The Ten Commandments (1956)
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An Egyptian prince of Hebrew descent must choose between his royal heritage and his true identity as the promised deliverer of his people.
The story
After hearing the prophecy of a Hebrew deliverer who would free the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, Pharaoh Rameses I of Egypt orders the death of all newborn Hebrew males. Yochabel saves her infant son by setting him adrift in a basket on the Nile. Rameses I's recently widowed daughter Bithiah finds the basket and decides to adopt the boy by naming him Moses, even though her servant Memnet recognizes the child's Hebrew heritage. Prince Moses grows up to become a successful general, winning a war against Ethiopia and establishing an alliance. Moses falls in love with Princess Nefretiri, but she is betrothed to whomever Rameses' son, Pharaoh Sethi, chooses to become the next Pharaoh.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being identified as a Hebrew, Moses is banished to the desert, where he eventually encounters a burning bush and hears the voice of God, commanding him to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews. He confronts Pharaoh Rameses II, leading to a series of plagues and the eventual exodus of the Hebrews through the Red Sea. Following the escape, Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. While he is away, the Hebrews fall into idolatry, leading to a confrontation where Moses destroys their idols. The film concludes with the Hebrews wandering the wilderness for 40 years, with Moses ultimately dying on Mount Nebo while passing the leadership to Joshua.
- First release year
- 1956
- Runtime (minutes)
- 220
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Writers
- Aeneas MacKenzie · screenplay; Jesse L. Lasky, Jr. · screenplay; Jack Gariss · screenplay; Fredric M. Frank · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Charlton Heston · Moses; Yul Brynner · Rameses; Anne Baxter · Nefretiri; Edward G. Robinson · Dathan; Yvonne De Carlo · Sephora; Debra Paget · Lilia; John Derek · Joshua; Cedric Hardwicke · Sethi I; Nina Foch · Bithiah; Martha Scott · Yochabel; Judith Anderson · Memnet; Vincent Price · Baka
- Genres
- biblical epic
- Themes
- identity; faith; liberation
- Tone and mood
- epic; grand
- Premise and plot tags
- biblical; historical; epic
- Source material / true-story basis
- Book of Exodus
- Reception
- The film was a major commercial success, becoming the most successful film of 1956 and the second-highest-grossing film of the decade. It was also recognized as culturally and historically significant by the Library of Congress.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · win; Foreign Language Press Film Critics Circle Award · Best Director · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) · nomination; National Board of Review Award · Best Actor · win; Laurel Award · Best Dramatic Actor · win; Laurel Award · 5th Best Dramatic Actress · win; Laurel Award · 3rd Best Supporting Actress · win
- Production trivia
- It was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release.; It was filmed on location in Egypt, Mount Sinai, and the Sinai Peninsula.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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