#296. The Ten Commandments (1956)

Have I Seen It Before?: No


Thoughts Before Viewing:  This has never been a film I’ve had any interest in seeing.  Historical epics generally have zero appeal to me.  And it’s four hours long…oh boy.  Well I’m feeling awfully committed to this project right now so might as well get a dauntingly long one out of the way.  Well here goes nothing...

Running Time: 220 minutes
Directed By: Cecil B. DeMille
Written By: Jesse L. Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Fredric M. Frank, Aeneas MacKenzie
Primary Cast: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Braxton


Summary:  A biblical epic based on the Book of Exodus in which Moses, the Egyptian Prince, learns of his Hebrew heritage and is driven to be the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.




My Thoughts: Well, as predicted, I wasn't a huge fan of it.  I've always had a problem getting into these kind of four hour epics.  I appreciated the old fashioned grand scale and aspects such as the costume design but it ultimately left me feeling more drained than anything else.  Don't get me wrong, the story itself is fascinating.  I just felt that its presentation was incredibly stiff, bloated and the acting was absurdly hammy.  The film felt focused purely on being as epic as possible instead of having any natural characterization.  I don't think it stands the test of time.



Do I Believe That It Belongs In The Book?: Yes.  Despite my thoughts, it does have an undeniable mark on historical epics.



My Rating: 4/10