Cecil DeMille’s film The Ten Commandments is a powerful epic film that has a complex narrative structure. In particular, it depicts the famous biblical story of Israelites who want to leave Egypt. Moreover, this movie includes the modern narrative of two brothers who make very different ethical choices. This paper is aimed at discussing the scene called A Great Cry in Egypt. Overall, it can be viewed as a self-sufficient cinematographic work. In particular, it explores the immense tragedy that struck the Pharaoh and his conflict with Moses. More importantly, this part of the film contains a moral lesson that the audience should consider.
It should be noted that Cecil DeMille closely relies on editing. For example, the viewers can see the captions which are excerpts from the Bible. In particular, one can learn that Egyptian people suffered the tenth and final plague, namely the death of the first-borne child (The Ten Commandments). This approach helps the director to elaborate the narrative. This scene involves primarily long and medium shots which enable the audience see the actors as well as interior of the palace.
This scene depicts the moments when Ramses learns that his son is dead. Furthermore, Cecil DeMille depicts the encounter between Moses and the Pharaoh (The Ten Commandments). In this part of the film, the director tries to explore the vulnerability of Ramses. In other words, this individual can command countless troops and great riches, but he is not able to protect his son from the wrath of God. This character is at the center of the composition.
His conflicting emotions can be viewed as the main theme that the author explores. Moreover, the music supplements the visual elements because it enables the viewers to relive the emotions experiences by the characters. Overall, this scene throws light on the personality of the Pharaoh. In particular, one can see that he can be susceptible to sadness and fear. In turn, Moses appears to be an omnipotent figure, even despite his shabby appearance. So, this scene contributes to character development.
This scene is a part of the prologue to the prologue describing the Biblical narrative. Nevertheless, it can be regarded as an example of foreshadowing. In particular, it describes the life of a person who disregards ethical principles and believes that he/she is all-powerful. To some degree, this person can be compared to Danny who thinks that success and power can be achieved by deceiving or even killing other people. So, this scene indicates that Danny’s values and attitudes make him doomed to failure.
Works Cited
The Ten Commandments. Ex. Prod. Cecil DeMille. Los Angeles: Paramount Pictures, 1923. DVD.