The Ten Commandments Page #3

Synopsis: To escape the edict of Egypt's Pharaoh, Rameses I, condemning all newborn Hebrew males, the infant Moses is set adrift on the Nile in a reed basket. Saved by the pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, he is adopted by her and brought up in the court of her brother, Pharaoh Seti. Moses gains Seti's favor and the love of the throne princess Nefertiri, as well as the hatred of Seti's son, Rameses. When his Hebrew heritage is revealed, Moses is cast out of Egypt, and makes his way across the desert where he marries, has a son and is commanded by God to return to Egypt to free the Hebrews from slavery. In Egypt, Moses' fiercest enemy proves to be not Rameses, but someone near to him who can 'harden his heart'.
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Director(s): Cecil B. DeMille
Production: Paramount Pictures
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.9
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
G
Year:
1956
220 min
8,313 Views


They use the old ones to do the work

of greasing the stones, Lord Prince.

If they are killed, it is no loss.

Are you a master builder

or a master butcher?

If we stopped moving stones

for every grease woman who falls,

the city would never rise.

If the slaves are not driven

they will not work.

If their work lags,

it is because they are not fed.

You seem strong enough.

I am a stonecutter.

The Pharaohs like their images cut deep.

Hold your whip!

You know it is death

to strike an Egyptian?

I know it.

- Yet you struck him? Why?

- To save the old woman.

- What is she to you?

- An old woman.

Lord Prince, send him to his death.

The man has courage.

You do not speak like a slave.

God made men.

- Men made slaves.

- Which god?

The God of Abraham, the Almighty God.

If your god is almighty,

why does he leave you in bondage?

He will choose the hour

of our freedom

and the man who will deliver us.

- Lord Prince, this man speaks treason.

- It is not treason to want freedom.

Release him.

Difficulty with the slaves, my brother?

None that could not be cured by

a ration of grain and a day of rest.

A day of rest?

When your horses tire, they're rested.

When they hunger, they're fed.

Slaves draw stone and brick.

My horses draw the next Pharaoh.

Is there any grain

stored here in Goshen?

None that you would

dare take, my brother.

The temple granaries are full.

Bring the push-pole men

and some women with baskets.

I will... great prince.

I warn you, Moses,

the temple grain belongs to the gods.

What the gods can digest will

not sour in the belly of a slave.

- Push-pole men!

- You, back where you belong!

I have the prince's orders.

One and two poles, up!

- Bring 100 women with baskets.

- Elisheba, bring your basket.

Push-polers, follow me.

Out of the way!

Break open the bins.

Out of the way. Stand back.

Well, well.

Divine One.

There!

My jackals have your hounds at bay-

Dogs at bay are dangerous.

When they walk upright

and feed on temple grain.

Of course. You've been bringing

petitions against Moses for months.

Well, the city's being built

and I'm winning this game,

so don't interrupt us with trifles.

Before your city is finished,

these trifles will surprise you.

Life is full of surprises.

And today I have one for you, my kitten.

Moses!

And Rameses.

You crocodile!

Triples. You've lost.

I'll never let you win again.

You thought that by losing to me

you would win for Moses.

Well, you know, crowns are sometimes

lost by smiles and dimples.

- And so is patience.

- Yours?

Are the plans for my jubilee complete?

All but your proclamation for the

marriage of Prince Rameses to Nefretiri.

No.

Are you quite sure it will be Rameses?

Who else could be your successor?

Moses, of course.

Because of Moses there is no wheat

in the temple granaries.

You don't look any leaner. You're both

very generous with your advice.

Will you take mine?

No, I will choose my own successor-

Did you lose your head, my sweet?

I sent you to Goshen

to bring me the head of the jackal

who would free the slaves.

Where is it?

The slaves do not need a deliverer now.

- They have Moses.

- Is that a riddle?

He gives them the priests' grain

and one day in seven to rest.

They call it the day of Moses.

- This man makes himself a god.

- I prefer him as a man.

You would prefer him as Pharaoh.

- Are you afraid of Moses?

- Yes.

'Cause now he holds Ethiopia

in his left hand,

Goshen in his right, and you,

my Pharaoh, are in between them.

Do you imply that he

would raise the slaves against me?

- I've been his father.

- Ambition knows no father.

Moses could no more betray you

than I could, Sethi.

He can tell me that when he arrives.

- He will not be here, my father.

- What?

I sent for both of you.

His word is that he cannot attend you,

being pressed by...

...other matters.

Did you hear that? Other matters?

My escort.

I will ride with you, my son,

to see what rears itself in Goshen,

a city or treason.

You lying adder! You'll destroy

yourself with your own venom

if you try to turn Sethi against Moses.

You would turn Sethi against me.

Remember, my sweet, that you must

be wife to the next Pharaoh,

that you're going to be mine,

all mine,

like my dog or my horse or my falcon.

Only I will love you more,

and trust you less.

You will never do the things to me

you would have done to Moses.

I know you, my sweet.

You're a sharp-clawed,

treacherous little peacock.

But you're food for the gods,

and I'm going to have all of you.

None of me.

Did you think my kiss

was a promise of what you'll have?

No, my pompous one,

it was to let you know

what you will not have.

I could never love you.

Does that matter?

You will be my wife.

You will come to me whenever I call you.

And I will enjoy that very much.

Whether you enjoy it or not

is your own affair.

But I think you will.

That drop puts too much strain

on the stone. We need more sand.

I'm going to risk it, Baka.

There's little time

till the day of jubilee.

If the stone cracks,

you may crack with it.

Ready blue signal.

Blue pennant.

Blue pennant!

- The snubber is ready.

- Green pennant.

Mallet men, ready!

Mallet men, ready, stand by!

Clear the main hawser!

Mallet men ready.

You are not pleased to see me here.

I am, Great Pharaoh, but now

I have important things to do.

Red pennant, stand by.

So Rameses tells me.

More important things

than obeying my orders?

You ordered me to finish this city-

The strain in that stone is too great-

We cannot wait. Red pennant.

Red pennant... strike!

- The stone will break.

- There are 2,000 slaves on the ropes.

There is the obelisk of your jubilee.

Baka, put 1,000 slaves

to removing the sand

until the stone settles to its base.

- Pharaoh is pleased?

- With the obelisk, yes,

but not with certain accusations

made against you.

By whom?

- You raided the temple granaries?

- Yes.

- You gave the grain to the slaves?

- Yes.

You gave them one day in seven to rest.

Yes-

Did you do all of this

to gain their favor?

A city is built of brick, Pharaoh.

The strong make many.

The starving make few.

The dead make none.

So much for accusations.

Now, judge the results.

The pylons commemorate your victory

at Kadesh,

where you broke the Amorites.

- Are there any higher in Egypt?

- There are none higher in the world.

With so many slaves,

you could build... an army.

But I have built a city.

Sixteen of these lions of Pharaoh

will guard its gates.

And it shall be the city

of Sethi's glory.

Are these slaves loyal

to Sethi's glory,

or to you, Moses?

The slaves worship their god...

...and I serve only you.

Let your own image proclaim

my loyalty for a thousand years.

Superb!

Rameses.

And this you call treason?

Who would take a throne by force

that he has earned by deeds?

With this and Ethiopia,

your name shall be carved

beside mine on every pylon.

Yours, Rameses, will be nowhere.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote

Dorothy Clarke Wilson

Dorothy Clarke Wilson (May 9, 1904 – March 26, 2003) was an American writer, perhaps best known for her novel Prince of Egypt (1949), which was a primary source for the Cecil B. DeMille film, The Ten Commandments (1956). more…

All Dorothy Clarke Wilson scripts | Dorothy Clarke Wilson Scripts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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