10 Reasons I Love The Ten Commandments (1956)

The Ten Commandments has become a fixture during the Easter holiday that it’s only a natural a backlash would eventually happen. Many film historians have made it their goal to put Cecil B. DeMille in his proper place by constantly bad mouthing the famous director every chance they get. One of the latest culprits is Michael Sauter, who in his book, The Worst Movies of All Time: Or, What Were They Thinking?, includes three DeMille movies(Sign of the Cross, The Greatest Show on Earth, The Ten Commandments)  on his list. Which makes me suspect that Sauter  hasn't seen too many movies! Sure, DeMille’s movies are corny and absolutely lacking in subtlety, but it’s a bit of stretch to claim that they are among the worst movies EVER MADE! No one will ever mistake Cecil B. DeMille for being a David Lean, or an Orson Welles, but there’s no denying that his films are immensely entertaining, and that he was an extremely influential director. In fact, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, DeMille was a huge star in his own right; he was one of the few directors that audiences instantly recognized. What I find appealing about DeMille is the lack of irony in his films; everything is done in a straightforward and sincere manner.  There is no sense that anyone involved with the film is sending it up, rather it’s done out of genuine love for the material. Sure, it often leads to some unintentional funny moments (the lesbian seduction scene in Sign of the Cross comes to mind), but it’s preferable to the nonstop winking in today's blockbusters. It is extremely irksome how modern day directors constantly pay service to the fan boys by referencing the source material, regardless as to whether or not it is relevant to the plot (see the Star Wars prequels). 

The Ten Commandments is a vastly flawed film, but it still remains one of my favorite movies. This is interesting given that I have fairly agnostic when it comes to the existence of God, but even I can’t resists the films many charms.  It’s nearly four hours long, but moves at an extremely swift pace. It’s one of the few “epics” where I’m not constantly checking my watch to see how much time has passed. I could write an elaborate and long winded review defending The Ten Commandments; instead I have opted to list ten reasons why I love the movie.

So, without further ado, here they are:

1) Charlton Heston as Moses. 

It's become rather trendy to blast Heston for his politics, however, for the sake of this article, I could careless that he was once the president of the NRA, rather I'm more interested his performance as Moses, and it is truly a memorable one at that.  It's really hard to imagine any other actor in the role, because Heston completely dominates the proceedings with his chiseled looks, towering presence, and booming voice; it's easy to believe that his Moses is, indeed, as messenger from God. 

2) Yul Brynner as Rameses.

Yul Brynner is a perfect foil for Charlton Heston with his eagle like stare, bald head, and ripped physique. He was only 5'8", but he was one of the most intimidating actors to grace the screen. His Rameses is an absolutely fearless, and stubborn, ruler, yet Brynner some how manages to brings an air of vulnerability (and sympathy) to the character that is often lacking in  DeMille villains; the most telling scene is  Rameses praying at the altar of his Egyptian God after the death of his son. 

3) Anne Baxter as Nefretiri.

Baxter has often been criticized for camping it up in the role of Egyptian princess Nefretiri, I personally like her performance and think her over top portrayal is perfect for this movie. In The Ten Commandments, almost everything is larger than life, and if Baxter were to have given a more restrained performance, she would have been lost in the shuffle. It's just not that type of film. I also find it interesting how Nefretiri does a complete 180 as the film progresses; at the beginning she is a rather warm and loving person, but by the movie's end she has been transformed into an icy villainess (as a result of having been scorned by Moses and losing her soon to a plague). Baxter is absolutely chilling in these latter scenes, especially when she taunts Rameses for being weak willed and manipulating him into going after Moses and the Hebrews. 

4) Vincent Price as Baka. 

Vincent Price rules!!! That's really all I have to say about that! Okay, fine, I shall elaborate. Price is an absolutely blast to watch as the slimy overseer Baka, who has his eyes sets on the comely water girl Lilia (Debra Paget). He does a lot of leering and a lot of sneering in his performance and then comes to an untimely end at the hands of Moses; it's not the kind of acting that will give you rave reviews, but it's certainly a lot of fun to watch. Plus, Price is certainly far more livelier than the ultra stiff, John Derek, who plays Lilia's love interest (and Moses right hand man) Joshua. It should be noted that Price and Paget would later be reunited in two Roger Corman movies, Tales of Terror and The Haunted Palace, where they played a married couple.  Take that, Derek.

5) Cedric Hardwicke as Sethi. 

Hardwicke might actually give the most impressive performance in the entire film; he manages to take the rather thankless role of Sethi (Rameses father and Moses' adopted father) and breathe life into it; he brings a lot of warmth to the role, and surprisingly, humor as well. The most heart breaking scene in the entire movie is when Moses is brought before Sethi in chains (after having killed Baka) and he must, reluctantly, punish Moses for his crimes. Yet, he can't bring himself to name a punishment and leaves it to Rameses.  Sethi could have easily been a cold hearted tyrant, yet he is a rather likable character thanks to Hardwicke. 

6) The plagues of Egypt.

When I was a kid, this was also the part of the movie that I looked forward to, because this is when all the neat special effects start to kick in;  from turning the Nile into blood to the Angel of Death (in the form of a green fog) slowly creeping upon the city of Egypt, it makes for some extremely compelling (and often eerie) cinema. Sure, some of the special effects have shown their age, but they are still rather effective in conveying the point DeMille was trying to make. My favorite bit is when Moses picks up a snake and it transforms into a wooden staff. It is a very simple special effect, done with a dissolve, but extremely convincing as well.

7) The Exodus.

The spectacle that is put on display is completely awe inspiring. It's also interesting to note all the mini story lines that are going on in this scene; a woman giving birth, a donkey that refuses to budge, Bithiah (Moses' adopted mother) promising a dying old man that she will plant his fig tree in the new land. Even in all this pageantry, DeMille was able to include the human element. These bits don't have much impact on the main narrative, but they help make it a much more involving experience.

8) The Parting of the Red Sea.

When I first saw this scene when I was six, my jaw completely dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe my eyes. How did they do this special effect? I can only imagine the impact it must have had on audiences in the 1950s, viewing it on the big screen. It is one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. 

9)  The Writing of the Ten Commandments.

This moment is rather fun to watch, despite the rather chintzy effects on display; God appears as a pillar of fire (done with animation) and proceeds to etch out the Ten Commandments on a nearby stone, while Moses is completely awe stuck by the experience.This is juxtapose with the Hebrews wallowing in one huge orgy, after having lost faith in Moses (he has been on the mountain top of Mt. Sinai for forty days).  The lecherous traitor Dathan (Edward G. Robinson) has convinced them to make and  worship a Golden Idol (a calf), under the ruse that the Egyptians would welcome them back with open arms once they saw the gold calf. Naturally, all hell breaks loose once Moses returns and sees just how far his people have fallen. It's over the top to be sure, but all the better for it. Who wants to watching a religious epic where people calmly talk out their problems?  

10) Cecil B. DeMille's direction.

It needs to be said that DeMille's direction is absolutely first rate. I know the very idea of DeMille being a competent director is blasphemy in many film circles, but I stand by my point. DeMille keeps things going at rather brisk pace and allows manages to keep the audience's attention. He also able to create great tension in many scenes simply by showing a character's face, or their body language. In the beginning of the film, Rameses I (Ian Keith) is told about the prophecy of the deliver and orders the execution of every newborn in the slave quarters, this is then followed by the shot of a mother in a complete shock after having just witnessed the murder of her child. This is an extremely effective, and understated, piece of direction; we don't see the murder itself, just the after effect. The camera lingers on the grieving mother's face and that's all we need to know. The other moment is when the Angel of Death descends upon Egypt; what really stands out in this scene is DeMille's use of sound. Moses and company are having dinner indoors, but their meal is constantly interrupted by the sound of chaos emanating from the streets; we hears screams and, at one point, the sound of a chariot crashing. It's an extremely unnerving sequence and it's done without a single special effect. That mark of a good director. 

 Credits

Cast: Charlton Heston (Moses), Yul Brynner (Rameses), Anne Baxter (Nefretiri), Edward G. Robinson (Dathan), Yvonne De Carlo (Sephora), John Derek (Joshua), Debra Paget (Lilia), Nina Foch (Bithiah), Cedric Hardwicke (Sethi), Martha Scott (Yochabel), Vincent Price (Baka), John Carradine (Aaron), Olive Deering (Miriam), Henry Wilcoxon (Pentaur), Judith Anderson (Memnet), Eduard Franz (Jethro), Douglas Dumbrille (Jannes), Julia Faye (Elisheba), Donald Curtis (Mered), Lawrence Dobkin (Hur Ben Caleb), Frank DeKova (Abiram), H.B. Warner (Amminadab), Ian Keith (Rameses I), Woody Strode (King of Ethiopia), Eugene Mazzola (Rameses’ Son), Francis McDonald (Simon),Ramsay Hill (Korah), Joan Woodbury (Korah’s Wife), Henry Brandon (Commander of the Hosts), Babette Bain (Littlie Miriam),  Esther Brown (Princess Tharbis), Fraser Heston (The Infant Moses), John Miljan (The Blind One), Mike Connors (Amalekite Herder), Onslow Stevens (Lugal), Clint Walker (Sardinian Captain), Peter Coe (Egyptian Soldier).  Narrated by Cecil B. DeMille.

Director: Cecil B.DeMille
Screenplay: Æneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Fredric M. Frank.
Running Time:  220 min.