8.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.7 |
The life of Moses and his leading of the Israelites to the Promised Land.
Epic | 100% |
History | 83% |
Drama | 82% |
Adventure | 78% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (256 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Six-disc set (3 BDs, 3 DVDs)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The story of the birth of freedom.
In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. Soon thereafter, He created man in His own image. Man quickly became a sinful,
imperfect creature, but that hasn't stopped him from doing some pretty nifty things during his reign on Earth. He's made nature's curves
straight;
he's conquered not only the land but the waters and the air; and he's built marvelous, wonderful things that to this day amaze, even with
centuries
of historical achievements available for comparison's sake. Man's done all of this through that which God has given him, whether through his
command over the lands and the animals and the birds in the sky and the fish in the waters or the skills of reason and ingenuity and the
drive to
achieve. From the dust from whence man came and the earth upon which he walks man has built both Heavenly monuments and
instruments of
sin, but man continues on, finding ways to use all God has given him for good and bad alike. Somehow, from the dust of the earth; the
minerals
found within it; through other, naturally-occurring elements; and the wisdom bestowed upon him by God; man has managed to create,
among
many miracles, the medium
of film, a powerful tool for good and bad indeed but through which man may demonstrate his his own ability to create, whether to recreate
history
as accurately as he
pleases or to build a brand new world of wonders that once only existed within man's own mind. One man, Cecil B.
DeMille, chose to
use the medium of film to retell the Biblical story of Moses. Moses was a simple man who lived thousands of years ago, chosen by God to
lead an
entire
people to freedom and through whom God laid forth His Ten Commandments which, alongside the teachings of Christ, remain principles of
the
Christian faith. DeMille's film The Ten Commandments is a hallmark achievement of both man and cinema, a picture of visual wonders
yes
but
more
importantly a retelling of one of the greatest and most important stories ever told. It's a film that even today plays with not only
heart and
a
love and appreciation for its source material, but it is also
built on guiding principles of freedom, goodness, and faith that now and will forever be keys to a successful life.
God does the work.
In a word? Gorgeous. Paramount's Blu-ray release of The Ten Commandments is a magnificent sight to behold on Blu-ray. The studio has smartly spread the film out across two discs to ensure the best possible quality; no worries, the break comes at the film's intermission, with disc one running 2:15:48 and disc two clocking in at 1:35:49. The image certainly benefits from the added breathing room. The film opens with Cecil B. DeMille stepping out on stage to speak on his picture's behalf; the curtains behind him are awash in scrumptious detailing, and the contrasting gold and gray color scheme appears naturally rendered. Both amazing detailing and lush color reproduction remains throughout the film. Whether the texture of the old straw basket used to carry baby Moses down the Nile, the orante detailing in both the stitching and accents on the regal Egyptian clothing, or the sandy and pebbly Egyptian terrain, the transfer exhibits precision details both up-close and far from the camera. The image is incredibly crisp and nicely detailed even at a distance; depth of field is fantastic, too, and the transfer is capable of revealing sharp and intricate textures far off into the back end of the frame. Colors are breathtaking; bright blues, natural greens as seen in foliage, and even the varied earthen colors that are prominent in the film are all wonderfully rendered. Flesh tones enjoy exceptional neutrality, and black levels are generally strong. The image retains a light coating of grain; though a few scenes do favor a slightly smoothed-over texture, they are easily the exception rather than the rule. Of course, The Ten Commandments is replete with optical effects shots that don't hold up very well; demarcation lines between "live" shots and inserted effects/backgrounds are plainly visible -- particularly considering the boost in resolution afforded to the image by the 1080p resolution -- but they're also an integral part of the film and have been lovingly left intact. All said, this is a breathtaking transfer. If Paramount's 1080p transfer doesn't bring a tear to the eye of die hard film enthusiasts craving to see epic classics loving restored and presented to this level of excellence, then nothing will.
The Ten Commandments is never going to sound like some modern-day Action extravaganza. Paramount's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack, however, serves the movie remarkably well, handling the picture's critical elements superbly and never forcing the issue or delivering anything resembling phony or amped-up effects just for the sake of making the 5.1 track more active. The film begins with a brief musical overture that's wonderfully smooth and spacious, playing primarily across the front three speakers but enjoying a hint of back-channel support. Neither this selection nor anything else in the film can or does match the immaculate and lifelike clarity of the best modern soundtracks, but this lossless presentation does breathe a new life into the picture's score, presenting it with an accuracy that it probably hasn't enjoyed since it was in theaters. The opening title music sports the same qualities, but it is aided by a subtly effective low end accompaniment that gives it a bit more weight than is evident in the overture music. The Ten Commandments is primarily built on character interaction and dialogue; the spoken word is given the prominence and clarity it requires through faultless center channel execution. Surrounds are used sparsely, but effectively, not only in support of music but a few more prominent sound effects, such as a heavy gusting wind that challenges the resolve of a recently left-for-dead-in-the-desert Moses or the thud of hail pounding the Egyptian dwellings during one of the plagues. While it's not the most engaging track out there, this is, like the accompanying video presentation, nothing short of a splendid revelation; longtime fans of The Ten Commandments are sure to enjoy the boost in overall clarity and detail afforded to the picture's soundtrack thanks to Paramount's wonderful lossless presentation.
This special gift set of The Ten Commandments -- limited to 100,000 units -- features three Blu-ray discs and three DVD discs of nearly
identical
content (disc three lacks everything but the 1923 film and the 1956 film's photo gallery). The box is of the lenticular variety and covered by a
see-through outer shell that features both a likeness of Moses and the film's title. The box
itself is designed around a three-dimensional representation of a parting Red Sea. The box brilliantly splits open from the middle to literally
"part" the
sea; buyers will have to lay the box flat to
remove content, but the effect is quite good and well-conceived. Inside the box is a replica of the Ten Commandments stones; these plastic
stones
actually break open to house the six discs, and they fit back together with the use of a few small built-in magnets. Unfortunately, the third
Blu-ray
disc and the three DVDs are incredibly difficult to remove; they're liable to scratch or break on the way out. The box also houses a few more
goodies, including a hardback edition of Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments An Epic Journey; an illustrated softcover
book
that
features story-themed artwork, essays, abridged scripture, and cast and crew profiles; an envelope containing several replica items including a
Western
Union Telegram to Cecil B. DemMille from Adolph Zuckor, an audience reaction card, a letter to Cecil. B. DeMille from Charlton Heston, Charlton
Heston's
schedule, and a menu from the Cafe Continental with a surprise on the back; an envelope featuring several full-color costume sketches cards;
and a
vintage The Ten Commandments press release. Photos of the included materials may be seen by selecting the "screenshots" tab
above and
scrolling down past the 1080p film captures.
The three Blu-ray discs all feature extra content, among them an audio commentary track, a vintage newsreel, a wonderful making-of
documentary,
and the 1923 version of The Ten Commandments directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
Disc One
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 special edition Blu-ray release of The Ten Commandments is flat-out exceptional. The movie looks and sounds fantastic given the age of the source and the limits of the special effects shots. Better still, this set offers a tremendous amount of value added material both on-disc and in the wonderfully attractive, thoughtful, and unique packaging. The Ten Commandments earns my highest recommendation.
1956
Paramount 100th Anniversary
1956
1956
1956
1956
1956
1956
Fiftieth Anniversary
1959
2014
Warner Archive Collection
1955
2017
2016
2017
1935
1953
2014
1961
1992
2004
1995
1997
2013
Limited Edition to 3000
1972
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1954
2013
Warner Archive Collection
1935
1958