Saturday, March 22, 2008

Best line in a movie. Ever.


I'm so excited! The Ten Commandments is on (and I can watch KU basketball on the commercials). I've seen this movie every year it's been broadcast (except last year when I was devastated to miss it). What could be better than Yul Brenner in a skirt? (Moses shmoses, Ramses is hot!) Charlton Heston as a Jewish savior? Vincent Price as an Egyptian and Edward G. Robinson has a Hebrew overseer? And Yvonne De Carlo (Mrs. Munster herself!) as an innocent shepherd girl? Nothing! Except this line that Moses delivers to Nefretiri after he finds out he's really a Hebrew and goes to work in the mud pits with the slaves: "If my people reek, it's with the stench of injustice."


The best line ever spoken on film. Disagree? Tell me a better line. And by better, I mean more ridiculously campily wonderfully sublime than that.
Seriously, though this movie is very over the top, it's also a really wonderful epic story. I can never watch it without relating my own faith or lack thereof to the Hebrews. After they're freed from bondage and Moses has even parted the frickin Red Sea, as soon as the going gets a little rough they start to doubt again. It's a great allegory for whatever troubles we're dealing with in life.

Happy Easter (and Rock Chalk Jayhawk) y'all! So let it be written, so let it be done.

6 comments:

Lisa said...

Oh, I wish I'd known this was on. I'm with you 100% on this one. And I love those old timey movies where they try to "ethnic" everybody up with a lot of body paint and eyeliner.

And Yul Brenner -- yes. When I was a kid, my aunt Jeannie took me into Boston to see a stage performance of "The King and I", starring Yul Brenner. So cool!

Shauna Roberts said...

This is so my kind of movie, I can't believe I've never seen it! I'll watch for its next appearance.

Karen L. Simpson said...

I love this movie. When I was young I had a mad crush on Yul Brenner. My favorite line is when Edward G Robinson says " Where your Moses now." in that classic campy over the top ganster accent.If my brothers wants to make me laugh they shout that line at each other. In fact they were doing it during Easter dinner. My family is so wierd but in a wonderful way.

Thank you so much for the bathsalts

Carleen Brice said...

Lisa, Yul in person? How cool!

Shauna, This is a must see! Really worth the 4 1/2 long hours. And when the Red Sea is parted the special effects are actually pretty good.

Lafreya, Your family sounds like mine! My best friend loves to melodramatically say "Moses, Moses," like Ann Baxter (& everyone else in the movie!) does.

Anonymous said...

The parting of the red sea - greatest special effects.....before special effects were special!

debra said...

I don't know if I ever saw the whole movie (although I do have a vague recollection of NRA Heston's bad hair..... time to get it from the library