Exodus

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Exodus

Released Mar 27, 1960

3h 27m

History

Drama

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65%

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17 Reviews

69%

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2,500+ Ratings

Based on Leon Uris' novel, this historical epic provides a dramatic backstory to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II. Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman), a passionate member of the Jewish paramilitary group Haganah, attempts to transport 600 Jewish refugees on a dangerous voyage from Cyprus to Palestine on a ship named the Exodus. He faces obstruction from British forces, who will not grant the ship passage to its destination.

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John Gillett

Sight & Sound

Exodus, then, sees Preminger's sheer movie-making talent at its most extended. Unhappily, the ability to sustain a large canvas does not necessarily result in a good film.

Feb 11, 2020

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Tom Milne

Time Out

Watchable mainly for the sheer skill and drive of Preminger's direction, although at 220 minutes even that long outstays its welcome.

Jan 26, 2006

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

In the end, one should take from this picture a shaken feeling of having been through a lot of harsh and ennobling experiences.

Rated: 4/5

May 9, 2005

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

The depiction of the founding of the modern state of Israel requires an epic film but the film takes a number of liberties--to be fair, the book is historical fiction.

Jul 20, 2021

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Most of the time seems well spent, although Dalton Trumbo's otherwise skilful screenplay includes too many garrulous slowdowns while the characters discuss their conflicting ideologies.

Oct 31, 2019

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Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

In 1960, Dalton Trumbo served up two hefty screenplays full of incident, emotion and intellectual exchanges -- I prefer Spartacus, although there's something to be said for his streamlining of so much historical content (and, yes, fictional deviations).

Rated: 3/4

Apr 9, 2016

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Sherie

I’m glad I watched it but I wouldn’t want to watch it again unless it had been a long time since I last saw it and nothing else was on. I didn’t dislike, but didn’t necessarily want to spend more time with them characters.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/31/25

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Meri D.

Way too long, and Paul Newman was miscast

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

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Vitor O

It's a big movie in every sense of the word, so its nearly 200-plus minute running time feels a bit long. However, its sense of scale is impressive and the story is packed with interesting characters. And, as an added bonus, it has a great Paul Newman firing all cylinders.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/19/25

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Stuart B

Gripping. And, it is interesting to see the same themes and hopes that have in today's Arab-Israeli interactions were playing out over 60 years ago when Exodus was made.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/23

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Audience Member

This classic war movie was pretty good. Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson, and the rest of the cast did a pretty good job in this movie. The plot of the movie was dramatic, thrilling, and tragic. It's about fighting for independence and freedom, even if you lose good people in the process. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you may enjoy it. That's what I think anyway.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Audience Member

GREAT MOVIE A MUST SEE. I CAN'T WAIT FOR A 4K RELEASE

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Otto Preminger

Director

Paul Newman

Ari Ben Canaan

Eva Marie Saint

Kitty Fremont

Ralph Richardson

Gen. Sutherland

Peter Lawford

Maj. Caldwell

Lee J. Cobb

Barak Ben Canaan

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Synopsis

Based on Leon Uris' novel, this historical epic provides a dramatic backstory to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II. Ari Ben Canaan (Paul Newman), a passionate member of the Jewish paramilitary group Haganah, attempts to transport 600 Jewish refugees on a dangerous voyage from Cyprus to Palestine on a ship named the Exodus. He faces obstruction from British forces, who will not grant the ship passage to its destination.

Director: Otto Preminger
Producer: Otto Preminger
Screenwriter: Dalton Trumbo, Leon Uris
Distributor: United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Alpha Films, Carlyle Productions
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 1960, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 3, 2018
Runtime: 3h 27m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
Aspect Ratio: 70mm

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