Silent Era : Home Video Reviews

Silent Era Home Page > Home Video > The Ten Commandments

Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved.

The Ten
Commandments
(1923)

Cecil B. DeMille’s heavy-handed, moral lecture features Theodore Roberts, Charles De Roche, Estelle Taylor and Julia Faye in its biblical story, and Richard Dix, Rod La Rocque, Leatrice Joy, Nita Naldi, Robert Edeson, Charles Ogle and Agnes Ayres in its modern morality play.

Paramount Home Entertainment
2021 UHD Blu-ray Disc edition

The Ten Commandments (1956), color, 231 minutes, MPAA Rated G, with The Ten Commandments (1923), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 136 minutes, not rated.

Paramount Home Entertainment,
3000087934, UPC 1-91329-20858-8.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc (one UHD, and three BDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at 34.8 Mbps average video bit rate; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 256 Mbps audio bit rate (music), and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Mbps audio bit rate (commentary); English language intertitles, optional French, Portuguese and Spanish language subtitles; 15 chapter stops; standard four-disc BD steelbook keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 23 November 2021.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This UHD / Blu-ray Disc edition has been mastered from the same HD masters as the previously-released Paramount BD / DVD editions noted below. The 1923 film is not available in 4K UHD in this set; the 1956 film is the only content provided on 4K UHD, the other three Blu-ray Discs are exactly identical to the 2020 Paramount three-disc set noted below.

The film is presented with the Gaylord Carter theatre pipe organ music score that accompanied Paramount’s 1990s VHS home video edition and the 2006 DVD.

Supplemental material for the 1923 version includes the optional audio commentary by Katherine Orrison previously available in Paramount’s 2006 edition, a remastered HD presentation of footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea sequence hand-tinted in the Handschiegl color process taken from DeMille’s personal print of the 1923 film (21 minutes); a remastered HD presentation of a two-color Technicolor segment (9 minutes); “The Ten Commendments; Making Miracles,” an overview of DeMille’s career and the making of the two films (73 minutes); and a photo gallery with images from The Ten Commandments (1923) (298 images).

This is our recommended home video edition of The Ten Commandments (1923), if you want to own the 1956 film in 4K UHD — otherwise, consider the 2020 Blu-ray Disc noted below.

This Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Paramount Home Entertainment
2020 Blu-ray Disc edition

The Ten Commandments (1956), color, 231 minutes, MPAA Rated G, with The Ten Commandments (1923), black & white, and color-tinted black & white, 136 minutes, not rated.

Paramount Home Entertainment,
33678, UPC 0-32429-33678-3.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc (three BDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at 34.8 Mbps average video bit rate; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 256 Mbps audio bit rate (music), and Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Mbps audio bit rate (commentary); English language intertitles, optional French, Portuguese and Spanish language subtitles; 15 chapter stops; BD book with plastic trays; $22.98.
Release date: 10 March 2020.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

This remastered Blu-ray Disc edition gives us an affordable, high-quality upgrade to not only the well-known 1956 film but also the original 1923 silent version. The picture is virtually the same as in the previous Paramount DVDs noted except that the same scan is now delivered on Blu-ray Disc.

The film is presented with the Gaylord Carter theatre pipe organ music score that accompanied Paramount’s 1990s VHS home video edition and the 2006 DVD.

This is our recommended home video edition of The Ten Commandments (1923).

USA: Click to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports the Silent Era website.

Canada: Click to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports the Silent Era website.

United Kingdom: Click to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Paramount Home Media
2011 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition

The Ten Commandments (1956), color, 232 minutes, MPAA Rated G, with The Ten Commandments (1923), black & white, 136 minutes, not rated.

Paramount Home Media Distribution, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number (ultimate edition), UPC 0-97361-43494-0 (limited edition), unknown ISBN number (ultimate edition), ISBN 1-4157-5807-7 (limited edition).
One single-sided, dual-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc (three BDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at 34.4 Mbps average video bit rate; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 448 Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles (silent feature), optional French, Portuguese and Spanish language subtitles (silent feature); and one single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc (three DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, optional French, Portuguese and Spanish language subtitles (silent feature); chapter stops; plastic disc trays in cardboard wrapper (ultimate edition) or plastic replica commandments tablets disc storage case (limited edition) inside plastic box; $89.99.
Release date: 29 March 2011.
Country of origin: USA

This dual-format Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition, that is available in the ultimate collectors’ edition and the limited gift set (100,000 numbered copies) edition, includes the 1923 production on Blu-ray Disc. It appears that a high-definition remastering of the silent version has been made for this release. It is assumed that the BD content has also been provided on the DVDs in the boxset.

It is very likely that the 1923 film is accompanied by the Gaylord Carter theatre pipe organ score previously associated with Paramount Home Video editions of this film.

Supplemental material for the 1923 version includes audio commentary by Katherine Orrison previously available in Paramount’s 2006 edition; a remastered HD presentation of footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea sequence hand-tinted in the Handschiegl color process taken from DeMille’s personal print of the 1923 film (21 minutes); a remastered HD presentation of a two-color Technicolor segment (9 minutes); and a photo gallery with images from The Ten Commandments (1923).

USA: Click to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com.

This Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued and is . . .

Paramount Home Media
2017 DVD edition

The Ten Commandments (1923), black & white, 136 minutes, not rated, Canadian Rated G.

Paramount Home Media Distribution,
2080880, UPC 0-32429-28804-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, optional French language subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $12.98.
Release date: 7 November 2017.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

Likely produced from the same master as the 2006 Paramount DVD edition noted below, which utilized a very-good to excellent 35mm print. This disc is identical to the 2006 Paramount DVD edition noted below, right down to the dated John Wayne Collection on DVD preview, the film’s presentation, and the disc menus.

The film is presented with the Gaylord Carter theatre pipe organ music score that accompanied Paramount’s 1990s VHS home video edition and the 2006 DVD.

Supplemental material includes audio commentary by Katherine Orrison; and color footage of the exodus-Red Sea sequence (a combination of Technicolor, hand-tinted color and color-toning that is misidentified as being all hand-tinted color) (15 minutes).

This modestly priced DVD edition is of the same quality as the 2006 Paramount edition, and we recommend it as the best-available DVD home video edition.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Paramount Home Video
2006 DVD edition

The Ten Commandments (1956), color, 220 minutes, MPAA Rated G, with The Ten Commandments (1923), black & white, 136 minutes, not rated.

Paramount Home Video, 04122,
UPC 0-97360-41224-6, ISBN 1-4157-1863-6.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc (three DVDs in the set); 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 6.5 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 192 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, optional French language subtitles; 15 chapter stops; three plastic trays in cardboard rollfold box; $24.99.
Release date: 21 March 2006.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.

Mastered from a very-good to excellent 35mm print, this full-frame DVD edition includes the Gaylord Carter pipe-organ music score that accompanied Paramount’s 1990s VHS home video edition. The presentation is entirely in black & white, with the original Technicolor footage having survived in higher quality in black & white prints (which were shot concurrently to the color footage). The exodus sequence is slightly jerky, which may be bothersome to some viewers.

This full-frame DVD edition includes the Gaylord Carter pipe-organ music score that accompanied Paramount’s 1990s VHS home video edition.

We are happy to have this DVD edition release, with its Carter music score, to replace our worn VHS home video copy.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.