The Ten Commandments (1956) Blu-ray Review
Michael A. Smith
May 17th, 2020
“They don’t make them like this anymore!” A popular phrase that I’ve heard constantly in my almost 60 years on this Earth. That saying is especially true about movies. Sure, we have huge scale blockbusters like THE AVENGERS, but very rarely today do we get to see huge epics filmed on exotic locations with thousands of extras and practical effects, a period which pretty much began with GONE WITH THE WIND and ended sometime in the early 1980s (think GHANDI). One of those films is Cecil B. DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Most people are well familiar with the biblical story of Moses. Born a Jew in Egypt when the Pharaoh decreed that all Jewish newborn boys be killed, he is secreted by his mother in a basket and floated off down the Nile River. The basket is discovered by the Pharaoh’s daughter and she adopts him. He grows up in the court of the Pharaoh and is regarded as a Prince. When he eventually learns his lineage he is cast out of Egypt. He wanders the desert, meets the woman that will become his wife and builds a life for himself. However, a “visit” from God decrees the return to Egypt and free his enslaved people. Piece of cake, right?
Full of spectacle with visuals that are amazing even compared to today’s current blockbusters, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS jumps off the screen in a beautiful transfer that takes advantage of the elaborate locations and the production values. Charlton Heston is the adult Moses (in a clever bit of casting, Heston’s infant son Fraser plays the baby Moses) and, besides BEN HUR, this is the role he is most associated with (followed by, I would think, George Taylor in PLANET OF THE APES). Years ago I had the opportunity to see Heston on-stage in “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial” and had the chance to meet him backstage. While we were talking a young man approached and held out his hand. As Heston shook it the man replied, “Wow, I never thought I’d get to shake Moses’ hand!” The look on Heston’s face told me this wasn’t the first – or thousandth – time he’d heard this. Heston was always a compelling figure on screen, holding the audience’s attention with his strong and powerful voice and he is no different here. In fact, this is a film you could just listen to and be moved as, besides Heston the cast includes such powerfully speaking actors like Vincent Price and John Carradine. Another actor that fits that “commanding” mold is Brenner, who stars as the evil and powerful Pharaoh Ramses II. This was Brenner’s follow-up to his Academy Award winning performance in THE KING AND I and he brings the same regal quality he had as King Mongkut to this role. And, again, another distinct and powerful voice. When he declares “So let it be written….so let it be DONE,” you know it’s going to be. The performances are strong across the board, so much so that you can almost forgive Romanian-born Edward G. Robinson’s distinct Brooklyn accent when it occasionally creeps in.
Visually the film is a cinematic masterpiece. Director DeMille – who actually made a silent version of this story in 1923 (it is also included in this set) fills every inch of the screen with the beauty and splendor of ancient Egypt. The film’s biggest scene, the parting of the Red Sea, is an amazing achievement that looks as good as anything put on film today. I highly recommend this journey back to the time when a movie was a MOVIE.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: The film is presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and fills the screen. The colors are bright and the visual effects appear seamless. Oh to have been able to have seen this one on the big screen in 70 mm.
Audio: The audio is available in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. It is well mixed and, again, gives amazing clarity to the amazing voices of Heston, Carradine, Price, etc.
This three-disc set comes in a beautiful Digibook case that includes 16 pages of color images. The extras are as follows:
DISC ONE
Audio Commentary: Part one of an amazing commentary by author Katherine Orrison, who wrote the book “Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille’s Epic The Ten Commandments”
DISC TWO
Audio Commentary: Part two of Ms. Orrison’s commentary.
Newsreel: “The Ten Commandments” – Premiere in New York (2:24): A quick look at the star-studded premiere of the film in New York City
Trailers (12:40): A pre-release “Making Of” trailer hosted by Cecil B. DeMille and two re-release trailers.
DISC THREE
1923 film “The Ten Commandments”: Cecil B. DeMille’s original silent version of the story of Moses. The special effects here are pretty impressive as well. Comes with an optional commentary by Katherine Orrison.
Hand-Tinted Footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea Sequences (21:05): Before color if you wanted to make a film jump out you hand-colored each frame. Nice process for the times but really nothing to write home about visually. These clips came from DeMille’s personal print of the film.
Two-Color Technicolor Segment (8::44): A clip from the film using the first “Two-Color” Technicolor process.
Photo Gallery: Images from the 1923 version.
“The Ten Commandments:” Making Miracles (1;13:13): An amazing featurette that looks into all aspects of the making of the 1956 version including casting, costumes, special effects, locations and the restoration of the film.
Photo Gallery: A variety of images from the 1956 film displayed in the following categories: Storyboards and Concept Art, Costumes, Production, Moses, Press Kit, The Stars, Set Visitors, Premiere and Around the World.
