Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Ten Commandments Blu-ray Movie Review

A good companion film to the superior 1956 masterpiece sports a decent Blu-ray release from Echo Bridge.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 4, 2012

I'm not a king. I'm a shepherd.

A good story is worth telling more than once. A great story is worth telling with regularity. A timeless story lives in perpetuity in many forms. One such timeless tale is the Bible's Old Testament story of Moses, which includes the freeing of slaves from Egypt following 400 years of bondage and God's delivery of the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments to Moses. The story has been told in its written form through the ages, and the (relatively, in historical terms) new medium of film has portrayed it on several occasions, most notably with the 1956 release of The Ten Commandments, the Cecil B. DeMille-directed Epic starring Charlton Heston as Moses. The story is retold in 2006's made-for-television version, again titled The Ten Commandments. Though made fifty years after the DeMille/Heston version and in an era of bigger budgets and "better" special effects, the movie labors to keep up with that definitive classic, and it never matches or surpasses it in scope, style, special effects, command of the medium, or historical or cinematic relevance. Certainly there's a good movie here, an honest, mostly accurate, sometimes engaging, and always watchable take on the timeless tale of freedom and the power of God. The message remains largely intact, but there's no doubt this is the lesser of the films. Still, this modern take on The Ten Commandments proves a worthy companion piece and an interesting test case for comparative filmmaking across two eras and two styles.

Thou shalt watch this movie.

The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Paul Rhys) is given a grave prophecy: a young slave, now newly born, will one day become a Prince of Egypt and lead a revolt to free the slaves, slaves held in bondage for nearly 400 years. A panicked Pharaoh orders all newborn male children murdered in an effort to kill this leader and prevent his own great loss of power. One child is spared; his mother Jochebed (Lisa Jacobs) places her infant son in a basket and releases him down the Nile River. He's soon found by the Pharaoh's daughter, Bithia (Padma Lakshmi), who names him Moses and raises him as her own. Years pass, and Moses is finally told of his heritage as a slave. He's appalled to see the suffering of his people up-close, yet he remains a privileged child leading an easy life amongst the Egyptian elite. Now a grown man, Moses (Dougray Scott) continues to disapprove of his people's slavery. When an Egyptian slave wrangler attempts to rape a slave, Moses intervenes, kills the would-be perpetrator, and buries the body away from the city. Nevertheless, he confesses, the body is found, and he's ordered to appear before the Pharaoh. Instead of facing punishment, Moses flees across the desert. He settles in with a new family, marries, and his wife bears him a son. One day, Moses encounters a burning bush which speaks the voice of God, telling him to return to Egypt and free the slaves. Moses reluctantly agrees, returns to Egypt, and with the help of his brother Aaron (Linus Roache) and God Himself, battles a stubborn Pharaoh for the freedom of his people and the legitimacy and power of his God.

This version of The Ten Commandments lacks the polish of the vastly superior 1956 picture, but the 2006 edition plays a bit more as a character-focused Drama first rather than a cinematic spectacle. The movie definitely finds its rhythm as it moves along, particularly with its second half, following the passage through the Red Sea, when the movie really takes off and morphs into a character study of the burden Moses carries as both the caretaker of his people and the vessel through which God speaks and directs the freed peoples. Dougray Scott reflects the movie's rhythm, seeming to grow deeper into the role as the picture moves along until he reaches a point where the performance seems to at least capture the very essence of the man the movie portrays. He conveys that burden with remarkable clarity both physically and verbally. What began as a rather flat effort becomes one shaped by an evident passion to drive home the weight the character feels, exemplified in those scenes where Moses wanders off to speak with God, to plead with Him and understand why he's been chosen, why he must carry the load, why he must bear the brunt of the people's future on his shoulders. Scott mostly trumps the other performances, particularly in the second half. But being the centerpiece of the film, that's to be expected. His conversations with God -- whether one-sided or two -- sadly also prove one of the film's greater shortcomings; the voice of God lacks a commanding presence, and even if the filmmakers' intent was to give Him a voice that's more friendly and relatable than authoritative, it seems out of place, though again in fairness to the filmmakers, casting "God" -- as an embodied entity or as a voice -- is probably the most challenging task a casting director could ever face.

Even with the relative quality of the Moses-God scenes, The Ten Commandments never quite gels as a whole. The picture never plays as disjointed, certainly, but there's an absence of scope and rhythm, scenes where the movie feels like it's going through motions rather than creating or refining characters or telling an important story, giving it a rather stilted cadence that negates some of the more impressive scenes and the overall themes. The production values range from adequate to substandard; it's difficult to accept a movie of this scope not going all-out, but The Ten Commandments cuts some corners that, given a bit more polish, might have otherwise helped to create a more complete experience. Again, in the filmmakers' defense, things like budget (relatively small compared to "Blockbuster" films), intended audience (made-for-TV, not cinema), and style (Human Drama rather than all-out spectacle) do play a role in how the end result looks. But obviously digital recreations of ancient cities, midlevel special effects that aren't always quite up to even TV movie standards, and even low-grade stock footage tends to cheapen rather than enhance the final product. Costumes are fine -- whether those of the slaves of those of the Egyptians -- but sets are a bit sparse. This is a large part of why The Ten Commandments works better in its second half; many of the effects and necessary spit-and-polish of the Egyptian sequences disappear and the dramatic elements take over, leaving the audience to focus on a singular element rather than pick apart the movie on other levels and, consciously or not, compare it to the vastly superior costumes, set decoration, and, well, everything of the 1956 film.

The Ten Commandments Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Ten Commandments features a fair but generally underwhelming Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p/1.78:1-framed transfer nearly dazzles in spots, disappoints in others, and proves serviceably good in most instances. The picture can be either razor-sharp or modestly soft. Generally, it falls into a middle ground where fine detailing is adequate. Facial textures fare well enough and clothing -- both the slaves' tattered garb and the Egyptians' cleaner, more regal costumes -- usually impresses in brighter close-up shots. Similarly, ornate Egyptian decorations and structures prove nicely crisp and thoroughly textured in brighter scenes. Darker scenes or those dominated by flat earth tones are sometimes a bit more lacking. Colors are similar in presentation. The drab slave costumes and earthen hues of the Egyptian landscape are fairly presented and balanced. The image only ever offers significantly vibrant shades when in the presence of the Egyptian palaces. Grain is a bit uneven, seeming to come and go at random intervals. Moderate banding runs throughout the movie, and light blocking interferes on a few occasions. Altogether, though, this is a fair presentation; the studio has crammed a movie that runs nearly three hours on a 25GB disc, and for so little breathing room, the end result is sufficient.

The Ten Commandments Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Ten Commandments arrives on Blu-ray with a myriad of soundtracks, none of which are fantastic, none of which are awful. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, and LPCM 2.0 presentations had to all be included. One might reasonably think that the LPCM and a pick 'em between the 5.1 offerings would have sufficed. Nevertheless, a sampling of all four throughout the movie yielded little perceptible difference outside of surround activity. Indeed, the tracks with the surround presentations (the DTS was afforded the most time) prove adequately immersive. Sound effects are never quite seamlessly realistic. Thunder claps boom around the listening area, slaves yell and scream, and other moments of sonic chaos are present, but none quite masters the art of real-life imitation. Various directional effects are fair in presentation, and the track does make good use of the entire stage, despite a lack of precision clarity. Music is nicely spaced and the low end proves serviceably deep and potent. The LPCM 2.0 track delivers somewhat clearer dialogue. Other elements sound tightened up a hair, but at the expense of a more immersive and naturally-wide soundstage. Listeners will have to choose if they want a bit more activity or a bit more clarity; a lossless 5.1 soundtrack would have solved the problem, but several lesser options are better than one inferior option at the end of the day.

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

The Ten Commandments contains two extras. The Making of 'The Ten Commandments' (1080p, 22:50) features narrator Omar Sharif guiding viewers throughout he making of the film. Included is behind the scenes footage, clips from the film, and cast and crew interviews which cover the film's story, its themes, the making of the movie, comparisons to DeMille's film, historical influences, digital effects, set design, costumes, and more. Also included is The Ten Commandments trailer (1080p, 1:57). Note that there is no "main menu." All language and special features options must be accessed in-movie from a popup menu. Pressing the "top menu" button only returns the movie to the beginning.

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

The Ten Commandments is a decent enough movie considering it's something of a faux-epic, a made-for-television "spectacular" that certainly fares better than many of its TV contemporaries in terms of sheer quality and story. Still, it pales next to the DeMille/Heston classic, no surprise, but this Ten Commandments is a watchable movie in its own right, even through uneven acting, modest and relatively phony digital effects, and a lesser pace and technical prowess. It goes to show that time and progress alone aren't enough to better a story; this 2006 take is merely a serviceable picture that makes for a fair comparison or companion piece to the original, but is certainly not its equal or replacement. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of The Ten Commandments features decent video and audio to go along with two minor extras. It's really only worth a rental, but considering a buy doesn't cost a whole lot more, well, may as well add it to the collection.