Ten Commandments (The)

Genre: religious drama 

With: Charlton Heston (Moses), Anne Baxter (Nefretiri), Yul Brynner (Rameses), Yvonne De Carlo (Sephora), John Derek (Joshua), Cedric Hardwicke (Sethi), Nina Foch (Bithiah), Judith Anderson (Memnet), John Carradine (Aaron), Edward G. Robinson (Dathan), Debra Paget (Lilia), Martha Scott (Yochabel), Vincent Price (Baka)

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Screenplay: Æneas MacKenzie, Jesse Lasky Jr., Jack Gariss and Fredric M. Frank (using books by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, J.H. Ingraham and A.E. Southon)

Release: 1956

Studio: Motion Picture Associates, Inc., Paramount Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

‟Who am I, Lord, that you should send me?” 

 

QuickView 

Story-line: religious sources tell us that around 1700 to 1500 B.C., the children of Israel, who had fled southward because of a famine, had become such an influential group within Egypt that a fearful Pharaoh ordered their enslavement (as you can see, issues of immigration and nativism are nothing new). Thus, for decades and possibly generations, Hebrews toiled mercilessly under Egyptian taskmasters, building monuments and imploring God to rescue them from bondage. And God answered by sending them a child of man named Moses, an unlikely leader who would face Egypt armed only with a shepherd’s staff and his faith.    

Pluses: formidable acting by Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, a magnificent Anne Baxter (in a psychologically shifting role), other well-known thespians and a cast of thousands, amazing direction, an ingenious and well researched screenplay that uses symbols, sharp dialogues and eye-popping props and setups to recreate an important moment in Antiquity, blockbuster production values (sets, designs and costumes), awesome cinematography, very convincing special effects and an evocative musical score.

Minuses: although the screenplay takes some liberties with the Old Testament − by filling in the blanks, adding sentimental subplots and pumping up the drama − it does so in a measured and logical way. A few false notes are apparent (the Ethiopian king’s daughter who speaks with a noticeably American accent, the emphatic ‟cavalry charge” music during the Red Sea episode, a rather abrupt ending) but these are very minor gripes considering the movie’s scope and runtime (220 minutes).   

Comments: in 1923, Cecil B. DeMille made a movie loosely based on Exodus but, in this gigantic and glorious ‟remake”, he focused on the event itself and the burdens – humiliation, disbelief, ingratitude, loneliness – that Moses carried during his mission. In this regard (and several others), a parallel can be drawn with the indignities sustained by Jesus Christ who commented – in the Book of Matthew (8:29) – that “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Inspiring, breathtaking and memorable, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS remains a powerful cinematic experience more than six decades after its release.   

 

MBiS 

© 2023 – All rights reserved

Turist

Also known as: Force Majeure

Genre: comedy drama

With: Johannes Kuhnke (Tomas), Lisa Loven Kongsli (Ebba), Clara Wettergren (their daughter Vera), Vincent Wettergren (their son Harry), Kristofer Hivju (Mats), Fanni Metelius (Fanny), Karin Myrenberg (Charlotte), Brady Corbet (the American)

Director: Ruben Östlund

Screenplay: Ruben Östlund

Release: 2014

Studio: ARTE, BLS Business Location Südtirol-Alto Adige, Beofilm, C More Entertainment et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.0/10 

 

A Therapy Session on the Slopes 

 

QuickView

Story-line: having just arrived at a comfy ski resort in the French Alps, Tomas, Ebba and their children see their vacation upended by an unforeseen event that breaks up the family’s harmony.     

Pluses: good acting by the two leads and supporting cast, sober direction, a subdued, well-observed and logically written screenplay that raises thorny issues and develops a fair amount of psychological tension and even danger, lovely and at times unusual cinematography (the drone scenes are spectacular), very good production values, an interesting score consisting of classical pieces and electro music, an understated but topical ending.

Minuses: before seeing FORCE MAJEURE, I was under the impression that it was per se a disaster movie like THE IMPOSSIBLE but I quickly realized I was very wrong. Yes, there is an avalanche at the 15-minute mark – the unforeseen event alluded to above – yet this incident is only the premise for the discussions and soul-searching to come. The movie in general – although I confess my bias against skiing vacations, which sound rather boring to me – feels a bit slow and uninteresting at times.      

Comments: Ruben Östlund’s drama on skis depicts a family in disarray – a workaholic dad, a disappointed mom, restless children wondering what’s happening – and treats its subject thoughtfully as it considers every detail, feeling or impression that such a crisis elicits. Also important are the story’s supporting characters, especially Mats and Fanny, who contribute meaningfully to the resolution of the conflict. FORCE MAJEURE is neither lively nor wickedly funny… it is a quiet, well-meaning and rational film that you will enjoy if you don’t approach it with excessive expectations. Anyone, it seems, can yield to panic.    

 

MBiS 

© 2023 – All rights reserved