History Film / TheTenCommandments

* AdaptedOut: The Nubian princess seen early in the film, according to the DVD commentary, is supposed to be Moses' wife, as he apparently married her during his travels, though this is not mentioned on screen. Not only is she never referred to nor seen again, no reference is made when Moses marries again later in the film. However, it is likely that Seti took her away from Moses and forced her into marriage with someone else when Moses got exiled.

** Likewise Sephora, who is afraid for her son Gershom after she and Moses bring to Egypt, so when tipped off by Nefretiri that Rameses is planning to slaughter the death of the firstborn, she quickly takes her son in the next caravan back to Midian, thus avoiding the Plague of the Firstborn though she was quite unaware of it.

* MsFanservice: Anne Baxter's virtually see-through outfits are surprisingly risque for 1956.

* NotSoAboveItAll: After Nefertiri finds Moses as a slave, she suggest he comes back to the palace with her and free the Hebrew slaves after he becomes Pharaoh instead of staying with his people. Nefertiri points out that [[JerkassHasAPoint after he becomes so he can do and order whatever he pleases without breaking Bithia's and Sethi's hearts, and stay with her]]. Moses actually agrees to return, but only after [[{{Foreshadowing}} he meets with the Master Builder...]]

** The look on Baka's face when he sees the slave who is about to strangle him actually Moses.

** Jethro the sheick of Midian, who becomes very much like Sethi was to Moses.

* SettingUpdate: A minor example. Rabbinical Judaism tells us that Moses lifespan corresponds to 1391-1271 BC, telling us the Exodus happened in 1311 BC and thus that the Pharaoh of the Exodus would have been Horemheb, the predecessor of Ramesses I whom we see early in this film. Jerome, on the other hand, gives Moses' year of birth as 1592 meaning the Exodus would have been in 1512 with Thutmose I as the Pharaoh and Ussher gives Moses' year of birth as 1571 meaning the Exodus would have been in 1491 with the Pharaoh being Thutmose II. Most curent scholars think that if the Exodus did happen, the Pharaoh was Thutmose III, not II.

* WhateverHappenedToTheMouse: Applies to what happens to several characters in the film, but most notably Aaron and Miriam, who are never seen again in the film again after the Golden Calf incident, but it sadly apparent that they never survived the forty years of extra wandering as punishment for their people's collective sin. Likewise Bithia, although she never took part in the tragedy, and did come over to Moses' side after his return thus escaping God's wrath.

* MookDepletion: Rameses sends his army after Moses and the departing Israelites only to be told that they were all killed when the Red Sea parted, and then un-parted. The final shot of him is on his throne, silently contemplating how he can rule his country with no army to back him up. In this case it happens because the opponent's might (God's) is such that it wipes the whole army out in one swift strike.

** The red white black pattern of the Tribe of Levi ''is'' actually the pattern associated with the Tribe of Levi. The designer of Moses' robe didn't know that when he chose the colors!

* ThereAreNoCoincidences: During production, the man who designed Moses's distinctive rust white and black striped robe used those colors because they looked impressive -- he only later discovered that [[GeniusBonus these are the actual colors of the Tribe of Levi]].

[[caption-width-right:300:''"Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel: '''let my people go!'''"'']]

--> From the frontiers of Sinai and Libya to the cataracts of the Nile, what nation would dare raise a sword against us?

--> The city he builds will bear my name. The woman he loves will bear my child. So let it be written. So let it be done.

--> Tears? When you have been bathed in scented water.... when your limbs have been caressed by sweet oils... and your hair combed with sandalwood... there will be no time for tears.

---> Rameses: I will - to mingle with your own!

--> Pentaur: I would rather this was your armor.

-->'''Sethi''': Let the name of Moses be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all pylons and obelisks, stricken from every monument of Egypt. Let the name of Moses be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of men for all time.
-->Subverted when Sethi is on his deathbed:\\
'''Sethi''': You are the only thing I regret leaving. You have been my joy.\\

-->'''Moses''': I love you, my mother, but am I your son... [''Moses glances at Bithiah''] or yours?\\

-->'''Sethi:''' Let the name of Moses be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all pylons and obelisks, stricken from every monument of Egypt. Let the name of Moses be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of men for all time.

-->"Command what you have conquered, my brother."

-->'''Bithiah''': The day you break that oath will be the last your eyes will ever see.

--> '''Moses:''' Those who shall not live by the law, '''''SHALL DIE BY THE LAW!!!'''''

-->'''Moses''': A city is made of brick, Pharaoh. The strong make many. The weak make few. The dead make none.

[[caption-width-right:300:''"Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel: let my people go!"'']]

You know the basic tale -- or if you don't, you need either to see this or read [[Literature/BookOfExodus the source material]]. Moses hears the voice of God while out in the wilderness. It ages him about forty years -- hey, the film may be long, but to keep the cast of characters constant, the time in which it takes place is compressed. Moses goes to Rameses to tell him that God wants him to let His people go, or else. "Or else" happens. Nefretiri tries to seduce Moses out of this position; it doesn't work...

Creator/CharltonHeston plays Moses. Creator/YulBrynner plays Rameses. They are in a LoveTriangle with Nefretiri (Creator/AnneBaxter), whom Moses might have won, had the matter of injustice to Hebrew slaves not come up. Other important characters are, naturally, Pharaoh Sethi, the father of Rameses and adoptive father of Moses (Sir Cedric Hardwicke); Moses's brother Aaron (Creator/JohnCarradine); Baka (Creator/VincentPrice); Sephora ([[Series/TheMunsters Yvonne de Carlo]]), daughter of Jethro and Moses's eventual wife; Joshua (Jon Derek); and Liliah (Debra Paget), the woman Joshua loves--who happens to be the sex slave of the overseer Dathan (Creator/EdwardGRobinson, [[Film/LittleCaesar see?]]).

The last of the great Creator/CecilBDeMille epics, and a [[TheRemake remake]] of [[Film/TheTenCommandments1923 his own 1923 silent film of the same name]], this 1956 film from Creator/{{Paramount}} tells the [[Literature/TheBible biblical]] story of [[Literature/BookOfExodus Moses and the Exodus]].

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ten_Commandments_poster.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"So let it be written. So let it be done."'']]

->''"Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel: let my people go!"''
-->-- '''Moses'''

The last of the great Creator/CecilBDeMille epics, and a {{remake}} of [[Film/TheTenCommandments1923 his own 1923 silent film of the same name]], this 1956 film from Creator/{{Paramount}} tells the [[Literature/TheBible biblical]] story of [[Literature/BookOfExodus Moses and the Exodus]].

The last of the great Creator/CecilBDeMille epics, and a {{remake}} of [[Film/TheTenCommandments1923 his own 1923 silent film of the same name]], this 1956 film from Creator/{{Paramount}} tells Literature/TheBible story of [[Literature/BookOfExodus Moses and the Exodus]].

* AdaptedOut: The Nubian princess seen early in the film, according to the DVD commentary, is supposed to be Moses' wife, as he apparently married her during his travels, though this is not mentioned on screen. Not only is she never referred to nor seen again, no reference is made when Moses marries again later in the film.
** More then likely Seti took her away from Moses and forced her into marriage with someone else when Moses got exiled.
* AdultFear: The death of one's child. Despite the bastard he's been throughout the film, it's hard not to feel Rameses' fear when he realizes his son might die, nor his and Nefretiri's grief when he does.

** The term "Pharaoh" was not used contemporaneously for a ruler until 1200 BC, thirteen years after the death of Ramses II.

* TheAtoner:
** Bithia, after she joins her adopted son Moses and his people in the Exodus. We see offering an ailing Hebrew slave her seat on her litter, then agreeing to take a sapling fig tree from him to plant in the Holy Land as he unable to travel there, and he can at least be assured he can leave a legacy there. We also see her offering to stop her nephew's charging army, and guiding Hebrew children through the Red Sea.
* BadassBaritone: Both Moses and Rameses, and God. Joshua can lower his voice to very heroic levels when necessary.

* BadassBoast: Rameses I's commander at the beginning, when he challenges Jannes' claim of attack:

* BefriendingTheEnemy: Despite his initial suspicion of her being from the Royal Family that oppressed his people, Moses' Hebrew slave friend Mered quickly becomes a loyal friend to Moses' adopted mother Bithia, to the point that he prevents her from her risking her life by attempting to halt her nephew's charging army.
** According to Jewish legend, Mered and Bithia [[TheyDo actually become a couple]]!
* BerserkButton: Never interrupt Jannes in the middle of one of his lengthy proclamations, or the pompous OldWindbag will threaten you with a point of a sword snatched from the nearest guard!

* ChickMagnet: Moses to a degree--all of Jethro's daughters, with one exception, are trying to catch his eye. (Guess which one he ends up choosing for his wife?) He also attracts Nefertiri, who ''has'' his eye for the first part of the film, and the Nubian princess Moses presents to Seti, who seems quite taken by her conqueror.
** In the Bible, [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+12&version=NCV Tharbis was Moses' Nubian bride]]. [[note]]Naturally, a prince should have several wives, and only Nefretiri could be the Great Royal Wife.[[/note]] De Mille wanted to establish this in the film, but realized it was too radical for audiences of his time.

* DeathGlare: Several, but Nefretiri gives a ferocious one to the Ethiopian princess flirting with Moses.

* EldritchAbomination: The Angel of Death. Rather than being a human looking angel (or TheGrimReaper,) it's portrayed as a cloud of bluish fog descending from the sky in the shape of a creepy hand. It makes sense for the Angel to take on this kind of form, given the nature of its job but still, it's incredibly creepy....

* EstablishingCharacterMoment

* {{Exposition}}: Several characters, but a great example is The "Blind One", a blind old man explaining aspects of the Exodus to his two grandchildren as they describe them to him, such as the funeral procession of their ancestor Joseph as it being borne by Jewish elders to be buried in the Holy Land as his deathbed request. Likewise he recognizes the golden image of a calf handed to him by a fellow slave as an object of pagan worship, which he rejects in horror, but it ironically will later inspire Dathan to creat a false god for his people to worship.
** Gershom, whom we see Moses telling the story of how his materal ancestor Ishmael survives in the desert due to God's mercy, thus establishing that Moses has learned of his people's and Seporah's collective history during his time spent with her family.

* {{Fanservice}}: By modern standards, many of the outfits worn by the women in the palace are pretty revealing. In the 1950s, they were pushing the limits of what was allowable on screen. (By ancient Egyptian standards, they are all [[AdaptationalModesty over-dressed]].) There are plenty shirtless male characters.

* GilliganCut: God declares "Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image". . .which fades into the people putting the finishing touches on the golden calf.

* TheHighQueen: Nefretiri becomes this to Rameses' [[TheHighKing High King]].
* TheHighKing: Rameses becomes this as Pharaoh, despite the stacks against him because of his adopted brother Moses' accomplishments.

* HisNameIs: Seti on his deathbed breaks his own decree by saying Moses's name.

* IHaveNoSon: Invoked by Sethi when he learns that Moses is the deliverer, and he decrees:

* IJustKnew: Miriam when she warns the women to stock up on water since there will be none for 7 days. It's implied she uses this gift often ("Miriam is always right.")
** It is mention in the Book of Exodus Chapter 15 she is a prophetess.

--> "I never said it came from Memnet"

* {{Irony}}: The following quote:

* JerkassHasAPoint: Nefreteri correctly points out to Moses after catching him slumming as a slave in the mudpits that if he goes ahead with revealing his secret and renounce his status, he will break Bithia's and Sethi's hearts, guarantee that his own people will suffer more with Rameses as their next overlord, whom incidentally [[ArrangedMarriage she will have to marry.]]

* JerkassWoobie: Rameses II can definitely be seen as this, as the plagues bringing down his kingdom is his own fault.
** In a more humorous sense, Jannes the High Priest as Moses and God consistently humiliate and discredit him and his gods in front of Rameses II and the Royal Court.

* KilledOffscreen: Implied with Rameses I. We skip ahead some thirtysomething years to find that Sethi his son is now ruler, and any reference to Rameses I is in the past tense. (Historically, he only ruled a couple of years anyway.)

* TheLancer: Joshua

* LargeHam: Of the WorldOfHam variety. It has Moses, Rameses, Nefretiri, Baka, The Narrator, and the biggest of them, {{God}}. And Sethi, just for the way he says "stricken" in the above speech. (Well, ''Sir Cedric Hardwicke''.)
** And Jannes, the OldWindbag...

* TheLastThingYouEverSee: Bithiah says it to Memnet, when making her swear to keep quiet about Moses.

* LittleGirlsKickShins: Rameses II's son kicks Moses in the shins, presumably so we don't feel too bad when the little brat dies.
** Actually, at closer look, the boy actually kicks Moses' rod after he just demonstrates God's power through having the rod miraculously turn into a cobra and back again, but it is still an insulting and defiant gesture to both Moses and God, thereby we still don't feel too bad over what happens to the princely brat.

* MassOhCrap: Seen on the side of those who worshipped the golden calf as Moses pass judgement.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Discussed by Ramses with his ministers, concerning the first few plagues.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: or rather what they failed to do. Aaron and Miriam over their shared guilt and remorse at being unable to prevent their people from corrupting themselves in Moses' absence is painfully obvious.

* NephariousPharaoh: Like most works based off the Literature/BookOfExodus from Literature/TheBible, it has the Pharaoh Ramses as the BigBad.

* NeverMyFault: Rameses blames Nefeteri for the death of their son because her nasty taunts "hardened his heart" to keep the Hebrews slaves just so Moses would stay in Egypt.

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Edward G. Robinson was cast as the villain Dathan, whom he played in his usual New York gangster style.

** Likewise Eugene Mazolla, the child actor who played Rameses' son Prince Amun also didn't hide his American accent either.

* OutlivingOnesOffspring: Pentaur sees his firstborn son dropped dead in front of him.

* PragmaticVillainy: Prince Moses has no problem using the Hebrew slaves to build the treasure city, but he knows that happier and healthier slaves are more productive. So he increases their rations and gives them one day in seven to rest, and construction thus accelerates.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: As of 2016, it has been discovered that Ramses II was indeed fair skinned.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: In the bible and the original film, the Pharaoh/Rameses died when the Red Sea rejoined.

* TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside: During Nefertiti's attempt to win back Moses' love, she argues that Sephora is not as attractive as her, but Moses tells her that she fails to understand that there is a beauty of spirit.

* WouldHurtAChild: Rameses I, if he feels his legacy is being threatened.

* ActingForTwo: Although it was never credited, Charleton Heston also was the voice of God, as well as playing Moses. Make of that what you will.

Creator/CharltonHeston plays Moses. Creator/YulBrynner plays Rameses. They are in a LoveTriangle with Nefretiri (Creator/AnneBaxter), whom Moses might have won, had the matter of injustice to Hebrew slaves not come up. Other important characters are, naturally, Moses's brother Aaron (Creator/JohnCarradine); Sephora ([[Series/TheMunsters Yvonne de Carlo]]), daughter of Jethro and Moses's eventual wife; Joshua (Jon Derek); and Liliah (Debra Paget), the woman Joshua loves--who happens to be the sex slave of the overseer Dathan (Creator/EdwardGRobinson, [[Film/LittleCaesar see?]]).

* LogoJoke: The logo is cued over an image of Mount Sinai, rather than the usual mountain.

* AwfulWeddedLife: Rameses and Nefretiri. (it was an Arranged Marriage after all) The only thing keeping them going is their son.

* {{Expostion

-->'''Dathan''': Joshua's strength didn't kill the master builder.
-->'''Rameses''': Now speaks the rat that would be my ears.
-->'''Dathan''': Too many ears tie a rat's tongue.

* StubbornMule: One of these appears during the leaving of Egypt.

(This can be taken as a symbol of the Hebrew nation's own stubbornness that will cost them 40 years of extra wandering in the desert.)

* ArtImitatesArt: Director Cecil B. DeMille reportedly instructed set designers to study the Egypt-themed paintings of Creator/LawrenceAlmaTadema in order to achieve his artistic vision.

*** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-first_Dynasty_of_Egypt 21st Dynasty]] mummies have been found with silk ribbons in their hair. This scene is only 200 years off. Could silk have been sent to Egypt in Ramses' (19th Dynasty) time? Not likely, or archaeologists would see more of it from earlier than the 21st. The Egyptians would have been crazy about it. Byssus, the "golden web spun from the beards of shellfish", is also an anachronism. There was a cloth with the same name -- it's even mentioned on the Rosetta Stone -- but it was really super-fine linen.

* AgeLift: As a horrified Rameses watches his son Prince Amun succumbing to the final plague he comments that the boy is his only son. Historically however, Rameses' thirteenth son and successor Merneptah was nineteen when death claimed Rameses' first Amun-her-khepsef, and this boy hardly looked twelve or thirteen.

* GetOut: Sethi does this to Bithia after Rameses brings Moses to his court.
-->'''Bithia: Forgive me Sethi, it was I who deceived you, not Moses. He was only a child! \\
'''Sethi: Leave me. You shall not see my face again!

-->'''Ramses:''' Come to me no more, Moses! For on the day you see my face again, you will surely die!\\
Moses (deadpan): ...So let it be written!