The DVD Dissection: The Ten Commandments (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Posted by Chad Webb on 06.11.2011
This isn't the gargantuan Blu-Ray 6-disc set, but the fourth-dip of this famous epic has been improved for its 55th anniversary. Click to see if this two-disc standard version is worth your money...
Charlton Heston: Moses/God (voice)
Yul Brynner: Rameses
Anne Baxter: Nefretiri
Edward G. Robinson: Dathan
Yvonne De Carlo: Sephora
Debra Paget: Lilia
John Derek: Joshua
Cedric Hardwicke: Sethi
Nina Foch: Bithiah
Martha Scott: Yochabel
Judith Anderson: Memnet
Vincent Price: Baka
John Carradine: Aaron
Directed By: Cecil B. DeMille
Written By: Aeneas McKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr,, Jack Gariss, and Fredric M. Frank
Theatrical Release Date: October 5, 1956
DVD Release Date: March 29, 2011
Running Time: 231 minutes
Rated G
The Film
In many respects, Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments is still the benchmark of comparison for any sort of Hollywood epic. Moviegoers don't receive many of those “classic” big budget extravaganzas these days, but there is still a special place for them in our hearts. Because of its scope and spectacle, colossal productions like this are remembered fondly as the decades pass, even if they become a bit cheesy in areas such as acting and special effects. Of course it doesn't hurt that The Ten Commandments has been re-released numerous times on DVD and now on Blu-Ray in a mammoth set. While far from a perfect film, it is difficult not to enjoy this historical experience in some capacity because it is the definition of a visual treat, and let us not forget it houses a towering performance by Charlton Heston. I doubt many would cite this as one of their favorite films, but at just under four hours, it is never dull. That is probably the highest compliment one can afford for an epic, especially more than half a century later.
DeMille was remaking his own film. In 1923, he directed a silent version of The Ten Commandments, which clocked in at 136 minutes, extremely long for that type of film. It is a fascinating effort, but when he went back to the well over 30 years later, he blew that production out of the Red Sea. This was also his last directorial offering, and I can scarcely think of better example of going out with a bang. I remember first seeking out The Ten Commandments years ago because it was one of those renowned titles every film buff needs to see. I was impressed by the grandeur, the vast canvas, and exciting effects, but less so by the story and certain performances. Upon a second viewing, I have built a heightened fondness for The Ten Commandments.
The story basically chronicles the life of Moses (Charlton Heston), born as a Hebrew slave, but when the Pharoah Seti (Cedric Hardwicke) hears of a deliverer being born, he orders every Hebrew firstborn male to be slain. The mother of Moses (Martha Scott), who has not yet named him, sends him adrift on the Nile to escape. He is picked up by Set's sister Bithiah (Nina Foch) and named Moses. He grows up to be the Prince of Egypt, a man who has conquered a city and has the love of Princess Nefretiri (Anne Baxter). All signs point to him becoming the heir to the throne, but he does have competition in the form of Rameses (Yul Brynner). The Pharoah appoints Rameses to construct a treasure city for him, but he cannot finish it, so Moses is given the task. His progress is immediate, and despite Rameses' accusations that Moses is leading an insurrection, the Pharoah gets proof to the contrary. Everything changes when Memnet (Judith Anderson), the servant who was present when Bithiah found Moses on the Nile, informs Nefretiri that he is Hebrew. Moses then learns of his heritage, and after an incident occurs where he murders Baka (Vincent Price), the master builder in charge of the slaves, Rameses banishes him from Egypt. It is on this jounrey through the desert that Moses encounters two important loves of his life: a Bedouin named Sephora (Yvonne DeCarlo) and God. This prompts him to make a return to Egypt and free the Hebrew people from Rameses tyrannical rule.
Charlton Heston's performance of Moses is almost larger than life. He was chosen because he resembles Michelangelo's statue of Moses. It's hard to imagine anyone surpassing his turn here. It is big, bold, and just a little bit lame, but he controls every scene, and I attribute the positive aging of the film to his endlessly entertaining line delivery just as much as the special effects. He stomps into every room with a purpose, looming over his nemesis Rameses like the imposing giant he is. When Heston leads the mass of people away from Egypt, or opens his arms in front of the Red Sea as Rameses' army is trapped behind a pillar of fire, it is the signal of an important moment. It is slightly annoying at how quickly the Hebrew folks want to "stone" Moses from time to time even though he demonstrates his ability to posses God's will via inexplicable plagues and sea dividing. Apparently they want instant results. One can carp about the theatricality of Heston's portrayal in any film, but more often than not he understands the crucial factors his characters. For Moses, it is convincing the audience that he is a leader of men, the disciple of God that steadfastly follows through with his bidding. Heston is a legend because the passion he brings literally oozes from his pores. He has committed to this role, and that will never wane.
It terms of maintaining a powerful presence, Yul Brynner is only eclipsed by Heston, which is still magnificent. His approach to Rameses is deliberate, conniving, and superlatively icy. Brynner, who is more at home in westerns, really begins to convey his talent in the second half of the picture, silently expressing the torment after his son's death and the failed attack on Moses after he and the Hebrew people leave Egypt, resulting in the death of many of his troops. Brynner does take some time to get comfy though, and is undeniably shaky in the first half. Anne Baxter's Nefretiri is the major flaw in my opinion. Some have argued that she is saddled with the silliest portions of dialogue, but I disagree. Everyone has goofy lines here. What hurts Baxter is her over the top, old-fashioned Hollywood antics. She whips her head to the sky and recites the lines like they're all clichés. I was indifferent to All About Eve because of these exaggerated gyrations too. Maybe she takes her dedication too far, but other actresses of this period are cognizant of when to pull back, whereas she continues to amp it up no matter how ridiculous she seems.
The Ten Commandments has dozens of worthwhile supporting cast members, and I could not touch on all of them, but I will try to cover the key contributors. Yvonne DeCarlo as Sephora, Debra Paget as Lilia, and Nina Foch as Bithiah are all significantly more fulfilling than Baxter for the female side. Judith Anderson tops them all as Memnet however, the cold servant who spills the beans on Moses' true family. She's brilliant. Check her out in Rebecca, The Furies, Laura, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and more. John Derek is adequate as Joshua, but his acting comes across as mimicry to Heston or even Errol Flynn, so he fades into the background on occasion. Edward G. Robinson sticks out as Dathan, and underplays his character more than anyone else in the cast, but remains quite piercing and ruthless nevertheless. Elsewhere you have Vincent Price, John Carradine, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke all handing in fabulous turns. The studios had predominantly ended their contract player system with actors at this point, so many people were able to join this production. I would also like to be among the few to give credit to the 14,000 extras and 15,000 animals. Fidel Castro is rumored to be one of them.
After the Overture, which is a bonus I miss in cinema these days, Cecil B. DeMille himself strolls out and introduces this massive motion picture, explaining that when the Bible did not supply sufficient information, they sought out other sources. His every utterance is to reaffirm how "monumental" and "noteworthy" The Ten Commandments will be to viewers. He even unloads the running time, which would be a fatal error nowadays, but DeMille is proud of this, and that's admirable. He also narrates the film, adding a storybook quality that is welcomed more than it is a distraction. He lays all the cards on the table right away, so everyone watching can then concentrate solely on what they see on the screen. And with the announcement text, THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, the journey into the past commences.
Looking back at epics like DeMille's Ten Commandments or Griffith's Intolerance, anyone who doesn't applaud their utilitarian consistentcy and devotion to excellence must be pretty bitter. Take the orgy sequence for example, which took 3 weeks to film. The gorgeous set designs, inventive and practical special effects, lush costumes, and the music from Elmer Bernstein, which is simultaneously majestic and elegant, are all stunning and stirring. To an extent, the effects are feeble and dated when compared to the intricate CGI work today, but there is still merit to the diligence of epics such as The Ten Commandments and what they represented to the moviegoing public. They went above and beyond the call of duty because they had to. This was Cecil B. DeMille at the helm. He would accept nothing less.
The Video
The Blu-Ray package is the one you'll want if the best possible picture in High-Definition is what you're aiming for, but after three different editions of this film, the newest standard version has been cleaned up wonderfully. Paramount restored the print in 2010 and the quality shows. This is as exquisite a transfer as one could hope for. The colors are extremely vivid and showy, which makes watching this pretty splendid. The bright costumes and art direction are terrific and the color bleeding has been cut down enormously compared to previous DVD releases. The print was not flawless in the past, but the nicks and scratches are harder to spot here, which is very satisfying for picture nuts. It is presented in its original VistaVision aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and the Technicolor images have been remastered beautifully. Kudos to everyone who worked so hard on this 55th anniversary undertaking.
The Audio
The audio is outstanding as well, at least in terms of standard releases. Elmer Bernstein's magnificent, sweeping, and rousing score is given the royal treatment. It is given the polish it needed to come across better through speakers. The sound effects are crisp and detailed. Take the whips on the back of Jewish slaves or the loud cheers for Moses when he returns from conquering a city at the beginning. The rushing waves are booming and dynamic when Moses parts the Red Sea. I could go on. This film is saturated with unforgettable sounds. All the actors and dialogue is completely lucid and understandable, and my volume knob rested at a comfortable position. Any coarse facets of previous audio transfers has been eliminated due to the noise reduction, but everything is more at ease and up to par. This DVD includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English track, a Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround track in English, a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track in English, and a Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono track in French. You also have subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The Packaging
The Ten Commandments (Two-Disc Special Edition) is distributed in a standard black keep case that houses the aforementioned two discs with a swinging tray. There are no booklets. The menu features images and music from the film and is easy to navigate.
The Extras
Audio Commentary - This features a track with Katherine Orrison, author of the book Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille's Epic, The Ten Commandments. In her book she interviewed some of the original filmmakers and goes off of that. She has allocated a lot of time to The Ten Commandments, and it is evident. I'm told does commentary on the box set for the 1923 version. One might scoff at listening to a commentary for a film that is almost four hours, but she is competent and absorbing speaker, so this is not just a monotone speech that simply covers ordinary commentary topics. It is worth checking out.
Newsreel:The Ten Commandments Premiere in New York (2:24) - This is a short vintage piece showing the stars arriving on the red carpet for the premiere. I'm not sure this was a bonus that needed to be included on this two-disc set, but oh well.
Trailers (10:01) - This section is comprised of three items: the 1956 "Making of" Trailer with Cecil B. DeMille discussing the sources used for the film and restating some things we heard in the movie intro. It's fairly interesting and you can tell he has a passion for it all. The other items are a 1956 trailer and a 1989 trailer from the re-releases. As a side bit of trivia, when adjusted for inflation, the box office gross for The Ten Commandments would place it #5 on the all-time list with $1,029,660,000. This was Pretty standard bonus material for DVDs. For the good stuff you have to fork over the extra dough.
The Film: 8.0/10.0
The Video: 9.0/10.0
The Audio: 9.0/10.0
The Packaging: 8.0/10.0
The extras: 6.0/10.0
The 411: When reviewing enormous and long epics like The Ten Commandments, I try to avoid making my article feel as long as the film. One could rattle on for hours about the performances, behind-the-scenes trivia, and more, but most people's analysis of the film breaks down the same way. Cecil B. DeMille's final outing as a filmmaker was and still is an impressive feat, one of grand splendor and ambitious reach. The performances are not uniformly solid, but the center one certainly is. Charlton Heston is known for commanding the screen in humongous Hollywood melodramas like this. Yet when taking all of the film's strengths into account, its hammy and histrionic qualities are impossible to totally ignore. It is not a masterpiece, and even though Kieslowski's The Decalogue is still the definitive "ten commandments" experience, DeMille's picture has never lost that "needs to be seen" aura. This DVD is not overly special in any way compared to previous editions except for the technical specifications. The audio/video has been improved greatly here. This does not have a bunch of extras, but if you don't want to spend money on the Blu-Ray and don't have another DVD release of this, this could be the answer for you. It has a few bonus features, including a commentary, not to mention the movie itself for a lower price than the others. I'm glad to own it. It's a good movie for any collection.
