Overview
A timeless tale of faith and freedom unfolds as one man answers a divine call.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- grand
- reverent
- dramatic
- classic cinema night
- religious holiday viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a hugely ambitious and enduring biblical epic praised for its spectacle, performances, and classical Hollywood grandeur.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cecil B. DeMille stages Egypt, the Exodus, miracles, and the giving of the commandments on an unusually large production scale.
Moses returns to Egypt to free the Hebrews from bondage under Pharaoh.
Moses is raised in the Egyptian royal court before learning of his Hebrew heritage and embracing responsibility for his people.
The film adapts biblical material and frames Moses's conflict with Pharaoh through God's commands, miracles, and religious destiny.
Films like The Ten Commandments, and why
Ben-Hur
shared biblical epic scale, ancient setting, religious themes, and heroic moral conflict
Spartacus
shared sword-and-sandal spectacle, slavery narrative, imperial power struggle, and uplifting liberation arc
Quo Vadis
shared monumental historical drama, religious conviction, lavish production design, and charismatic lead performance
The Robe
shared epic historical storytelling, persecution themes, large-scale spectacle, and classic Hollywood grandeur
Movie Details
- Director
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Release Date
- 1956-10-05
- Runtime
- 220 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (1935)
Cast
- Charlton Heston
- Yul Brynner
- Anne Baxter
- Edward G. Robinson
- Yvonne De Carlo
- Debra Paget
- John Derek
- Cedric Hardwicke
- Nina Foch
- Martha Scott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Ten Commandments about?
- A monumental biblical epic follows Moses from royal adoption to prophetic leader of a people seeking freedom from Egypt.
- What is The Ten Commandments like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Ten Commandments as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Ten Commandments violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Ten Commandments as mild.
- What did critics think of The Ten Commandments?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a hugely ambitious and enduring biblical epic praised for its spectacle, performances, and classical Hollywood grandeur.
- Which films are like The Ten Commandments?
- Films with a similar feel include Ben-Hur, Spartacus, Quo Vadis, and The Robe.
- How long is The Ten Commandments?
- The Ten Commandments runs 220 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Ten Commandments?
- In United States, The Ten Commandments streams on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
