Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
RANKED:
10. Reap the Wild Wind (1942)
Despite being a commercial success for Paramount and Cecil B. DeMille, "Reap the Wild Wind" was purely a spectacle piece. The film includes John Wayne, pirates, action, adventure, and a giant squid attack. One of the more interesting conceits of the film is its headstrong female lead who takes over her father's marine salvage business after his death. This depiction was an important tool to instill in American women to take their husbands' labor jobs during America's involvement in World War II.
9. Male and Female (1919)
In one of his first major successes in Hollywood, Cecil B. DeMille stripped everything down to its bare essentials: male and female, rich and poor, master and slave, now and then. When a wealthy family becomes shipwrecked on a deserted island, their lowly butler Chrichton becomes the patriarchal power, as he is the only person on the island who knows how to hunt, cook, and provide. The class dynamics completely flip, revealing the fabrication of these dynamics, to begin with. However, even when you strip away these fabricated power structures, a power structure still remains regardless. There will always be those who rule and those who become subservient; any day now, your world too can flip.
8. Cleopatra (1934)
"Cleopatra" perhaps could have been Cecil B. DeMille's greatest film if it had not been for the Hayes Code implemented in 1934. The film stars Claudette Colbert as the titular Cleopatra. The film's themes focus on power and the indulgence that power offers. With that indulgence, there could have been so many visual excesses that typically comes with DeMille's style. The explicit nature of the film could have lent itself to the same urges by the audience that mirrors the characters. Because of the stricter code, however, the film can be very restrained at times - which undermines many of the main elements of the film. The film could have been a spectacular feat had DeMille's original vision been executed. Despite this, the film was still so incredibly big and visually grandiose that audiences flocked to the cinema to see it. It was the highest grossing film in 1934 and was nominated for five academy awards, including Best Picture.
7. Union Pacific (1939)
By 1939, America was needed some film to unify the nation ahead of the impending global war. With Cecil B. DeMille's "Union Pacific," two friends in the railroad expansions of 1862 are at odds with each other. One wants to continue building the rail track all the way to the West, while the other wants to financially benefit from its downfall. The two are so busy being at odds with one another that they don't see the real threat that comes from the American natives. In the end, they must put aside their differences and band together to defeat an invading force. Sounds similar to American in the coming years, right?
6. The King of Kings (1927)
Of all Cecil B. DeMille's biblical epics, "The King of Kings" perhaps is the most crucial of them all. The film tells the life of Jesus Christ, as it gathers followers, spreads the word of God, and eventually is murdered. Because the image of Christ had never been displayed on a film screen before, the film treated its subject with immense reverence. Every shot of the film places its protagonist and the events of the story in such respective regard. Because of this, each shot tends to look very painterly. The film was a massive success for DeMille and is often considered one of his crowning achievements.
5. The Ten Commandments (1923)
When most people think of Cecil B. DeMille's silent epic "The Ten Commandments," they often think about the spectacle scenes of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, along with the famous parting of the Red Sea. However, the film is actually split into two separate stories. Sure, the beginning illustrates how the Ten Commandments came to be, but the second story takes place in contemporary times (1923 respective to the film). Two brothers drift apart morally as they cannot seem to agree on the very basic laws of man. The brother that disregards the Ten Commandments becomes a corrupt businessman who lies, cheats, and murders. In the 1920s, wealth, power, and frivolity dominated. DeMille's film calls out this hedonism and issues a reminder to follow the basic fundamental laws of God as an antidote to post-WW1 chaos.
4. Samson and Delilah (1949)
Cecil B. DeMille considers his 1949 biblical epic "Samson and Delilah" his crowning achievement. Filmed in three-strip Technicolor, this lush visual marvel became the highest grossing film in 1950. It tells the iconic story of Samson, the Israelite whose superhuman strength lies in his hair. The fiery Delilah, a Philistine, exacts revenge on Samson's rejection of her by cutting his hair and thereby, his strength. With DeMille's touch, this biblical epic comes to life on screen with epic set pieces, incredible action sequences, and a spiritual quest to find the Christian God of Israel. While the film may not live up to artistic excellence, it still makes for an entertaining spectacle piece.
3. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
By the time "The Greatest Show on Earth" released in 1952, Cecil B. DeMille had established himself as a box office hitmaker in Hollywood for nearly 40 years. Time and time again, he brought spectacle to the cinema and gave moviegoers everyone a cinematic experience they could awe at. Not only was "The Greatest Show on Earth" no different, it represented DeMille's relationship to show business all together. DeMille is represented through the protagonist, Brad (played by Charleston Heston), who is the circus' manager. Like the director himself, his job is to wrangle the varied cast of unique characters, along with all their talents and individual problems, and bring them together cohesively to put on a singular spectacle experience for audiences. Because of this exploration into the art of 'putting on a good show,' "The Greatest Show on Earth" exemplified DeMille's talents for spectacle, his consistency in audience appeal, and his larger than life style of filmmaking. All made more personal through his connection through the film's narrative.
2. The Sign of the Cross (1932)
"The Sign of the Cross" was one of Cecil B. DeMille's first batch of sound films. It also was made a couple of years before the Hayes Code, which is readily apparent in the explicit nature of the film. Taking place in 64 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero, the film follows a Roman soldier who is torn between a virtuous Christian woman and the hedonistic Roman Empress Poppaea. The main thematic elements of the film explore the divide between spirituality and material indulgence. This material indulgence becomes explicit in the film, from graphic violence to sexual provocativeness. These elements point directly to the hedonism of the Roman empire, while the pro-spiritual elements are demonstrative of the Christian characters. This apparent divide between the two extremes drove many to the cinema to view this DeMillian spectacle.
1. The Ten Commandments (1956)
The 1956 version of Cecil DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" is the summit of his entire filmography. Not only was it the last film he ever made, it was his longest, most expensive, most successful, and most celebrated work. The film tells the biblical story of Moses, but does so with enormous set pieces, large-scale casts of thousands of people, and immaculate special effects that would make your draw drop to the floor. It is both thematically and visually the culmination of what DeMille represents to film. It is his most spectacle-filled, spiritual, existential, and grandiose film he ever assembled. It became the highest grossing film of 1956, and one of the highest grossing films of all time.
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