The Ten Commandments (1956)

VHS CASE/SIDE

Length of film: 220 Minutes

Rating: G

Genre: Adventure, Drama

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo

IMDB Rank: 7.9/10

Part 1 Time: 135 Minutes       

Part 2 Time:  85 Minutes

****In the VHS format, tape one ends 10 minutes prior to the films official intermission. Part one’s runtime is based on the official intermission of the film

Where does the first part end? Moses (Charlton Heston) speaks with Sephora (Yvonne De Carlo) and Joshua at the edge of Mount Sinai, Moses departs towards Egypt to free the Hebrews.

Final line of dialogue on the first part:  Moses states “It is not by the sword he will lead his people, but by the staff of a shepherd.

First line of dialogue on the second part: Director Cecil B. DeMille narrates the opening scene “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go. Return into Egypt. And Moses took his wife and son and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Somewhat jarring, Moses has been given a mandate from God to travel to Egypt to free the Hebrews. The audience knows this will not be a simple task since the Pharaoh Rameses (Yul Brynner) uses the Hebrews to perform hard labour and will not freely give up his control over them.

Which part is better? Part two is overwhelmingly better, due to the miracles preformed by Moses (staff transforming to snake, water into blood, raining hail and fire, death of each first born, and the separation of the Nile). This part is full of action, suspense, and terror that will keep your eyes glued to the screen.

Academy Awards: Best Special Effects, Best Picture (Nominated), Best Cinematography(Nominated), Best Costume Design (Nominated), Best Sound Recording (Nominated), Best Film Editing (Nominated) Best Art Direction- Set Decoration (Nominated)

National Film Registry: 1999