The Ten Commandments Reviews

Taken from the biblical book of Exodus, and some other sources, such as a novel "Prince Of Egypt", it begins with the old Pharaoh issuing the order to slaughter every first born Hebrew male. Moses life is spared by the intervention of the barren Egyptian princess who raises him in the Egyptian court. The pharaoh believes Moses to be his son, although Yul Bryner is the rightful heir and clearly jealous of Moses. Nefertiti is in love and in lusst with Moses, desiring to be his queen consort when the Pharaoh proposes Moses be the future king. But the truth about Moses' Jewish blood is revealed and is mocked for being a slave. As an exiled man in the desert, Moses discovers a group of nomadic Jews and marries a wife, Sephora. He begins to worship the nameless God of the mountain, who sends him on the mission to free the Hebrew slaves from Egyptian opression. The special effects are phenomenal for their time, including the scenes of the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. Never before has Heston uttered more powerful words in his acting career than "Behold the hand of God!".

The acting is melodramatic, at times, nearly superfluously dramatic and tense, with poetic diction and the type of hammy dialogue that is called for early radio and tv screenplay. But nevertheless, it is a stunning film. On this DVD release, there is much to marvel at, including the entire film unedited and with an intermission. The Ten Commandments is yours to watch on DVD and a treasure for years to come.

Rating: 5 - Enjoyable if long biblical epic
What you ultimately think of this Hollywood epic depends on your tastes of bible stories made into cinema features. However I think that few will argue that this is one of classic efforts of modern (sound movie) times.

Casting for the story is excellent. The 'heroes' are dignified and are feeling, even if not fully aware, people. Charleton Heston makes an excellent Moses. The villians lend a palitable sense of underhandedness and backstabbing to their characters. Yul Bryner is suberbly cast as Ramses, son of Pharoh and flawlessly acts out the part of an aloof and callous tyrant.

Some parts or roles are somewhat overacted at times when viewed from today's standards, but one should remember that this is an older film made when roles tended to be played more like the silent era films.

The special effects achieved are amazing for the time period and I doubt that anyone who has seen the 'parting of the Red Sea' scene will quickly forget it. A supporting cast of hundreds give the feel of an actual event. Certainly no corners were cut in making the story as real as possible for the theater. Some scenes raise a lump in one's throat because of the grandeur of the production.

The visual transfer to DVD is well done and captures the vibrant colors of the original film. Sound is also good, however some vocals seem a bit muted. For instance, the voice of "God" is very difficult to hear at normal volume and I find myself turning up the sound during the couple of times that God talks to Moses.

The DVD version comes on two disks complete with and intermission. The movie is some 3 hours long and may be a bit difficult for younger audiences to get through. Those over the age of ten or so should not have any problem however. There are several versions of the theatrical trailer included on the disk and a monologue from Cecil Demille.

Looking for an evening of family entertainment (and religious education)? This film is hard to beat. Most will probably view it over and over during the years. For a movie that is approaching 50 years old it remains very popular -- and the 'message' within is timeless.

** Highly Recommended **

Rating: 4 - A Timeless Classic returns on DVD
The Ten Commandments is terrific family entertainment...my daughter and I just watched this classic on Easter Sunday, on the new DVD format. While this film is some 40+ years old now and many of the special effects pale in comparison to today's computer aided graphic effects, the Ten Commandments remains an impressive film with its lavish sets, costumes and cast of thousands. It was especially interesting to watch the parting of the Red Sea sequences in slow motion through the DVD controls. Also try the slow motion controls when Moses brings the Red Sea crashing down upon Pharaoh's chariots. These are great effects done in the 1950s...one can only imagine what DeMille would have done with today's technological wizardry. Charlton Heston maintains a commanding prescence throughout the story, while Yul Brynner coldly portrays Moses' heart hardened alter-ego, Pharaoh Ramses. Edward G. Robinson portrays the despicable, lecherous and traitorous Dathan (why the Israelites let Dathan join them in the Exodus...I'll never know.). Look for other established actors such as Anne Baxter, Yvonne DeCarlo, Vincent Price and John Derek (wasn't he married to Bo?) While the movie itself is a masterpiece, I was somewhat disappointed that there were not more special features included in the DVD version. It would have been great to have some audio commentary by Charlton Heston, interviews, behind the scenes info, and any deleted scenes. Still, any fan of epics and/or biblical stories will not be disappointed by the Ten Commandments on DVD format.

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The Ten Commandments