Ten Commandments The (1956)

Ten Commandments The (1956)

Cecil B. DeMille’s epic retelling of the biblical story of Moses was the producer-director’s last film. It features Charlton Heston Academy Award winning Special Effects by John Fulton (Wonder Man (1945)) and an all-star supporting cast that includes: Yul Brynner as Rameses Anne Baxter as Nefretiri Edward G. Robinson as Dathan Yvonne De Carlo as Sephora. Debra Paget at Lilia John Derek as Joshua Cedric Hardwicke as Sethi Nina Foch as Bithiah Martha Scott as Yochabel Judith Anderson as Memnet Vincent Price as Baka John Carradine as Aaron Douglass Dumbrille Henry Wilcoxon H. B. Warner Ian Keith Woody Strode and more. One of the highest grossing films ever (adjusted for inflation) this film that was nominated for Best Picture by the Academy also received Oscar nominations for its Color Art Direction-Set Decoration Cinematography by Loyal Griggs (Shane (1953)) Costume Design Editing by Anne Bauchens (North West Mounted Police (1940)) and Sound Recording (by Loren Ryder). Story credits were given to J.H. Ingraham A.E. Southon and Dorothy Clarke Wilson with a screenplay by Æneas MacKenzie Jesse Lasky Jr. Jack Gariss and Fredric Frank. On the 220 minute DVD version DeMille gives a prologue at the beginning and provides narration throughout the movie.

After hearing rumors about the birth of the deliverer who would free the Jews from their slavery by the Egyptians Pharaoh Sethi decrees that the first born sons of Israel must die. But Yochabel determined to save her son from certain death places her newborn in a basket and floats it on the Nile where her daughter Miriam sees that it is retrieved by Princess Bithiah of Egypt Sethi’s sister who having just lost a child claims the infant as her own. She names him Moses and the boy is raised as a Prince of Egypt and as a natural leader rivals Sethi’s own son Rameses to become the next Pharaoh. Moses is also favored by Nefretiri the beautiful princess that’s been promised by Sethi to whomever he chooses to succeed him. Unlike Rameses who exhibits a cruel streak Moses shows compassion for the oppressed even though he doesn’t yet know that he was born among them. After building a great city for Sethi with the Pharaoh’s master builder Baka Moses appears to be favored as the next in line until Bithiah’s servant Memnet reveals the truth which costs her her life at the hands of Nefretiri. When the Princess tells her love Moses he seeks out Bithiah and then Yochabel meets his brother Aaron and his sister Miriam (Olive Deering) before disappearing among the slaves to learn firsthand about their lot in life. When Baka decides to detain the beautiful Jewish water girl Lilia for his own carnal purposes her stonecutter boyfriend Joshua tries to save her but he in turn must be rescued by Moses who kills Baka. When Moses reveals to Joshua that he too is Jewish it is overheard by Dathan a Jew charged by the Egyptians to oversee (e.g. spy on) his own people and to identify the promised (for 400 years) Jewish deliverer if found. Dathan uses the knowledge to bargain with Rameses who grants him Lilia his freedom and a position of prominence for the information. Moses is forced to confess his crime in front of Sethi but Rameses decides not to make him a martyr for the heartbroken Nefretiri. Instead he spares Moses’ life gives him one day’s ration and at the outskirts of the city orders him to cross the desert. A restraining pole is given to him to be used as a staff. After surviving a long arduous journey Moses finally happens upon an oasis where he helps then meets seven sheepherder’s daughters and eventually becomes a shepherd working for their father marrying his eldest daughter Sephora. Years later when Moses and his wife have a son Sephora spots a man trapped on a hillside by their dogs. Moses discovers that it’s Joshua escaped from the copper mines where he’d been spared death by Dathan upon Lilia’s promise to stay with him. At Joshua’s urging Moses finally climbs Mount Sinai to meet his maker; he’s beckoned by a burning bush. God speaks to Moses and tells him to take up the fight free and lead His people out of Egypt. When the shepherd asks how He tells Moses that His power will be revealed through the staff. An older and wiser looking Moses descends Mt. Sinai to greet Joshua and Sephora (before the movie’s intermission).

With staff in hand Moses is received by Pharaoh (after Sethi’s death) Rameses; Queen Nefretiri is at his side. Speaking God’s word Moses tells Rameses to “Let my people go”; in other words free the Jewish slaves. But Rameses is not impressed so Moses has his brother Aaron lay down the staff which turns into a cobra. Rameses claims that it is merely a magician’s trick and has his high priests lay two of their staffs beside it. But after these also turn into cobras Moses’ cobra devours them. But Rameses is still unimpressed and remains so even after the staff is used to turn the Nile red with blood causing 7 days of hardship and Moses causes burning hail to fall from the sky and darkens the sun for 3 days. When Rameses mocks God by (like Sethi) condemning the first born of Israel to death Moses realizes that the Pharaoh’s words will actually kill all first born Egyptians. By nightfall death descends upon Egypt but passes over those (Jewish) houses whose doorways had been painted with lamb’s blood. Finally because his own son is dying Rameses summons Moses to tell him to take his people and go freeing the slaves and the great exodus from Egypt takes place. However Nefretiri goads Rameses into pursuing and killing them all. So Pharaoh and his men in chariots rush across the desert to find Moses and the others (trapped) along the banks of the Red Sea. Led by critic Dathan the people still doubt God’s power until Moses summons it with his staff causing a column of fire to stop the rush of Rameses’ troops and parts the Red Sea for their escape. Once they are safely ensconced on the other side the soldiers (save Rameses) hot on their tails Moses raises his staff once again to close the sea upon their pursuers killing them all. Pharaoh returns to Nefretiri but before he kills her with his sword she insists on seeing Moses’ blood on it first saving her life by confirming his utter and complete failure. Meanwhile at the foot of Mount Sinai the people are restless; they haven’t seen Moses in 40 days and some fear that he may even be dead. Dathan uses the moment to decry that Moses hasn’t led them to the promised land of ‘milk and honey’ and that they should make their own idol – a golden calf – to worship. Aaron is bullied into making one and an orgy begins ironically at around the same time that God finally appears to Moses as a tower of fire and speaks while flames carve ‘ten commandments’ into two stone tablets. Moses descends from the mountain to find Joshua waiting for him before he catches most of the others committing unspeakable acts in direct violation of God’s new "thou shalt not" laws for man. He proclaims them unworthy and after the crowd divides into groups loyal to Him vs. Dathan Moses casts the tablets at the golden calf which bursts into flames and sinks into a crevasse that also envelopes the non-believers. DeMille’s voice narrates that the people then had to roam the desert for 40 years until the entire generation of sinners was purged before they were allowed to cross the river Jordan into the Promised Land. Moses then handed his staff to Joshua to lead before he ascended towards the heavens.

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