Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Ten Commandments 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 17, 2021

Paramount has released Director Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 masterpiece 'The Ten Commandments' to the UHD format. The film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2011 with all sorts of physical goodies and again in DigiBook packaging in 2020. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. See below for an in-depth video review and notations of other technical and supplemental carryover and absentee content.

For a full film review, please click here.

The Ten Commandments 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Paramount states the following concerning its UHD release of The Ten Commandments:

As part of the restoration done in 2010, the film was scanned in 6K and those files were the basis for this brand new Dolby Vision version, which shows off the full beauty of the original VistaVision negative. The VistaVision format used special cameras to feed 35mm film into the camera horizontally in order to capture a wider image spread over two 35mm film frames, giving VistaVision twice the resolution of regular 35mm film. In addition, Paramount spent well over 150 hours doing new color work and clean-up on the scan. The move to Dolby Vision created the opportunity to further improve the look of the film: blacks are enhanced and improvements were made to smooth out special effects mattes to create the most vibrant and pristine image possible.

That's an impressive sell on paper, but how does the movie translate to the screen in its finished 4K/Dolby Vision form? In short, it's heavenly. Here's one of the most fundamentally gorgeous UHD releases on the market, and as it's sourced from the same master used for the 2011 Blu-ray it's not at all a surprise; that was a fine bit of work a decade ago and it remains today one of the peak releases for the 1080p format. Here, the textural richness and color outputs are only amplified. The upgrade to this format is substantial, though perhaps not mind boggling; that's not to put the UHD down -- it's clearly one of the best on the market today -- but that is to praise the Blu-ray, sourced from the same master and a presentation that has not aged a day since its release. Indeed, the Blu-ray is still a beautiful presentation both in isolation and in direct comparison to the UHD. It holds up extraordinarily well but it, of course, cannot match the UHD for sheer cinema splendor.

This is the clear pinnacle of the film's home video output, and it's doubtful that even a 6K home release would serve as much of a leap, especially on typical home theater screen sizes. But the 4K presentation does see the image move well beyond the Blu-ray for textural and color output excellence. The UHD's ability to finely hone the dazzling textures on costumes and set pieces, never mind characters, cannot be described as other than "exquisite." The UHD brings more clarity and exacting precision to the screen, boosting the picture's essentials and fine point textural supports alike with perfect definition that brings new life to the picture. Texturally, it's a firmer, more precisely sharp picture compared to the Blu-ray. The similarities between the two are plain; the UHD simply brings more sharpness to the table and capitalizes on every opportunity to do so, even concerning extra-fine details like sweat and mud and straw as well as the regal Egyptian robes and ornate designs and decorations that adorn the high places. Grain management is terrific, a bit more refined on the UHD and delivering a perfect cinema epic perfectly on modern displays well capable of presenting the film in all its natural, glorious splendor.

Matte shots still show amplified seams and a few shots border on looking cartoonish (3:22:00 for an example), but so have they always, whether something "simple" like a character waving a banner earlier in the film or, of course, at the climax when God (through Moses) parts the sea. Paramount did the best it could, it would seem, to find that sweet spot where the effects hold true to form while "fitting in" at very high resolution. There's certainly no reworking or damaging of original content here, so don't let the word "smooth" be a concern. Besides, by 200 minutes into the movie, hopefully the audience will be so invested in the story that the visual effects won't really stand out for what they look like but rather for what they mean to the story.

The Dolby Vision color grading is likewise a great improvement over the Blu-ray's SDR range. This presentation has no fundamental changes on offer but only amplifies color output for depth and brightness and fidelity. Blue skies are brilliantly presented and boast newfound boldness; look at a shot early in the film when Nefretiri watches Moses' triumphal return to Egypt. The blue sky above and behind her is now rendered in a more striking, bold, and brilliant color, appearing somewhat, but not entirely, flat and bland on the Blu-ray. Much the same may be said of the ornate clothing seen throughout the film; flowing silks and colorful jewels and gems sparkle with newfound depth and tonal intensity. Even earthy colors -- stones, straw, mud -- yield much excellence for exacting depth and definition. Black levels are perfect, whites are brilliant and pure, and skin tones are spot-on. The Dolby Vision grading makes for a fine, and after watching vital, improvement to the picture. With the textural upgrades and increase in natural sharpness, not to mention total freedom from print wear and encode artifacts, there's no mistaking this as the new quintessential presentation of a legendary film.

The Ten Commandments 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The UHD disc does not feature a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X soundtrack. Instead, it simply repurposes the existing Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For a full audio review, please click here.

The Ten Commandments 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Paramount's UHD release of The Ten Commandments contains no supplemental content beyond the carryover commentary track (with Katherine Orrison) but the bundled Blu-ray discs contain the same extras from the 2011 release. However, only the first two discs of that set are included, so missing is everything from disc three, including the 1923 film; fans will have to hang on to older versions in order to maintain full access to legacy supplements and the original film. Below is an outline of what is included; please click here for full reviews as well as for a list of the Blu-ray disc three extras which are missing here. This release ships with a digital copy code and a non-embossed slipcover.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentary

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentary
• Newsreel: The Ten Commandments -- Premiere in New York
• Trailers

The Ten Commandments 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Ten Commandments is a truly epic picture in every sense of the term. Not only is it an example of grand "Hollywood Golden Age" filmmaking at its finest, but it's built around a timeless story of faith, strength, and freedom taken straight from the Bible and translated into a masterful work of art that's as visually dazzling as it is thematically profound and emotionally satisfying. Unbeatable set design and costuming accentuated by fantastic performances make Cecil B. DeMille's final picture one of the finest films ever made. Paramount's UHD picture quality is divine. Tack sharp, superbly colorful, and perfectly filmic, there are no squabbles at all, save, perhaps, for the matte visuals which never looked seamless and are only amplified in effect here. Still, it's a small price to pay for an otherwise A+ image. With no technical plagues befalling it and the gorgeous Dolby Vision color grading enhancing the material, it's easy to overlook the exclusion of a whole disc's worth of extras. For sheer picture quality of a classic film few currently, or in the future will, look better than this. This UHD earns my highest recommendation.