Heston, 2004 (from the ReVisionist Cinema series)
Color video w/ Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio on DVD for projection
Running time: 11:00

Comprised of silent, interstitial moments from Demille’s The Ten Commandments (1956)--extended through subtle looping and matting--Heston examines the slippery relationships between history, mythology and language. Building on concepts from Thomas Paine’s 1794 tract The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of Both True and Fabulous Theology, both “the words” and “The Word” have been excised from Demille’s epic, stranding American icon Charleton Heston (Moses) amidst the grandiose artifice of theology and Hollywood splendor, where Miracle is confused with Special-effect. The awkward tension of these altered scenes questions the inherent profanity of theological portrayals and the conceit of the self-righteous.