- Actors: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo
- Directors: Cecil B. DeMille
- Writers: A.E. Southon, Dorothy Clarke Wilson, Fredric M. Frank, J.H. Ingraham, Jack Gariss
- Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Import
- Language: English, French
- Subtitles: English
- Region: (US and Canada This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Number of discs: 2
- MPAA Rating:
- Studio: Paramount
- Release Date: Mar 9 2004
- Run Time: 220 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (182 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00015HX90
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From Amazon.com
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 Essential Video
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
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Ten Commandments (blu ray)...Paramount's restoration is as miraculous as parting of the Red Sea
April 10 2011
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Video: The restoration by Paramount was a monumental task. Because of the length of the film, a truck was used just to transport all the reels of films. Ron Smith of Paramount was able to view the film using its only one remaining VistaVision projector to determine the original colour and density. Some of their difficulties included restoring the yellow colour that had faded out over the years. The final product (1080p 1.78:1 transfer) was simply amazing. Fine detail was simply unbelievable. Textures were immaculate. You could see individual stitches in Moses' mother's Hebrew robe. You could see each one of the tiny golden squares that make up Pharaoh's elaborate chest pieces. Colors were bright and bold. The ornate Egyptian costumes burst off the screen with rich gold, deep blue, and crimson red. Skin tones were always natural. Thank you to Paramount for putting this lengthy film on two BD-50 discs, reducing compression to the minimum. (4.5/5)
Audio: The DTS HD MA-5.1 was a tremendous improvement over earlier standard edition. Music and effects combined to create a bombastic, enveloping viewing experience. Elmer Bernstein's score was brassy and bold, and the movie's sound effects - lots of swirling wind and thunderclaps - were quite forceful. (4/5)
Paramount's famous outdoor water tank was constructed for 'The Ten Commandments' to create the parting of the Red Sea, which garnered the film its only Academy Award (for visual effects). The sparking granite tablets in the film were created using gun power. The water on both sides as well has the crashing wave approaching from the back were all filmed separately in the tank. The sea bed was two back-to-back sound stages at Paramount and RKO. And the sky was separate as well.
Did you know that after DeMille's on-set heart attack (which he had while climbing up to the top of those giant gates), he didn't tell the crew, cast, or studio, fearing a shutdown of the production. Instead, he said he had dysentery. His doctors warned finishing the movie could kill him, but he refused to stop. DeMille's wife went on to direct some of the film's scenes so her husband could stay still.
The video reproduction is simply astounding. The audio is well done and adds new life to the movie. Paramount has done an astonishing job in restoring this epic movie. Highly recommended.
Audio: The DTS HD MA-5.1 was a tremendous improvement over earlier standard edition. Music and effects combined to create a bombastic, enveloping viewing experience. Elmer Bernstein's score was brassy and bold, and the movie's sound effects - lots of swirling wind and thunderclaps - were quite forceful. (4/5)
Paramount's famous outdoor water tank was constructed for 'The Ten Commandments' to create the parting of the Red Sea, which garnered the film its only Academy Award (for visual effects). The sparking granite tablets in the film were created using gun power. The water on both sides as well has the crashing wave approaching from the back were all filmed separately in the tank. The sea bed was two back-to-back sound stages at Paramount and RKO. And the sky was separate as well.
Did you know that after DeMille's on-set heart attack (which he had while climbing up to the top of those giant gates), he didn't tell the crew, cast, or studio, fearing a shutdown of the production. Instead, he said he had dysentery. His doctors warned finishing the movie could kill him, but he refused to stop. DeMille's wife went on to direct some of the film's scenes so her husband could stay still.
The video reproduction is simply astounding. The audio is well done and adds new life to the movie. Paramount has done an astonishing job in restoring this epic movie. Highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Great Film STILL Short Changed
May 17 2004
Format:DVD
I wonder why this edition wasn't held for the C.B. DeMille bio that Turner just produced. Instead we get a lot of anecdotes from Orrison, whom made an inaccurate statement that Brenner and Heston were about the same age. This is wrong, Brenner was in fact 9 years older than Heston. Also, her commentary really spotlighted an actor named Clint Walker who was just an extra. This was a definite who cares moment, like many within her commentary.
C.B. DeMille was the star along with Heston, Brenner and Baxter. There should have been more attention given to the 'stars'.
Why was I surprised that the packaging was 'downgraded'. You actually have to remove 'the first' disc to get to the second disc and no chapter card insert. It takes too much time to sum up this mess. Lets just hope that Warners will get the next edition right. This one needs work - except for the transfer that is which was fine the first time around without the ho hum 'extras'.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2-Disc Special Collector's Edition
April 14 2004
Format:DVD
I have always loved this movie since I was a child. I already own the VHS version of this movie but wanted it on DVD and since they came out with a Special Collector's Edition (2-disc), I decided to preorder the DVD. I think the transfer of the movie is very good, though it is showing its age now in places. The movie still looks beautiful and the sound is good for its age too. My only complaint is that the 2-disc DVD set is in a thick DVD plastic box and you would think it contained a thick pamphlet or insert. Don't get me wrong, I prefer plastic over the cheap cardboard DVD boxes being put out now on a lot of old classics, but it doesn't even contain a paper insert even though there are 2 clips for the insert. I'm not sure if this was a mistake or if this DVD set doesn't come with any inserts. Was the insert missing? Am I the only person that received this DVD set without an insert or did everybody get the same thing? Otherwise, I highly recommend this DVD set for anybody that loves old Hollywood epics. I'm never bored by this movie.
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Most recent customer reviews
Fantastic!
I have a blueray player but when I tried to play this dvd it wouldn't play. I then read the small print on the back of the disc jacket and it mentioned that some dvd players would... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Joker
A SUPERIOR RESTORATION
I COULDNT BELIEVE THIS SHOW WAS MADE IN THE 1950S. THE COLOR IS STUNNING AND THE SOUND CONSIDERING ITS AGE IS REMARKABLE OF COURSE THE VETERAN ACTORS ARE GREAT WELL WORTH THE... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Richard B. Barnaby
Simply Awesome movie
I was amazed to see the Blu-ray version of this movie which is simply unbelievable, BOTH SOUND AND PICTURE QUALITY, STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT
Published 13 months ago by A. H. Tehrani
Blu-Ray version
First, let me say that the restoration of this movie for Blu-Ray is remarkable. The colors are very deep and rich and the picture quite sharp. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Terry Babineau
good, but no masterpiece
while i will say this movie is good,i wouldn't say it is great.for one
thing it is way too long. Read more
thing it is way too long. Read more
Published on Dec 15 2007 by falcon
The definitive Ten Commandments.
An interesting title as the Commandment part is a tad closer to the end of the movie. Cecil B. DeMille takes a few liberties with history; however if he did not then this would... Read more
Published on Dec 24 2006 by bernie
Good but not great edition of a classic
I already had "The Ten Commandments" on DVD, but with almost no extras and no commentary, it wasn't all that satisfying. Read more
Published on Jun 17 2004 by Matt Deatherage
An enduring film classic
Cecil B. DeMille's wonderful epic is a film for the ages. The entire cast is excellent, beginning with Charlton Heston's devoted and obedient Moses who lives only to serve the Lord... Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004
A Great Epic Cinematization
Okay. So the movie The Ten Commandments is not Biblically accurate. But being the cinema purist that I am, it is my opinion that this movie is a gem from the golden age of the epic... Read more
Published on May 16 2004 by Manny Fernandez
A very very very long and quite inaccurate "Bible" epic
We are currently reading about Moses in our Bible Story Book here at home, and my oldest daughter and I keep smiling because whenever we read this story, and it speaks of Moses and... Read more
Published on May 6 2004 by Susan Trexel
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