And actually, as epics go, it’s a really good movie.
I really like a lot of the little scenes by some random extras, just a couple of lines here and there. Of course Yul Brenner and Anne Baxter are the best unhappy couple on film. I really like Heston in it. Up to the point that he meets God and becomes “MOSES”. Before when he is just Moses he is a very interesting character.
Anyone else watch it this year?
I didn’t watch it, but Heston was just about my favorite actor.
I have favorite scenes from that movie. One is the visualization of the angel of Death passing through. That smoky cloud, low to the ground, was chilling the first time I saw it and still is.
When Moses wife and Nefertiri confront each other I like the bitter/resigned tone of voice his wife uses when she says “You lost him when he went to seek his God. *** I*** lost him when he found him.”
And when Ramses returns from the disaster at the Red Sea, he draws his sword to kill Nefertiri. She doesn’t even look around and says “Before you strike, show me his blood on your sword.” He throws down the sword, and in a resigned tone she says “You couldn’t even kill him.”
Too bad Edward G. didn’t say, “My little mud flower. Yaaah. Yaaaah. My little mud flower.”
Didn’t the ancient Egyptians have cigars?
One of my favorite movies, and watching is an eagerly-awaited annual event. One of my cats is named Mosby, and we often say to him, “Oh, Mosby, Mosby!” a la Yul Brynner or Anne Baxter.
My question this year is…where did the Hebrew slaves get all that gold they melted down for the idol? Ditto the colorful orgywear!
They took the temple gold when they left Egypt. There is a little scene where a boy shows his old “blind” father (grand?) some gold he got. The old man touches it and knows it is an idol and doesn’t want it.
Boy the film doesn’t really show the Hebrews in a good light with how easily they are influenced by Dannon after leaving.
And I think the last plague is one of the scariest things on film. Way scarier than the flying monkeys.
Love that movie
I watched part of it with my sister. We’re both big fans from when we were kids. One of the most quotable movies, right up there with “The Princess Bride”.
“So let it be written. So let it be done.”
I’m more of a breaker than a watcher.
Heston’s autobiographies offer some fascinating insights to the filming of this movie, among others. But my favorite “Easter” movie has always been Ben-Hur.
Have you ever seen de Mille’s silent version? *Fabulous! *Nita Naldi is just insane, and the special effects are actually better than in the Technicolor talkie.
I haven’t been able to watch that movie since that scene scared the daylights out of me when I was a kid!
I’ve only seen a few stills. Some of those sets are AMAZING!
[Anne Baxter]Mmmmoooossssseeeess…[/AB]
[QUOTE=Baker]
"And when Ramses returns from the disaster at the Red Sea, he draws his sword to kill Nefertiri. She doesn’t even look around and says “Before you strike, show me his blood on your sword.” He throws down the sword, and in a resigned tone she says “You couldn’t even kill him.”
[/QUOTE]
“Hizz God… izz God.”
The most famous is the Red Sea made of Jello (which most grandmothers did not recognize as such due to the lack of fruit cocktail floating in it). Red Sea scenes in this.
No, no, it’s always doubled: “Moses, Moses.” This must happen well over a dozen times in the movie. And, amusingly, it’s biblical: in the biblical text, God calls Moses from the burning bush, “Moses, Moses.”
The special effects have become more see-through now that CGI is so predominant, the old blue-edged superimposition technique is dated, but the sets and costumes are still tons of fun. To say nothing of the cast of thousands, which would all now be CGI generated. I love the old time epics.
Obligatory link to one of the greatest and most-linked-to fan trailers ever:
Ten Things I Hate About Commandments (aka "The 10 Commandments as a teen comedy)
This is an annual tradition for me and my family, and “so let it be written…” and “O, Moses, Moses…” are favorite catch phrases.
Missed it this year, unfortunately. Just moved and the cable wasn’t installed yet.
I watched it for about 20 years before I figured out why they always show it around Easter time, even though it has nothing to do with Christ and the Resurrection. :smack:
Did you notice that the blind grandfather is wearing a wrist watch?
“are her lips dry and chafed like the desert…or are they red and moist like the pomegranate?” Ann Baxter looks SO very 50’s, with her short bangs and pomegranate lips! Funny how the makeup in every epic reflects the real-life style of the year it’s made in.
I don’t think Yul Brynner was ever more fabulous in any movie than this one.
I was the same way. I grew up in Oklahoma and so there are not a lot of Jews around. It wasn’t till I moved to NYC that I made the connection.