Movie · 1956 · Drama, History · 3h 40m · G · English
Curator score: 7.4/10 (55.8K ratings)
The greatest event in motion picture history!
Overview
Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, Moses embarks on a personal quest to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.84/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
TMDB: 7.8/10
Director
Cecil B. DeMille
Production
Paramount Pictures, Motion Picture Associates
Cast
Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget, John Derek, Cedric Hardwicke, Nina Foch, Martha Scott, Judith Anderson, Vincent Price, John Carradine, Olive Deering, Douglass Dumbrille, Frank De Kova, Henry Wilcoxon, Eduard Franz, Donald Curtis, Lawrence Dobkin
Curator Review
Verdict
A monumental, old-school biblical epic that still delivers on scale, spectacle, and sheer cinematic command. It’s long and occasionally stiff, but the pageantry, production design, and iconic set pieces make it a landmark experience for viewers who enjoy grand historical filmmaking.
Best for
fans of classic Hollywood epics
viewers who enjoy biblical or religious stories
people interested in large-scale practical spectacle
fans of campy, overblown prestige cinema
movie lovers curious about mid-century blockbuster filmmaking
Skip if
you prefer lean, modern pacing
you dislike overtly religious or sermon-like dialogue
you want subtle character drama over pageantry
you’re impatient with long runtimes and intermission-era storytelling
Overview
The Ten Commandments is one of the defining spectacles of classical Hollywood: huge sets, enormous crowds, lavish costumes, and a confidence that turns every scene into an event. It’s not subtle, and it doesn’t try to be. The film’s pleasures come from scale, ceremony, and the sense that the studio is throwing everything it has at the screen.
Worth noting
What keeps it from feeling like a museum piece is the combination of melodrama and genuine visual invention. The parting of the Red Sea remains the signature moment, but the movie is full of striking images and a performance style that makes the whole thing feel larger than life. It can be stiff, preachy, and overlong, yet that excess is also part of its appeal.
Bottom line
If you’re open to old-fashioned epic filmmaking, this is essential viewing. If you want psychological realism or brisk storytelling, it will likely feel like a relic. But as a piece of cinematic monument-building, it still earns its reputation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
FilmApe (5★) · 706 likes
In the film, Chuck Heston is found passed out by a bunch of beautiful maidens, after almost dying in the desert. The maidens get all hot and bothered by finding him, and then they all want to marry him. I feel like if a bunch of maidens found me passed out after almost dying in the desert, they would just leave me to die. Such is life I guess.
On a more serious note, I have seen this flick on… more
Peter Cox (2.5★) · 508 likes
Pretty sure we weren't in quarantine when I started watching this.
Ben Hibburd (3.5★) · 418 likes
"The Ten Commandments" is a shining example of epic filmmaking on a grandiose scale. It's also an example of overstuffed self-indulgence. The film recites Moses' entire biblical life story, and in doing so, there are segments when the film is firing on all cylinders and other times where boredom creeps in.
From a pure filmmaking standpoint, this film is quite an achievement. It has magnificent sets, excellent performers, and great cinematography. However, despite all these great aspects, I can't get… more
Louis (4★) · 334 likes
Every movie should start with the director coming out on a stage and directly telling the audience what the film is about and how long the movie will be
threepenny (3★) · 273 likes
Horror movie starring Vincent Price and John Carradine about an invisible God that tortures and murders the Egyptians until they give him their slaves, at which point the God takes the slaves off into the desert on what should be an 11 day journey but turns into 40 years because he doesn't like the way they behave. An interesting prequel to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK that shows how this vengeful God sets up his face-melting trap for when people… more Horror movie starring Vincent Price and John Carradine about an invisible God that tortures and murders the Egyptians until they give him their slaves, at which point the God takes the slaves off into the desert on what should be an 11 day journey but turns into 40 years because he doesn't like the way they behave. An interesting prequel to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK that shows how this vengeful God sets up his face-melting trap for when people… more