The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille

I gotta be honest, I put this movie on to put me to sleep. But I'm happy to say that it utterly failed in that regard.Instead I got caught up in one of the wildest obsessions ever documented on film. There was Fitzcarraldo, now there's Peter Brosnan. Brosnan's compulsion to uncover Cecil B. Demille's film set of his 1923 silent blockbuster The Ten Commandments -- the existence of which was initially in serious doubt -- could have, at many points, earned him legitimate psychological examination. Until he proved that it not only existed, but was worthy of historical recording and preservation.Don't think for a minute that's a spoiler: we're now almost halfway though the film. There's a long road of more anticipation, thwarted hopes, and frustration ahead: lack of funding, government red tape, logistical setbacks and, oh yeah, personal doubt, before there's even a chance for a satisfactory story resolution that would make a film release feasible. If this was a fictional script, the screenwriter would be told to shave off a few roadblocks, and at least a decade, to make it realistic.I can't help but compare Brosnan's quixotic quest to that of archeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who proved all the experts wrong, and that the city of Troy was no myth. Maybe not quite that academically important -- we are talking about a movie here, not an ancient culture that helped shape Western civilization -- but certainly as dramatic, thanks to this documentary, built on a foundation of interviews with those who participated in the film (many of whom died during the decades that Brosnan spent seemingly tilting at windmills).Alongside Peter's journey, the film sets the story of Demille himself, who battled studio heads his whole professional life in order to get his expensive but immensely popular (and financially successful) films made. We learn that Demille's global impact went beyond entertainment, due to his consistently balanced representation of Middle East history and Muslims in his biblical epics. The effect of Demille's storytelling philosophy on moviegoers in the region directly led to his getting approval, 40 years later, to film the Ten Commandments' 1963 remake in Egypt; I can't help but consider this a lesson to those in political or diplomatic roles who, decade after decade, make shortsighted decisions that cause international ill will and hamper any progress.All in all, this is a roller-coaster ride that, as the truth is unearthed from the sand dunes of Guadalupe, CA, provides plenty of drama, education and fun. If you like movies, if you like history, if you like stories of personal triumph over the odds, then this film is for you.

I was 12 in 1971 when the last The Ten Commandments was revived again. Even at 12-years old I could see why. It was truly an epic production which was based on one of the most profound Biblical events. I saw the title here which tweaked my curiosity because I was impressed by Mr. Demille's movie and constantly watch for archaeology TV shows and docs.I enjoyed this documentary but have reservations that many may simply be bored. I think I grew up in a time when movies were still a bit of a wonder and the bigger the better. Does anything impress the movie going public now like these huge productions once did? I think not. Anyway because of my age and due to the fact Mr. Demille made an impression on a young mind I watched this admitting it was slow and not particularly interesting regarding the actual "Lost City" part. Speaking of which there is not much excavation or archaeology here and scant finds of pieces that would truly impress. The film is really about Mr. Demille and what he did overall - and it kind of revolves regarding the long journey by a few to find the huge desert set believed to be buried which was fraught with pitfalls and politics. The part about Mr. Demille's career is mostly what I found interesting as the "Lost City" thing fell short overall. I think if you are of a certain age or a movie buff this is for you, but others will likely not find this of too much interest.

The America that became powerful and peaceful was powerfully Christian, along with other believers. No more. The government we have is the large version of the oligarchy that ruled Guadalupe, the sand dunes, where goverment is arbitrary and a bunch of petty tyrants hustling money power. Paying homage to 1923's incredible The Ten Commandments is irrelevant. We do not even learn things like what century the Civil War took place. Twenty percent of young voters think socialism has something to do with social media.Nasser permitted DeMille to use Egypt for the second version of the film, in the midst of war, because DeMille was fair and even handed in dealing with Mostlems and Saladin decades earlier - a good that was rewarded. At the time, Muslims actually like America because it was fair and "of the book."Take in all the tribulations and small minded people that befell the pleasant project to find the original city buried in the dunes. Doesn't make sense, does it? You can rest assured the message of the Bible is dead, so good luck with a world of selfish dishonesty. There is a great deal to learn in this documentary.

This is documentary about a wonderful story of a lost era where most of the movies are gone forever. There are just a few movie posters to let us know they existed. Then someone discovers a WHOLE movie set of the late great DeMille buried (from a line in a book) and...is it in a museum where everyone in America can go and see it? Can we glimpse the creation of an early Hollywood set on a grand Egyptian scale? No. Why not? Because of some pissy permit peons who were hell bent on a power control binge for decades. Then, of course, after decades, to dig in this area would put a damper on an Indian casino expansion near the area, so there go the plans again. So, if you want to see anything about the DeMille Egyptian movie set on the West coast you'll need to watch this awesome documentary. Because this video is all that's left of it.