4K Blu-ray Review: The Ten Commandments

The Film

Religious films of this era are very much a product of their time. Like other religious products they are propagandist tools designed to twist pop-culture in their favor, and seen through a modern lens they're not particularly graceful about it, either.

But as with all propganda, they attracted immense talent to work on them, so they're also a mark of high craftsmanship. Yes, they're hugely conserative, gaudy, and Old Testament in more than just the story, but they feature some of the finest filmmaking of their respective years, too. It's an eternal conflict of art versus artist, especially when it comes to politics.

And while I'm not particularly a fan of the story of Moses in any incarnation, there's no denying that Cecil B. DeMille's grand masterpiece – itself a remake of his previous version of the same story – is a triumph of filmmaking. Grandly designed, wonderfully acted, and full of old-school Hollywood bravado, it's a feast for those who want a taste of how opulent and grandiose this period in modern art history was like.

At nearly four hours in length, The Ten Commandments is a mammoth fantasy epic full of spectacle and big melodrama. It's often hilariously unsubtle about the point it wants to make – or the politics it wants to preserve – but if you can look past these issues, you'll be rewarded with storytelling that has aged surprisingly well.

Look, for example, at how deftly DeMille handles the chase across the desert, or how poetic the death of the firstborns is in his hands. For all his faults as a filmmaker, DeMille knew how to create compelling populist cinema, and his legacy is evident everywhere in big blockbuster directors today. Just look at James Cameron and his Avatar franchise.

Video

Superlative is the only word to describe the work that has gone into reviving this 6K print into a pristine 4K UHD release. Everything from the effects shots (of which there are many) to the sumptuous technicolor and costuming looks immaculate.

Great care has gone into maintaining the skin tones, even in the sequences that highlight them oddly to preserve the unfortunate brownface trend of the era. This is a very, very white cast pretending to be North African, and it's occasionally deeply uncomfortable to watch. Especially as the impeccably sharp image refuses to hide any of the blemishes or short cuts taken in an already expensive production.

That said, on a purely technical level The Ten Commandments looks amazing. It's the kind of restoration you measure others to. There isn't a single element here that is out of place, and film historians and fans alike should celebrate the level of detail that Paramount has put into keeping the film alive.

Audio

Like the image quality, the sound mix on the 4K disc is a feast for AV fans and even just regular fans who want to experience the film in the best format possible. The Master Audio is as close to, if not better, than what it was in theaters, thanks to a loving restoration that emphasizes clarity and highlights the bombastic score by Hollywood legend Elmer Bernstein.

Extras

Sadly, none of the extras from previous editions have made it onto the 4K disc. It's especially annoying because this isn't the case in other territories, where the 4K edition comes with an additional Blu-ray disc including documentaries and even the original silent film original from 1920. Once again the Nordic edition is as stripped down as it gets.

Overall

On a purely technical level, The Ten Commandments is an exquisite feature well worth preserving. This 4K UHD disc is the best the film has ever looked or sounded, and it deserves all the praise it can get for that alone.

Sadly, the extras are completely non-existent on the Nordic release and the film itself is a mixed bag. I'd say this one is for the fans and the film buffs, and despite the immaculate technical quality most should wait for the upcoming 4K of Ben-Hur, the far superior biblical epic, coming in 2026.