No, it is not a Great Film. It is pompous, preachy, ludicrously self important and, for much of its length, surprisingly static, more a series of Dramatic and Instructive Tableaux than a motion picture. Guess what? It doesn't matter! There are those who accept it on its own terms and revere it, those who relish it as an example of grand scale, baroque movie making, and those who love it for its camp value, as in the early scenes when Brynner and Heston go chest to chest.
So whatever your approach, settle in and enjoy. You won't see the likes of this again.
So whatever your approach, settle in and enjoy. You won't see the likes of this again.