To mount an epic movie based on the story of Moses delivering the slaves out of Egypt is an ambitious and logistically challenging task at the best of times. To have done this in 1956, without the aid of computer-enhanced effects for believable crowd scenes or real-looking historical sets, is more remarkable still. When our screen is filled with tens of thousands of soldiers or slaves, stretching right to the horizon, what you see on the screen really was in front of the camera. That level of resourcefulness and organisation is staggering to think about, and makes The Ten Commandments an admirable achievement by any standards. Having said that, there are moments when you might find that the epic proportions of what is before your eyes creates a stronger impression than the "divinely inspired story" (as Cecil B. DeMille calls it in his introductory speech).
It is prophesised in Ancient Egypt that a Hebrew slave will be born who will one day deliver the other slaves from a life in chains and lead them to freedom. Jittery, the pharaoh demands that all first-born Hebrew babies must be slain to prevent the prophecy from coming true. One Hebrew family put their baby son into a basket and cast him onto the Nile, hoping that he will somehow reach safety from this awful fate. Instead, the baby floats right into the gardens of a royal palace, where he is found by Bithiah (Nina Foch) She takes the baby as her own and names him Moses. Years later, Moses has grown up within the Egyptian royal family and is revered as a noble, wise and resourceful Prince of Egypt. One day he may even become the next pharaoh, much to the envy of the existing pharoah's birth son Ramases (Yul Brynner). Moses and Ramases are also locked in a battle for the affections and eventual hand in marriage of the beautiful Nefertiri (Anne Baxter). Ramases spends most of his time plotting a way to discredit Moses so that he might beat him in their mutual race for the throne and the woman of their desires. Then, unexpectedly, Moses learns about his true ancestry. When he discovers that he is, in fact, of Hebrew birth parents he forsakes his royal status and becomes a slave. After many years of hardship - including a long period of being banished into the wilderness - Moses learns from God that he has been chosen to deliver the slaves from their appalling existence in captivity. He returns to Egypt and leads his people to freedom.
Cecil B. DeMille had already made this film, under the same title, in 1923. This lavish and expensive remake is a better film though. Heston is excellent as Moses the role requires tremendous presence, and he provides it in abundance. Brynner is also very good as Ramases, etching a character whose burning envy towards his rival is convincing and memorable. At times, the dialogue is a little stilted and lofty; at other times it is actually quite eloquent (the parts narrated by De Mille himself are especially articulate). Elmer Bernstein's score is appropriately stirring, and the cinematography by Loyal Griggs is truly outstanding (hard to accept that Griggs lost out in the Oscars that year to Lionel Lindon's work in Around The World In 80 Days!!) The Ten Commandments features some fabulous cinematic highlights the 10th plague, the parting of the sea, and the writing of the commandments are a few that spring to mind. In between the highlights the film has its lulls, but even at an elephantine 220 minutes it never lapses into total boredom, and is well worth catching if you're a fan of biblical epics or old-style Hollywood pageants.
It is prophesised in Ancient Egypt that a Hebrew slave will be born who will one day deliver the other slaves from a life in chains and lead them to freedom. Jittery, the pharaoh demands that all first-born Hebrew babies must be slain to prevent the prophecy from coming true. One Hebrew family put their baby son into a basket and cast him onto the Nile, hoping that he will somehow reach safety from this awful fate. Instead, the baby floats right into the gardens of a royal palace, where he is found by Bithiah (Nina Foch) She takes the baby as her own and names him Moses. Years later, Moses has grown up within the Egyptian royal family and is revered as a noble, wise and resourceful Prince of Egypt. One day he may even become the next pharaoh, much to the envy of the existing pharoah's birth son Ramases (Yul Brynner). Moses and Ramases are also locked in a battle for the affections and eventual hand in marriage of the beautiful Nefertiri (Anne Baxter). Ramases spends most of his time plotting a way to discredit Moses so that he might beat him in their mutual race for the throne and the woman of their desires. Then, unexpectedly, Moses learns about his true ancestry. When he discovers that he is, in fact, of Hebrew birth parents he forsakes his royal status and becomes a slave. After many years of hardship - including a long period of being banished into the wilderness - Moses learns from God that he has been chosen to deliver the slaves from their appalling existence in captivity. He returns to Egypt and leads his people to freedom.
Cecil B. DeMille had already made this film, under the same title, in 1923. This lavish and expensive remake is a better film though. Heston is excellent as Moses the role requires tremendous presence, and he provides it in abundance. Brynner is also very good as Ramases, etching a character whose burning envy towards his rival is convincing and memorable. At times, the dialogue is a little stilted and lofty; at other times it is actually quite eloquent (the parts narrated by De Mille himself are especially articulate). Elmer Bernstein's score is appropriately stirring, and the cinematography by Loyal Griggs is truly outstanding (hard to accept that Griggs lost out in the Oscars that year to Lionel Lindon's work in Around The World In 80 Days!!) The Ten Commandments features some fabulous cinematic highlights the 10th plague, the parting of the sea, and the writing of the commandments are a few that spring to mind. In between the highlights the film has its lulls, but even at an elephantine 220 minutes it never lapses into total boredom, and is well worth catching if you're a fan of biblical epics or old-style Hollywood pageants.