Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #346 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-04-09
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 220 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Legendary silent film director Cecil B. DeMille didn't much alter the way he made movies after sound came in, and this 1956 biblical drama is proof of that. While graced with such 1950s niceties as VistaVision and Technicolor, The Ten Commandments (DeMille had already filmed an earlier version in 1923) has an anachronistic, impassioned style that finds lead actors Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner expressively posing while hundreds of extras writhe either in the presence of God's power or from orgiastic heat. DeMille, as always, plays both sides of the fence as far as sin goes, surrounding Heston's Moses with worshipful music and heavenly special effects while also making the sexy action around the cult of the Golden Calf look like fun. You have to see The Ten Commandments to understand its peculiar resonance as an old-new movie, complete with several still-impressive effects such as the parting of the Red Sea. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Special Features
1.78 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\German\Italian\Spanish
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Dolby Digital Mono French German Italian Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Mono
3 Theatrical Trailers
Croatian\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\French\German\Hungarian\Italian\Norwegian\Portuguese\Spanish\Swedish\Turkish

Synopsis
This spectacular biblical epic from legendary showman Cecil B. DeMille tells the story of Moses from his infancy to the triumphant moment when he led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. The film begins as the pharaoh's daughter (Yvonne De Carlo) discovers the abandoned infant Moses and takes him to the shelter of her family. Charlton Heston stars as the young man raised by the pharaoh as an Egyptian prince. Moses is righteous and kind, the favored successor to the kingdom, which results in the deep-seated jealousy of Prince Rameses (Yul Brynner). Rameses and Moses compete for the throne and the love of the young princess, Nefretiri (Anne Baxter), until Moses learns the truth about his origins and joins the Jewish slaves in their fight for freedom. After receiving the Ten Commandments from God, Moses helps free the Jews from the pharaoh's tyrannical rule, surmounting all obstacles in his way--including the parting of the Red Sea, in one of the movie's most famous scenes. Cecil B. DeMille's extravagant final film--and remake of his silent 1923 version--is a legendary combination of the master showman's love of historical realism, spectacle, lavish scenic design, and dizzying crowd sequences. The exodus alone is a stunning feat of modern cinema, featuring thousands of actors trekking through the arid desert as Pharaoh's chariots chase after them.

Customer Reviews

The Courting Couples On The Back Row Broke None Of Them
As a child I queued for 3 hours to get tickets for this film when it was released. It was the custom in those days to stay in the " pictures " for free repeat showings if the film was something special. However this film proved so popular that it was separate performances only and I could not afford to buy more tickets to see it over again.
The back row of the " picture houses " were the usual haunt for courting couples and I am sure that many a Commandment was broken by them and they never got to see the film or even remember the name of what was showing.

During the showing of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS I am absolutely positive that no Commandments were broken by any of the audience as it held our attention for the full 3 hours and 39 minutes.
This was 50 years ago and having just watched the DVD I can honestly say that for me it is still the best movie of its genre. The colour, sound and widescreen adds to the tremendous effects and enhances the close-ups. In the final orgy scene I was amused to see an extra hamming it up pretending to get his leg burned on the artificial fires smelting the gold. As an "EXTRA" myself I tend to look for that kind of thing but nothing else would prompt me to say anything negative about this great story. Todays' special computerized special effects cannot match the ones featured in this movie. I was reduced to tears during several scenes as I was as a child when I saw it for the first time. I got this DVD at a bargain price and the quality is SPARKLING. I think that this film should be released into cinemas again for todays' generation to see a masterpiece in true widescreen.

Hollywood at its epic height
This movie is the father of all epic movies. Overly long (3.5 hours), overly starstudded, overly sentimental and overly sanctimonious, but still one of the most wonderful products off the Hollywood conveyor belt. Including Cecil B. DeMille, who personally introduces the film standing before the cinema curtains (!) and some old trailers, that make you wonder what went wrong since the fifties. Don't miss it!

The Ten Commandments
What can be said that has not already been said over the years?
Truly stunning, a film from a time when values seem to mean more than they do today.
The special effects (the parting of the Red Sea, the Finger of God etc)are amazing for a film of pre- computer graphics.
I do believe that quality films of this nature do as much to keep alive the Scriptures as anything else in this modern age.