The Ten Commandments Digipack - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Ten Commandments Digipack



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Back in the day of the biblical epics, there was one film that sort of stood out from the rest, acting as the beacon and image that everyone wanted to be like. We had films like Samson & Delilah, Ben Hur, The Robe, and many others, each of these doing quite well for themselves in the box office. At this point in time audiences had less going on in their lives. Less distractions that would make a 3+ hour film more palatable, so these 3+ hour long epics were the pride and joy of Paramount for many years. That being said, the one film that shook the box offices and shattered records with impunity will always belong to Cecil B. DeMille’s The Tend Commandments with Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston (back when the man was basically in every epic move out there).

For those of you wondering, yes, this is the same release as the giant boxset in 2011, and the mini release that came out at the same time. Just without the swag and including a new digibook packaging to enjoy. Back in 2011 we got this lovingly restored film with two purchasing options. The 1st was a massive 6 disc set that contained 3 BD discs and 3 DVD discs with identical content on their respective formats, plus of course the giant box, little statue and physical extras that came with said set. The 2nd of the two releases was a trimmed down edition that was only the 3 BD’s of the film (and the 1923 film in HD as well) in a standard amaray 3 disc case and slipbox. This new edition replicates that trimmed down edition once more, giving us the exact same discs, just housed in a brand new digibook with new artwork and included “booklet” of the film’s art.

Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments opens up with a single musing. Should man live under God’s rule or the tyranny of man? Should he be free under the Lord, or live at the whims of Tyrant? The film’s larger than life set pieces, star power and choice of one of Scripture’s most popular tales paved the way for this epic to be larger than it ever would have been otherwise. We all know the basic story of Moses and his mission by God to free the Israelite from the yoke of their Egyptian slave masters at the time.

Moses (Charlton Heston, in all his sandy haired glory) was a Jewish child that was set down a river and adopted by the daughter of King Sethi (Cedric Hardwicke) of Egypt. Growing up in the courts of the king had it’s benefits, and soon Moses became the apple of the King’s eye. After returning from a successful military campaign in Ethiopia he is ordered to oversee a giant city’s creation in honor of the King. However, despite the cherished status of Moses, his half brother Ramses (Yul Brynner) is jealous of his brother’s successes, as well as the affections of Nefertiti (Anne Baxter), who is destined to marry the next Pharaoh of Egypt (hopefully not Ramses).

As Moses works closely with the Jewish slaves he begins to understand their plight and sympathize with their suffering. He even goes so far as to authorize the slaves be fed extra rations and have a day off to rest, something which ingratiates the Egyptian in name only to the Jewish people, and further pushes a wedge between himself and his “brother” Ramses. When Moses becomes TOO popular with the people his half brother wheedles the king into doubting his adopted son, and even goes so far as to banish the man into the desert so that Ramses can take the throne AND his bride without the competition.

However, God still has had a plan for Moses from the beginning, and speaks to him through the burning bush, commanding the banished slave to go BACK to Egypt and warn Ramses to let his people go, or suffer the consequences of an angered God.

I always chuckle a bit when watching The Ten Commandments, as the film is more of a “based on a true story” type of situation rather than a direct recreation of the Biblical story. Huge portions are heavily dramatized and fictionalized, but the general framework of Moses and his ascent to the great liberator is still intact. I don’t view it as direct scriptural at all, but the movie was an epic FILM, which is really where the production shines. This was by far one of the most lavish and enormous productions of it’s times, and DeMille really went all out. The special effects were top notch for the 1950s, and the near 4 hour film shook box offices around the world. The star power of Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston was enormously compelling, and the movie just resonates home with fans of epic sword and sandal films everyone. 84 years later the movie is a staple in many households, and Paramount continues to lay the golden treatment down for it as well.




Rating:

Rated G for General Audiences




Video:

This is using the exact same digitally remastered copy of the film that we saw in the 2011 edition from Paramount, and it’s still just as gorgeous today as it was nearly a decade ago. Near 4 hour film is wisely spread across two discs, with 2 hours and 15 minutes on one disc, and the 1 hour and 35 minute portion that happens at the intermission on the second disc. The remaster was incredible for the time, and still incredible today. The 1956 film is lovingly detailed, with lush colors, a warm and burnished dusty hue, and fine detail galore. This fine detail DOES sort of amplify the dated special effects and green screens and makeup for the characters, but it’s not overly obvious. Every rough hewn muscle of Moses is readily available for the eye to pick up, as well as intricate patterns and color changes on the robes of the slaves and Egyptians alike. Black levels are deep and silky black, and except for some ruddy skin tones (pretty typical of films shot in those times), this is an all around excellent transfer.



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Audio:

While we get a 5.1 mix, just remember that The Ten Commandments was never designed to be some massive action film, even back then. The original mix is given way to a 5.1 DTS-HD MA track for the release, and the 5.1 experience is more than pleasing. The film opens with a musical number that opens up the sound stage in a soft and melodic way, and the rest of the movie makes solid usage of the advanced sound stage. Surround effects are precise and deliberate without sounding over cooked, and the LFE channel actually gets some modest workout too. Dialog is still the center piece of the mix, and it is handled with the utmost care and restoration needed to make it sound just about perfect. Vocals are clean and clear, and the rest of the mix is evenly balanced with the more talky portions of the film. All in all, a great track and wonderfully done.







Extras:

Disc One
• Audio Commentary: Katherine Orrison, author of "Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille's Epic, The Ten Commandments".

Disc Two
• Audio Commentary: Orrison continues to offer her insights through the remainder of the film.
• Newsreel: The Ten Commandments -- Premiere in New York
• Trailers


Disc Three
• 1923 film The Ten Commandments (1080p; Music 2.0 Stereo Dolby Digital; French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles): Also features optional Katherine Orrison commentary.
• Hand-Tinted Footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea Sequence
• Two-Color Technicolor Segment
• Photo Gallery
• The Ten Commandments: Making Miracles
• Photo Gallery

Final Score:
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The Ten Commandments easily one of my favorite 50s epics, and one of the biggest hits in the world for the genre. For those wondering, YES, this is an exact clone of the 2011 release in the swagless version, but it does act as sort of a middle ground release between the two. It doesn’t have the giant collector’s box packaging of the swag box, but it is more physically feature filled than the trimmed down release. The new digipack release showcases brand new artwork for the case, as well as an integrated artbook with art from the film’s production as well as photos. If you have either of the two editions from 9 years ago I wouldn’t really suggest upgrading, as you have all the major content anyways (and the giant swag box edition is the best physical version of the film to date), but if you HAVEN’T had a chance to grab this treat, then it’s a perfect chance to grab it. Sadly Paramount missed the opportunity to put the film on 4K UHD for us next gen fanatics, but the Blu-ray is visually and sonically stunning to behold, and has held up well over the last decade. Great purchase in my opinion.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget, John Derek
Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
Written by: Aenea MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Fredric M. Frank
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 AVC (1.33:1 for the 1923 version)
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English, Portuguese DD 2.0, Spanish, French DD Mono
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rated: G
Runtime: 231 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: March 10th, 2020

Recommendation: Great Buy

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Definately one of the great movies out there. Worth having that is for sure.