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Discovering The Ten Commandments

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Each Passover, Jewish families gather together to retell the story of Moses leading the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. Though the Passover Seder is the most appropriate time to hear the story, there is a movie that tells the story as well. By watching Cecil B. DeMille's epic, The Ten Commandments, one can experience a vivid retelling of the Passover story.

Photo by Paramount Pictures
The movie first came out in 1956, and it is still relevant more than 50 years later. In fact, since it has aired on television every year around Passover and Easter since 1973, the movie is a true holiday classic. Even though there have been other films dealing with Moses and the Passover story made before and after, The Ten Commandments has proven to be the most iconic and to have the most staying power.

The film stars Charlton Heston, who gives an intense and unforgettable performance as Moses. The rest of the cast, including Yul Brynner as Pharaoh Ramses II and Anne Baxter as Nefertari, give strong performances as well.
The film is also known for its "cast of thousands" of extras portraying Hebrew slaves and Egyptian soldiers.

In addition to its cast, the film is known for its visual effects. Though many scenes, like Moses's staff turning into a snake and the parting of the Red Sea, may seem primitive now, these special effects were considered cutting edge in the 1950s. In fact, The Ten Commandments won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Though this was the only Oscar the film received, it was nominated in six other categories.

As with any story being transferred to the big screen, the screenwriters took some liberties with the plot. Though all the bases of the story of Moses leading the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and into the Promised Land are covered, the writers used their imaginations (and some conflicting historical accounts) with some of the smaller parts of the plot. Any discrepancies between the movie and the Bible can be forgiven, as the overall themes and messages of the movie are perfectly clear.

When the film came out in 1956, it was a blockbuster, earning $65,000,000 in North America. By today's standards, that amount would be equal to $977,260,000, making The Ten Commandments the fifth highest grossing movie of all time.

There is no denying the impact that The Ten Commandments has had on pop culture and our faith. Watching the move has become a yearly tradition and will likely continue to be so for years to come.

Patrick Hanan  Posted by Patrick Hanan on March 31, 2010

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