Review of The Ten Commandments (1956) by Monsieur R — 14 Apr 2011

My entry for Easter nominee review. You can wait and wait, but you will NOT see the likes of this blockbuster ever again. A film that will rock your world if you have ANY biblical sentimentality at all.

The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of Exodus, in which the Jewish-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, turned deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starred Charlton Heston in the lead role.

The film covers the life of Moses from his discovery in a basket floating on the Nile as a baby by Bithiah, a childless young widow and daughter of the then-Pharaoh, Rameses I, to his prohibition from entering the land of Israel in the wake of God's judgment on him at the waters of Meribah.

This film is a drama EPIC and while it can be really chastised for the lead, Heston, who is as wooden a figure as came down the pike..... Still holds up year after year as have none of the films in the last 2 decades. What films of those will be shown year after year during Easter, or anytime on TV?

Listen, time is the true testimony of any book or film. All the great films stand the test of time regardless of era.

Despite our ability to judge a film in retrospect, this film was way, way ahead of its time.... it practically invented special effects (the parting of the sea, the fountain water turned red, etc.). By the way, the parting of the sea is NOT rediculous, it is biblical history.

I hate to admit it sort of, but I saw this film first run with my parents (who never went to the movies). It was a stunner, and still holds up quite well against the myriad of wasted effort in films since.

While not a big favorite film of mine, I can appreciate one of the few truely great films of the fifties.

NOTES about the film:

1 This was the last film that DeMille directed. He was set to direct his own remake of The Buccaneer, but his final illness forced him to relinquish the directing chores to his son-in-law, actor Anthony Quinn.

2 The Ten Commandments is partially a remake of DeMille's 1923 silent film. Some of the cast and crew of the 1956 version worked on the original.

3 The Ten Commandments is one of the most financially successful films ever made, grossing over $65 million at the North American box office. Adjusting for inflation, this makes it the fifth highest-grossing movie in North America, with an adjusted total of $977 million in 2010.

4 In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten Top Ten"-the best ten films in ten American film genres-after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. The Ten Commandments was acknowledged as the 10th best film in the epic genre.

5 Lead Charlton Heston, who previously worked for DeMille on The Greatest Show on Earth, won the part after he impressed DeMille (at an audition) with his knowledge of ancient Egypt.

6 Charlton Heston's newborn son Fraser appeared as the infant Moses.

7 Aside from winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, the film was also nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Color, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Sound, Recording.

Cast.

Edward G. Robinson as Dathan.

Charlton Heston as Moses and voice of God in burning bush sequence (credited only for his role of Moses).

Yul Brynner as Pharaoh Rameses II.

Anne Baxter as Nefretiri.

Yvonne De Carlo as Sephora, Moses' wife.

Debra Paget as Lilia.

John Derek as Joshua.

Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Pharaoh Seti I.

Nina Foch as Bithiah, adoptive mother of Moses, sister to Seti I.

Martha Scott as Yoshebel.

Judith Anderson as Memnet, slave attendant to Bithiah and Nefretiri.

Vincent Price as Baka the Master Builder.

Henry Wilcoxon as Pentaur, Rameses II's charioteer.

John Carradine as Aaron, Moses' brother.

Douglass Dumbrille as Jannes.

Olive Deering as Miriam, Moses' sister.

Mike Connors as Amalekite Herder (under the name Touch Connors).

Other well-known talent in the film's "cast of thousands" included Herb Alpert (yes, the trumpet playing lead of Herb Alpert and the Tiajuanna Brass) as a Hebrew drummer, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer (of Little Rascals fame) as a slave, Michael Ansara as an Egyptian taskmaster, Robert Vaughn (later of 60's TV: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Hollywood's The Magnificent Seven) as a spearman.

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

Produced by Cecil B. DeMille.

Henry Wilcoxon.

Written by Joseph Holt Ingraham (novel Pillar of Fire).

A.E. Southon (novel On Eagle's Wings).

Dorothy Clarke Wilson (novel Prince of Egypt).

Æneas MacKenzie.

Jesse L. Lasky, Jr.

Jack Gariss.

Fredric M. Frank.

Narrated by Cecil B. DeMille.

Music by Elmer Bernstein.

Cinematography Loyal Griggs, ASC.

Editing by Anne Bauchens.

Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Release date(s) October 5, 1956 (1956-10-05).

Running time 220 minutes.

Adjusted for inflation, it is the fifth-highest grossing movie of all time in the U.S. and Canada. Almost a BILLION dollars in revenue.