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| The Ten Commandments | 
| Category: Movie
Buy New: $9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  332 reviews
Sales Rank: 4439
Rating: G (General Audience)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 232 minutes
ASIN: B000J0XJC2
Theatrical Release Date: October 4, 1956
Release Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Ten Commandments January 18, 2008
What a classic! SO many big names, great director, fabulous sets, the list goes on and on. This is truly one of the all time best!
"The greatest adventure story ever put between the covers of a book!" December 16, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This DVD is a true collectors delight - not only is Cecil B. De Mille's last great epic presented in its original widescreen format alongside De Mille's original and very different silent version, but alongside an impressive new documentary, the legendary ten-minute trailer has been included for good measure.
Sitting in his office, with the aid of a wicker basket, a Van Dyke portrait, two stone tablets and a Bible he occasionally bashes, De Mille pitches "the greatest adventure story ever put between the covers of a book!" He solemnly assures us that Heston was cast for his resemblance to Michelangelo's statue of Moses and to prove it, he even shows us a photograph of the actor standing next to it (they look nothing alike!). One of McCarthy's staunchest Hollywood allies in the fifties anti-communist witch-hunts, he goes on to draw none-too-subtle comparisons between the tyranny of Pharaoh and the un-named forces of dictatorship that threaten us 'even to this very day', then promptly switches to plugging the sex and spectacle with the kind of wanton abandon that only the highest-minded puritans can muster; "Moses is one of the world's greatest human beings - and human he was to the point of SIN! And holy to the point of seeing God." Ever the showman, he even pops out from behind the curtains just before the film itself starts to give us the same spiel in case we missed the point and inform us that "The picture runs three hours and thirty-nine minutes; there will be an intermission."
After such a relentless barrage of hyperbole, disappointment would seem inevitable, but unlike most of De Mille's films, The Ten Commandments stands up remarkably well. Filling in the gaps in the Bible's version of events with lust, treachery and other soap opera staples, it is the complete antithesis of the `think man's epics' that followed in the Sixties. The dialogue is declamatory, the style overtly theatrical, often recoursing to striking tableaux reminiscent of the Biblical pageants of Victorian era. The performances are painted in broad strokes, with Anne Baxter emoting something rotten and Heston, his hair getting whiter every time he has a chin-wag with God, a square-jawed and solemn All-American Deliverer. Even John P. Fulton's Oscar-winning special effects show their age as well as their matte lines. It would be almost absurdly easy to tear it to pieces were it not for the fact that De Mille's implicit belief in what he put on the screen enables him to carry it off with considerable panache. This is an audience picture on a grand scale, and great fun too.
The colour is almost as superb as the original VistaVision Technicolor, the print perfect apart from some slight occasional negative damage in the top right-hand corner of the frame. More hokum than holy it may be, but with a terrific cast and, even now, a genuine sense of wonder to its set-pieces, The Ten Commandments delivers nearly four hours of great entertainment. And the parting of the Red Sea is still one of the great movie moments, matte lines or not. Enjoy!
Gets me every time November 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"So let it be written, so let it be done," said Yul Brynner in this classic movie of all time. I've seen it many times during my life so far and I thought it would be expedient to own it so I bought it. Yes, it's true that the acting is from a bygone time, but nevertheless the plot and the message is for all time. Here, we see good -vs- evil, and good prevails. This movie is by far not even close to being prosaic. The movies of today, most of them anyway, do not even come close to the excellence of "The Ten Commandments", namely because the laws of OUR land come from these commandments. Get your popcorn ready and immerse yourself in this most wonderful story of all time. Charlton Heston does a great job in his emphatic acting. Think about the "between the lines" message about evil in this show. You will soon realize that the enslavement of the Hebrews was metaphorical for wrongdoing, which in fact translates to every era. When it comes to Biblical principles, then it is discerned spiritually... Enjoy the show for sure...The Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: Jesus of NazarethThe Den of Iniquity
The Ten Commandments 50th Anniversary Collection is a "Classic"! November 24, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Ten Commandments (50th Anniversary Collection) featuring Charlton Heston, as Moses, is a "classic"! The silent version of the movie included in this anniversary package is also very good. We are very pleased to own this collection!
If people would live the Ten Commandments, there would be stronger families and communities and less crime, bloodshed, strife, poverty, and broken homes.
 Classic and one of a Kind. October 23, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A very pleasant surprise. When I was young I saw this film which was released in 1956, I was impressed with the colors, the special effects such as the serpent fight, the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire, etc. But, when I purchased this new release of March 2006, I was astonished by the colors, the scenery imaging, the special effects, and on my system with a Toshiba XA-2 HD-DVD player, a 42" Samsung LCD TV, and a ONKYO SR604 A/V Receiver, this DVD was absolutely FANTASTIC, the details, the colors of Yul Brynner's costumes were brilliant, the parting of the Red Sea was breath taking.
It is well worth the price, in fact, it is a steal at this price. Excellent work on the remake, please continue to do the great work on other classics. This will go into my reference library, filed under "TREASURES".
Keep up the good work.
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