You are here:

The Ten Commandments

Name: The Ten Commandments
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Released: 1923
Duration: 136 min

Representation Score

0.8/10

Minimal

1923

Passed

Director

Cecil B. DeMille

Runtime

136 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film operates as a traditional epic that reinforces established religious and patriarchal hierarchies. Its structure emphasizes divine mandate and moral absolutes over diverse perspectives. While the dual-timeline approach provides historical and modern settings, both segments uphold conventional Western values. The narrative focuses on reinforcing social and religious authority rather than exploring underrepresented identities. Ultimately, the work serves as a cornerstone for traditional moral structures, offering little room for challenging established social norms.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Ten Commandments have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres to a strictly heterosexual and cisgender perspective. It does not include any representations of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships.

How does The Ten Commandments portray gender?

Limited

Male characters such as Moses and the modern-day brothers dominate the narrative. Female characters mainly act as catalysts for male-driven conflicts rather than independent drivers of the plot.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Ten Commandments?

Limited

The film reflects the racial hierarchies of the 1920s studio system. It depicts Hebrew and Egyptian classes but does not challenge the era's dominant racial norms.

How does The Ten Commandments represent religion and culture?

Minimal

The story upholds a strict religious morality centered on divine authority. It presents a clear distinction between divine law and pagan lawlessness, rejecting moral relativism.

Does The Ten Commandments include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities used as central character traits or plot devices.

Present on Screen

Offers a grand, foundational epic scale that defines the genre's historical importance.

Limited or Absent

Women are largely defined by their relationship to male protagonists, lacking independent ability to act.
Reinforces rigid patriarchal and religious hierarchies without offering diverse or secular perspectives.
Operates within the limited racial and social frameworks of the early 1920s studio system.

Official Synopsis

The first part tells the story of Moses leading the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, his receipt of the tablets and the worship of the golden calf. The second part shows the efficacy of the commandments in modern life through a story set in San Francisco. Two brothers, rivals for the love of Mary, also come into conflict when John discovers Dan used shoddy materials to construct a cathedral.

How are these scores produced? →