★ 7 / 10
Essentially two separate stories, this shows well the
CinemaSerf
Essentially two separate stories, this shows well the aspirational brilliance of Cecil B. De Mille as well as his complete inability to condense anything! The…
Essentially two separate stories, this shows well the aspirational brilliance of Cecil B. De Mille as well as his complete inability to condense anything! The first part depicts the Exodus and Leviticus books from the Old Testament - the story of Moses leading the slaves from their somewhat brutal existence in Egypt and the passing down of the Ten Commandments to the people as they build the great Tabernacle. The second part modernises the application of the Commandments and applies them to a family in 1920's America with two brothers who vie for the affections of the same girl whilst one seeks fame and fortune, the other a more contented existence. Both stories exhort the import of the Commandments as the basic tenets of human decency and values - and shy not from visiting severe punishments on those who transgress. The former story includes a wonderful score and, for the time, some pretty impressive special effects - especially the parting of the Red Sea. The second story is less impressive - more a slightly over-moralistic tale of greed and avarice that was hardly unusual then (or is now). The budget - some $1.8m was enormous for the time and the scale of the cinematography, extras etc. in phase one is impressive and convincing; the acting comes into it's own a bit more in the second act - with Richard Dix and Rod La Rocque playing the brothers well, and Nita Naldi shining as the Eurasian temptress "Sally Lung". As with so many silent films, it's all in their faces - and this one doesn't disappoint - even if there is a little too much theatrical gesturing and posturing now and again. On balance I probably prefer the 1956 iteration, again by De Mille, but there is little in it and if you do get a spare 2¼ hours then this is certainly a superb example of grand cinema from a visionary director.
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★ 7 / 10
Not as good as the remake but a must-watch nonetheless
jaxelvester
'The Ten Commandments' was released in 1923 and was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and is the first of two Ten Commandments films directed by him.This version…
'The Ten Commandments' was released in 1923 and was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and is the first of two Ten Commandments films directed by him.This version differs in more ways than one to the remake. While the remake primarily centers on the story of Moses, the original version only features Moses in the prologue (which runs for approximately 40 minutes). The rest of the film centers on an atheist man in present day (the 1920s) who sets out to break the Ten Commandments in order to become successful.Comparing to the remake, the special effects in the 'parting of the waves' scene definitely look more realistic here (especially considering this was released in 1923) and the entire prologue I masterfully created - however I do wish it was longer since there was little to no development in the characters because of it's short runtime.I was initially skeptical about the present day segment of the film but I was thoroughly impressed and the story was definitely intriguing, especially towards the end.Overall, I do prefer the 1956 remake however you shouldn't turn your back on this one. It is definitely a must-watch, even if it just be for the prologue with Moses.7/10
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★ 8 / 10
David Jeffers for SIFFblog.com
rdjeffers
Sunday January 8, 4:00pm The Paramount Theater, Seattle Countless slaves pull a gleaming white sphinx, inch-by-inch, across the desert sands. Brutalized by…
Sunday January 8, 4:00pm The Paramount Theater, Seattle
Countless slaves pull a gleaming white sphinx, inch-by-inch, across the desert sands. Brutalized by their cruel Egyptian masters, The Children of Israel toil before the monumental city gates of Pharaoh Rameses II. The opening scenes of Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 epic "The Ten Commandments" represent the historical spectacle of Hollywood's silent era at its grandest and most expressive. DeMille blended the intensely dramatic performance of his actors with the spectacular architecture of his sets in a way that seemed to bring the past to life for the movie going audience. His exhaustive research and striving for authenticity was limited only by his personal satisfaction. Of the roughly 2500 extras used one tenth were orthodox Jews from Los Angeles, many, recent immigrants who felt they were living the history of their ancestors. The flight from Egypt includes the added surprise of two-color Technicolor while the scenes of decadence as the Golden Calf is worshiped by an undulating mob are as vibrantly electric as any ever filmed. To be fair, it bears pointing out that the forty-five minute Ancient Egypt portion of "The Ten Commandments" is only a prologue to the modern story, which today seems dated and irrelevant. Two brothers, one good and one evil, alternately respect and defy the ancient laws of Moses and live with the consequences. The San Francisco setting may be of interest to anyone with ties to "the city by the bay", specifically the 1920's North Beach neighborhood, Saints Peter and Paul Church and Washington Square Park which are all prominently featured. Sexy Nita Naldi is also delightfully vampish as the heavy-lidded other woman draped in furs. The Jeanie Macpherson screenplay attempts to draw parallels between the story of Exodus and modern life, much more successfully accomplished in Michael Curtiz 1928 epic masterpiece "Noah's Ark", but the jazz age story can't hold a candle to the grandeur of the ancient world. DeMille's original does succeed if compared to the bloated, boringly over-detailed story and hammy acting of his 1956 remake. The 1923 prologue is concise, well paced and beautifully executed. The ancient Babylon of D. W. Griffith's 1916 spectacular "Intolerance" appears staged and remote when compared to a genuine sense of seeing and feeling the "hear and now" conjured up by DeMille's City of the Pharaoh. Hollywood produced progressively greater and more fantastic historical epics as the era drew to a close, including the MGM spectacle "Ben Hur" in 1925 and DeMille's "King of Kings" in 1927.
"
the spirit of the spectacle, and the joy taken in its own magic, was unique to the silent film." - William K. Everson
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