the ultimate diplomatic instrument. The narrative reaches its crescendo during a nocturnal banquet where the King’s impending assassination is thwarted by the revelation of Haman’s duplicity. Reicher, occupying both the director's chair and the royal throne, crafts a spectacle of historical fiction that prioritizes the visceral tension of the court over the dogmatic precision of the source text, culminating in a public execution that restores cosmic and political order.
Synopsis
This film is a biblical epic written, directed by and starring Ernst Reicher in the title role of the King, alongside his wife Stella Harf. This film is slightly different to the biblical book, and starts with the scenes of Haman and the Queen plotting against the Jews when Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman. They convince the King to decree that all the Jews in the land should worship the same God as the King, all the while as Haman plots with the Queen to make himself King. The proclamation goes out and the Jews decide to present a young Virgin to the King to find favour on their behalf. Esther is chosen to be presented to the King and Mordecai, her guardian, is told. They hope that Esther can use her influence with the King to save them all.
When it is time to present all the young maidens to the King, the Queen tries to prevent Esther from being seen because of her beauty. The King disapproves of the choices and so Esther is presented and the King falls for her. She is chosen to be the new Queen and a huge banquet is thrown. Meanwhile Haman and Queen Vashti plot to kill the king as he sleeps.
Queen Vashti throws a banquet and invites the King and Haman and entertains them with wine and dancing girls but the King finds out about the plot to kill him and orders the capture of Haman who flees. The queen begs forgiveness and the King calls for Mordecai to issue a proclamation to release the Jews from their persecution. Haman is judged by the people and executed and Queen Vashti along with him.
Review Excerpt
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The year 1919 remains a watershed epoch for the German moving image, a period where the burgeoning language of cinema sought to reconcile the theatrical grandiosity of the past with the psychological depth of the nascent Expressionist movement. In this fertile soil, Ernst Reicher—a name often synonymous with the 'Stuart Webbs' detective series—ventured into the realm of the divine and the dynastic with Das Buch Esther. This is not merely a rote recitation of scripture; it is a me..."
