Is ‘The Ten Commandments’ a Remake?

<p id=”par-1_71″>Cecil B. DeMille is known for his larger-than-life <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/music/”>movies</a>, and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/the-ten-commandments-always-better-the-prince-of-egypt.html/”><em>The Ten Commandments</em> (1956)</a> is often considered one of his greatest achievements. However, many people mistakenly believe that this 1956 film is simply a remake of his 1923 version of <em>The Ten Commandments</em>. While both films share the same title and director, they are not the same movie. Here’s why the 1956 film is not a remake of the 1923 version.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-1-different-stories”>1. Different stories</h2>

<p id=”par-2_73″><a href=”https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cecil-B-DeMille#ref1263896″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Britannica</a> reports he 1923 <em>The Ten Commandments</em> is a silent film with two distinct storylines. The first tells the biblical tale of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. The second is a modern-day story about two bothers, one who respects the Ten Commandments and one who abhors them. The movie contrasts the ancient story with a more contemporary moral lesson, showing how the Ten Commandments affect both the ancient and modern world.</p>

<p id=”par-3_49″>In contrast, the 1956 version focuses entirely <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/the-ten-commandments-ignored-dark-things-moses.html/”>on the biblical story of Moses</a>, with no modern-day subplot. It sticks strictly to the story of Moses freeing the Israelites and receiving the Ten Commandments. The two films are connected by their title and director, but their stories are completely different.</p>

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<iframe title=”The Ten Commandments (DeMille, 1923) — High Quality 1080p” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/XLwq-SdJkic?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-2-technological-differences”>2. Technological differences</h2>

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<p id=”par-4_70″>When the 1923 version was made, the film industry was still in the early years of the sound era. The 1923 <em>The Ten Commandments</em> was a silent film, relying on title cards to tell the story. In contrast, the 1956 version was a fully sound film with color and massive special effects. These advancements in technology make the two films feel very different in terms of visual style and presentation.</p>

<p id=”par-5_42″>The 1956 film also uses groundbreaking special effects for its time, such as the famous parting of the Red Sea. These effects are far beyond what was possible in the 1920s, showing how far cinema had come in just a few decades.</p>

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<iframe title=”THE TEN COMMANDMENTS | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/KBzbyIPWVT4?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-3-different-casting-and-performances”>3. Different casting and performances</h2>

<p id=”par-6_66″>The cast of the 1923 film is entirely different from the 1956 version. In 1923, the role of Moses was played by the actor Theodore Roberts, who was much older and did not have the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/the-ten-commandments-star-charlton-heston-played-2-parts-son-also-movie.html/”>same physical presence as Charlton Heston</a> in 1956. Heston’s portrayal of Moses in the later film became iconic, and his strong performance helped elevate the 1956 version into a cultural touchstone.</p>

<p id=”par-7_50″>In the 1923 film, the cast was much smaller and included many unknown actors at the time. By 1956, the cast included well-known stars such as Yul Brynner as Rameses and Anne Baxter as Nefretiri. These casting choices also reflect the difference in scale and ambition between the two films.</p>

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<iframe title=”Let My People Go – The Ten Commandments (1/10) Movie CLIP (1956) HD” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ahkwQhQZWG8?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-4-dramatic-scale-and-ambition”>4. Dramatic scale and ambition</h2>

<p id=”par-8_54″>The 1956 <em>The Ten Commandments</em> is famous for its grand scale and ambitious set designs. The film includes massive sets, elaborate costumes, and large-scale crowd scenes. DeMille used all the resources available at the time to create a film that felt like an epic. This grandiosity was a key feature of Hollywood’s “Golden Age.”</p>

<p id=”par-9_56″>The 1923 version, while impressive for its time, did not have the same budget or resources. The sets were simpler, and the scenes were less expansive. The modern film, with its huge budget and more advanced techniques, had the opportunity to bring the story of Moses to life in ways that the 1923 film could not.</p>

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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”The Ten Commandments (2/10) Movie CLIP – Baby Moses Sent Down the River (1956) HD” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/92ygYJw9CSE?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-5-a-new-vision-for-the-story”>5. A new vision for the story</h2>

<p id=”par-10_65″>Although both films were directed by DeMille, the 1956 version represented his vision for a more refined, modern retelling of the biblical story. By the 1950s, DeMille had gained more experience and influence, which allowed him to expand on the story of Moses. The 1956 version explores deeper themes of faith, freedom, and leadership, making it a more emotionally complex film than its 1923 counterpart.</p>

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<iframe loading=”lazy” title=”The Ten Commandments (3/10) Movie CLIP – Moses Turns Water Into Blood (1956) HD” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/OYeox3LLQ08?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-11_42″>DeMille also chose to make the 1956 film in color and with sound, creating a more immersive experience for audiences. This film was a way for him to revisit the story with the tools and techniques that were available at the time.</p>

<p id=”par-12_79″>While both films share a director and the same title, the 1956 <em>The Ten Commandments</em> is not a remake of the 1923 version. The two films have different stories, cast members, and technological advancements. The 1923 film is a silent film with two storylines, while the 1956 version focuses solely on the biblical story. Despite these differences, both films stand as important achievements in DeMille’s career. However, the 1956 version remains the more famous and enduring of the two.</p>

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