Review of The Ten Commandments (1956) by Tom A — 07 Oct 2011

Cecil B. DeMille's final film is perhaps the most bloated, cheesy, garish, and brilliantly entertaining epic of all time. Few films are this much FUN to watch! Story of Moses (Charlton Heston) as he leads the Hebrews toward freedom, away from the Egyptians (led by Yul Brynner's Ramses II), is the definitive Biblical epic. First hour-and-a-half drags but once Moses starts with the tricks, it never lets up -- parting of the Red Sea, the writing of the tablets, etc. are all spectacular. Nothing beats Edward G. Robinson as he lords over the orgy at Mt. Sinai (why does Moses even want to save these ingrates?), except maybe Anne Baxter's sneers, Woody Strode playing two characters, or the hilarious dialogue (everything "shimmers like the Nile"). It may not be as "good" a film as, for comparison, Ben-Hur (which has broader themes, better performances, less cheese, and that brilliant chariot race) but I would watch The Ten Commandments ten more times before watching Ben-Hur again -- and a definite building block of my cinematic education -- so many Easters sitting on the floor in my pajamas, eyes transfixed tothe TV...

The deluxe DVD features DeMille's original 1923 telling -- which is actually pretty good. It is much more earnest (if that is possible) than the 1956 version and much more preachy; also the Biblical scenes only take up 1/3 of the film -- the rest is a modern-day parable (which really drags). But the special effects on the parting of the Red Sea are actually more convincing than the 1956 version (which isn't saying much), and the writing of the tablets is somehow more spectacular. Both features have commentary by a DeMille biographer who is far too gushing and exhaustive in trivial information (though it's surprising how supposedly accurate the films are in their depictions of ancient Egypt). Rest of the extras are mostly throwaway promo material.