The Ten Commandments Blu-ray from Paramount now comes in Digibook form and has both the 1923 and 1956 feature films, and though they are the same discs, at a discounted price, and if not already owned, worth picking up.
The Ten Commandments
(1923/1956)
Genre(s): Drama, Adventure
Paramount | NR/G – 136 min. / 231 min. – $22.98 | March 10, 2020
Date Published: 03/11/2020 | Author: The Movieman
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MOVIE INFO (1923):
Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
Writer(s): Jeanie Macpherson (story)
Cast: Theodore Roberts, Charles De Rochefort, Estelle Taylor, Julia Faye, Pat Moore
MOVIE INFO (1956):
Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
Writer(s): Aeneas Mackenzie, Jesse L. Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss, Frederic M. Frank (written for the screen)
Cast: Charlton Heston, Yul Bryner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne de Carlo, Debra Paget, Vincent Price, John Carradine
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DISC INFO:
Features: Commentaries, Featurette, Gallery
Slip Cover: No
Digital Copy: No
Formats Included: Blu-ray
Number of Discs: 3
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Audio (1956): English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0), French (Dolby Digital 1.0), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Audio (1923): English (Dolby Digital 2.0) (Music)
Video (1956): 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Video (1923): 1080p/Full Frame 1.33
Subtitles (1956): English SDH, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Subtitles (1923): French, Portuguese, Spanish
Codecs: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C
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Paramount provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIES
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1956 VERSION
Enjoying a life of ease in the court of Egypt’s pharaoh, Moses (CHARLTON HESTON) discovers his Hebrew heritage and, later, God’s expectations of him. He dedicates himself to liberating his people from captivity and — with the aid of plagues and divine intervention — manages to lead them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. A greater challenge comes in the form of the golden calf idol, however, and it takes an unforgettable visitation by God on Mount Sinai for Moses’ mission to prevail.
1923 VERSION
Although the first part of the film is set in ancient Egypt with Moses (THEODORE ROBERTS) and Rameses (CHARLES DE ROCHE), the central focus is the 1920s story of two brothers — John (RICHARD DIX) and Dan McTavish (ROD LA ROCQUE). John, a carpenter, is the son who embodies the laws of Moses, while Dan, a corrupt contractor, lives a life of sin. When a tragedy caused by Dan kills the brothers’ mother (EDYTHE CHAPMAN), Dan tries to redeem his wicked ways. But more hard lessons await him.
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SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.25/5
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This is a digibook release with behind-the-scenes photos and quotes from the movies. The 3-discs are the exact same ones previously released by Paramount, so doubtful there’s a new transfer or features.
1956 VERSION
- Audio Commentary with Author Katherine Orrison
- Newsreel: The Ten Commandments Premiere in New York (2:24)
- Theatrical Trailers: 1956 “Making of”/1969 Trailer/1989 Trailer (12:40)
- The Ten Commandments: Making Miracles (1:13:14)
- Photo Gallery
1923 VERSION
- Audio Commentary with Author Katherine Orrison
- Hand-tinted Footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea Sequence (21:05)
- Two-Color Technicolor Segment (8:43)
- Photo Gallery
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VIDEO – 4.5/5
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| Paramount releases both The Ten Commandments films onto Blu-ray with 1080p high-definition transfers. Both of these films look great in HD, detail are sharp throughout and in regards to the 1956 version, colors are quite pleasant and period appropriate while the 1926 film’s black and white presentation is equally as impressive, detail also well defined and the black levels stark without seeming crushed or the whites blown out. |
AUDIO – 4.25/5
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| The 1956 version includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which sounds rather good, dialogue comes though with fine clarity and there is some okay depth with the front and rear channels as the adventure aspects ratcheted up. Meanwhile, the 1923 version is a standard Dolby Digital 2.0 track, perfectly fine given it is music only. |
