The Ten Commandments (DVD)

...Biblical tale was directed by the legendary silent film director Cecil .B . Demille .Cecil who was 75 years old when he made this film apparently ,suffered a heart attack during the making of the film, and there was fear of the film being shelved. But a determined Cecil got back within a month to resume the shooting and complete it as per schedule.

There have been many criticisms against the film and his direction, with critics calling ...
...several still-impressive effects such as the parting of the Red Sea. It is a movie that abounds in spectacle and remains one of my most favorite films ever.

== The Story ==

It is a rather well known story. It is the story of Moses, an Egyptian prince leading his true people, the Hebrews, into freedom from four centuries of slavery and bondage.
He is brought up by the Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. He is brought up in ... more

This Great Biblical tale was directed by the legendary silent film director Cecil .B . Demille .Cecil who was 75 years old when he made this film apparently ,suffered a heart attack during the making of the film, and there was fear of the film being shelved. But a determined Cecil got back within a month to resume the shooting and complete it as per schedule.

There have been many criticisms against the film and his direction, with critics calling his style Anachronistic, But the film remains one of the most well known and popular films made in Hollywood. It brought a lot of fame and recognition to its actors Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner.

It is a magnificent movie in every way , complete with several still-impressive effects such as the parting of the Red Sea. It is a movie that abounds in spectacle and remains one of my most favorite films ever.

== The Story ==

It is a rather well known story. It is the story of Moses, an Egyptian prince leading his true people, the Hebrews, into freedom from four centuries of slavery and bondage.
He is brought up by the Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah. He is brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses grows up and becomes Seti's favorite nephew , he also gains the love of the throne princess Nefertiri. Understandably ,he is hated by Seti's son, Rameses, who is himself eyeing the throne and Nefertiri. Ramses is trying his level best to discredit Moses in the eyes of Seti. He is looking for every opportunity possible to discredit Moses in the eyes of his father and the egyptians who dote on him..

When Moses's Hebrew heritage is revealed he is banished out of Egypt. He is commanded by the Lord to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews from slavery...

My views on this film

Let me tell you right at the beginning that being a great fan of Yul Brynner, I am going to be partial in my comments about him. Clearly he steals the show here as Ramses. Inherently jealous of Moses , trying to discredit him, which he succeeds in , to a great extent .

No wonder Yul Brynner is known as the the best looking man in Hollywood. He definitely is that and much more in this movie. His performance is something to be watched . He is impressive in every single frame, even when he is being utterly bad . I loved the way he looks straight at Moses with that sneering smile, and comes out with one of his predictions that is sure to create trouble for Moses. One cannot imagine any other actor doing justice to the role of Ramses other than Yul Brynner. He is perfect in every respect ...I personally consider this one of the most powerful performances ever for an actor.

Charlton Heston has perfected his role in historical films, having acted in quite a few earlier films on the same subject . He is good and very impressive in his role as Moses, but. as I said earlier, whenever there is a confrontation scene between him and Yul Brynner, he looses out . And, there are many such scenes in the film, where Yul Brynner scores over him each time. At the same time one cannot think of any other actor playing the role of Moses , because Heston looks perfect in the role with his commanding yet humble presence.

Anne Baxter in the role of Nefertiri looks ravishing .She is an excellent actress. I am told that Audrey Hepburn was the first choice for this role, but the director felt that she was too skinny , as this role needed some one seductive and voluptuous, and the role went to Anne Baxter. She looks all of that, teasing Moses and Ramses in turns, but loving Moses all the time. I liked her best in the scene where she realises that she is going to loose Moses and she is unable to control her anguish and emotions , and, goes to plead with Moses...

The scenes in this film are spellbinding, be it the parting of the Red sea or the deliverance of the Ten Commandments or the Pyramids being built.. Definitely very very spectacular.
This movie is a favorite with the children and adults alike .By now I must have watched this film a dozen number of times at least. The same with my children. It is a true ageless Classic.
I wholeheartedly recommend this film as a must watch Classic

Details of the film

Director: Cecil B DeMille
Actors:Charlton Heston, Yul Bryner, Anne Baxter, Yvonne de Carlo, Debra paget, John Derek , Judith Anderson and others
Release date: October 1956
 

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