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The Ten Commandments (1956)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
5 October 1956 (USA) moreTagline:
The Greatest Event in Motion Picture History morePlot:
The Egyptian Prince, Moses, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(21 articles)
What Films Did TCM 'Forget' On Its 15 Most Influential List? (From Rope Of Silicon. 15 April 2009, 2:41 AM, PDT)
Moses Rules On Saturday
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 13 April 2009, 2:34 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
So big it's in danger of falling over, but it doesn't moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Charlton Heston | ... | Moses | |
| Yul Brynner | ... | Rameses | |
| Anne Baxter | ... | Nefretiri | |
| Edward G. Robinson | ... | Dathan | |
| Yvonne De Carlo | ... | Sephora | |
| Debra Paget | ... | Lilia | |
| John Derek | ... | Joshua | |
| Cedric Hardwicke | ... | Sethi (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke) | |
| Nina Foch | ... | Bithiah | |
| Martha Scott | ... | Yochabel | |
| Judith Anderson | ... | Memnet | |
| Vincent Price | ... | Baka | |
| John Carradine | ... | Aaron | |
| Olive Deering | ... | Miriam | |
| Douglass Dumbrille | ... | Jannes |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
220 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Dolby Digital (1998 re-release) | Dolby (1989 re-release) | Mono (35 mm prints)Certification:
Iceland:16 | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | USA:Approved (Certificate #18021) (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:G (1972) | West Germany:16 | Canada:PG | Spain:TFun Stuff
Trivia:
Two of the credited original novelists, the Rev J.H. Ingraham and the Rev. A.E. Southon, were not really reverends. This was just a publicity stunt to add credibility to the script. moreGoofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Moses is building the city, and calls for a blue signal, the guard waves a blue flag in front of the backdrop, and the flag is filtered out and becomes transparent, alluding to the fact that there is in fact a blue-screened backdrop and not an actual city behind them. moreFAQ
How does it end?more
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| The Prince of Egypt | Ben-Hur | Solomon and Sheba | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Moses |
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I'm always willing to watch this, and I always enjoy it. Rather than admit that there is something wrong with my taste, then, I've come to the conclusion that it's actually rather good. It clearly has class, and spectacle. Perhaps it has other virtues as well.
Say what you will about De Mille's stagy style: it fits the Old Testament. Whereas "The Prince of Egypt" went soft and new-agey when it came to the crunch, De Mille never lets us forget the harsh world events are taking place in. With a powerful and capricious god glaring at everyone all the time, it's not surprising that people - even pagans - take to talking in speeches. (The speeches are in an attractive, flowery style that isn't biblical but has the same aesthetic standards as some biblical writing.) And the god really has some Old Testament flavour. Everyone is terrified of him, and for perfectly rational reasons would rather pretend that he doesn't exist. This gets tiresome after a while. You'd think that after watching the Red Sea part everyone would have been willing to admit that Moses courted SOME kind of supernatural influence. On the other hand, you'd be a mug to trust this influence too far.
Possibly the best thing about the movie is the way it manages to divide our sympathies without weakening them. Yes, we're on the side of the Israelites. But it's also hard not to be on the side of the Egyptians. The old Pharaoh is probably the most likeable character on display and the young Pharaoh, while he has his flaws, is a nice enough fellow done in by unfortunate circumstances. Moses gains our empathy early and keeps it even when his beard has turned to marble. Only the minor characters are villains - and they're fun, too.
Of course, I say all this knowing full well that the entire film is, at the same time, completely ridiculous. Well, what can I say. It's yet another instance of a general law. Simple sincerity can sometimes spin straw into gold.