Ben-Hur (1959)

Timeless Epic

Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)

This is the best American movie ever made. Everything is done superbly. Great story, outstanding acting, fantastic picture made with 65mm cameras, masterful music score. It is hard to find anything bad about this movie.

Aspect ratio of this movie is incredible 2.76:1. On standard 4:3 TV black bars will occupy more space than the movie itself. This method creates spectacular panoramic shots which is important for epic movies with great action scenes.

Chariot race is one of the best action sequences ever shot in a movie. With no digital computer effects it is a true masterpiece. Pod racing looks great in Star Wars Episode 1 but it is entirely done digitally, something not available in 1959.

In 36 page booklet about the production (included with 2005 edition) it is mentioned that Judah's horses in the movie are actually world famous Lipizzaners. As gray horses they are born black or bay but during their lifetime they become lighter every year and finally become white. They originate from farms around village Lipizza in Slovenia and they are used in the world oldest and most famous Spanish Ridding School (formed in 1572) in Vienna, Austria. Only stallions are used for dressage. Unlike racing horses, these live very long, reaching 30 eventually. In 2005, when new 4-disc set of Ben-Hur was reissued, it was exactly 60 years from the time when general Patton rescued these horses from extinction. During WWII, Nazis captured entire breeding stock and shipped it back to Germany. Rescue had to be made behind Soviet lines to prevent them from ending in Soviet hands as horsemeat.

Chariot race places Judah against his old buddy Messala who sent him to slavery and imprisoned his mother and sister. Judah uses this race to destroy Messala's ego and end his streak of invincibility in the Forum. Messala rides Greek chariot with black horses, equipped with metal spikes to crush other competitors because there are no rules that ban such thing. Everything is allowed. After his chariot crashes, he refuses to be operated, he waits for Judah to come to him. The only reason why he is waiting for Judah is not to show remorse or regret for his past actions against Judah and his family but to commit his final act of evil, his last words tell Judah that he can seek his mother and sister in "Valley of the Lepers", if he can recognize them. We can only wish that George Lucas made Dart Vader more like Messala. His body completely broken, bathed in his own blood and waiting to die he uses little life left in him to make Judah suffer even more. Stephen Boyd portrayal of Messala is one of the best evil guy acts ever made.

Movie is the winner of eleven Academy Awards. Charlton Heston gave his best performance ever and won Oscar. It is shame that Stephen Boyd didn't win it, he got only Golden Globe Award for best Supporting Actor. July 11, 2008

Classic

Ben-Hur is an epic tale of childhood friends who ended up on opposite sides of a very harsh line in the time of Christ. The movie is an undeniable classic, and epic in every way. Fun to watch, powerful, touching at times - a must see! July 10, 2008

The Zenith of Biblical Epics

First time I saw this film was on the big screen during it's 10th anniversary re-release in 1969 when I was 12. Couldn't take my eyes off it! It has everything a 12 year old kid wants in a film: action, adventure, visual splendor and even an emotional story that you can learn something from.

We all know the story about two childhood friends, one Jew, the other a Roman, caught up in the turbulent times of Roman imperialism only to be split apart as adults due to their own ideology and becoming bitter enemies. The full title suggests A Tale of the Christ, which is not necesssarily true. The Christ figure serves more as metaphoric backdrop, referencing Jesus' teachings of brotherhood and it's impact on a common man, Juda Ben Hur.

This is what seperates Ben Hur from most other Biblical epics. It carries a highly emotional human drama despite all the visual splendor. Lessons on humility and redemption are delivered with a sledgehammer.

The film was a make-or-break gamble for MGM, who was on the verge of bankruptsy at the time due to the increasing popularity of television. No expense was spared by producer Sam Zimbalist bringing in two time Academy Award winning director William Wyler along with several writers like Gor Vidal and a $10 million dollar budget. With the odds against MGM, the film still ended up being one of the most successful films in history bringing in a record 11 Academy Awards, a record that was held for almost 40 years until Cameron's Titanic tied it.

This DVD set does the film justice for many reasons. First and foremost is the restoration of the film itself. Great care was taken to bring more vibrancy to the picture quality. Previous prints had some color desaturation due to age and poor handling. The most noticable was during the famous chariot race where a tint of yellow was clearly visible on the right side of the screen. That and the usual grain and other artifacts have been eliminated bringing us the best picture this film has had since it's release. As for the sound, it's pretty much the same as the previous DVD release done in 2003, I really don't think there's much improvement that can be made given the technology at the time. But it still sounds great, especially during the crucifixation scene when the thunder really thunders giving your sub-woofer a real workout.

The extras are plentiful highlighted by the inclusion of the original 1925 silent version which that in itself looks great in terms of production, storytelling and restoration of the film as well. Other extras include the previously released documentary narrated by Christopher Plummer (love his voice!) and a new documentary focusing on the impact the film made on contemporary filmmakers. We get interviews with Ridely Scott, who did the heavily Ben Hur influenced Gladiator, and good old George Lucas on the inspiration the film had on Star Wars. Funny thing is, when I first saw The Phantom Menace, I instantly knew Georgie boy modeled the pod race after Ben's chariot race! And I was right! Other extras include some screen tests by other actors (like Detective Frank Drebin auditioning for the role of Masala!), production stills and the like.

All in all, this a great package to have of one of Hollywood's most legendary classic epics. If you love action, adventure, romance and raw emotional storytelling, this is it. July 3, 2008

The very definition of epic

This movie is long, and those weaned on MTV might find it overly long. However, the story takes you away to another world, the story arc interweaving a revenge epic with the Christian tale. The wonderful thing about it is that the Jesus story is not forced and interweaves naturally with the plot. Charlton Heston is at his best here, and this movie would count among the best ten ever made. July 2, 2008

A Legendary Film

"Ben-Hur" ranks amongst the true giants of cinema and for good reason. The term epic can barely describe the feel of this film. First of all, the acting is good and Heston did an excellent job as the title character. I must say though that Jack Hawkin's relentless Roman Consul may have been the most memorable character. This film just has so much; the nativity, a grueling galley scene, a naval battle, a Roman triumph, a spectacular chariot race, and Christ's crucifixion. The chariot race has itself become the stuff of legend and must rank as one of the best stunt/action scenes ever put on film. Christ's passion is well done as well with the healing of Ben-Hur's mother and sister. Personally, I thought the book did a better job at those though the film's chariot race likely surpasses that in the book. The film has a number of historical errors, but they don't detract from its artistic merit. There is some violence so parents may want to be cautious about very young children seeing the movie. Overall, I heartily recommend this film. June 25, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...