Review of The Movie Ben-hur

Ben-Hur is a movie of epic proportions that has won 11 Academy Awards, and is based on its book counterpart, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lewis Wallace. It clocks in at 3 hours 44 minutes, and was released in 1959.

Ben-Hur is about a Jewish prince, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) who is betrayed and made a slave by his once Roman friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd) because of their conflicting religions. The quote, “You’re either for me or against me! You have no other choice. ” “If that is the choice, then I am against you. ” is between Messala and Judah respectively, and is during a key part of the movie that highlights the theme of betrayal. Ben-Hur has become one of my favorite movies, and is one that I’d watch again anyday.

What’s the most important aspect of any movie that compels you to yearn to watch it that any book can’t do? The movies appearance and sound, which Ben-Hur exceeds expectations in. Before the title screen or even Leo the Lion, there is a 6 minute overture, and 2 and a half hours in, there is an intermission and entr’acte, also with 3 minutes of just music. On the topic of the music, the musical score is an achievement by itself. Miklós Rózsa wrote the more than 3 hour score, which was composed of a 100 piece orchestra. The score is a supreme example of mood setting through music. If there was no dialogue throughout the movie, the mood could still be told because of the genius of the bountiful different instruments used. For suspenseful parts, there were deep horns and sustained strings. For less somber parts, there was oboes and horns at a higher pitch. I’ve never thought that I’d be one to notice the music in that way, but the music of Ben-Hur was just so phenomenal.

For the appearance, it’s nothing short of a unique spectacle. Ben-Hur shows off what Technicolor could do, and is a prime example of a film with plenty of color, and it proves that CGI isn’t always the best part of a movie. Throughout the almost 4 hour film, no two scenes looked alike. In every scene, even at night, you could find every color of the rainbow and more, notably the blacks, whites, and golds, which again, no two colors looked alike. For the acting, every character played their role flawlessly. I can’t name other actors that could’ve done a better job because there wasn’t a better job to be done. The locations also weren’t just shot in a Hollywood warehouse. Notable locations include Rome, Israel, and North Africa. This adds to the ‘wow’ factor, as the creators of the movie wanted Ben-Hur to be one of a kind.

To add to the mesmerizing views, thousands of costumes and props were needed to create the setting of Ancient Rome. The costumes were handmade, and hundreds of camels and horses were imported from Sicily and North Africa, so they weren’t just any kind of horses, they were the real deal. The sound, costumes, and props, however, were not cheap, and Ben-Hur cost $15 million to make, (but grossed a large $150 million). The director, William Wyler, actually did not initially want to direct the movie until MGM granted them a large sum of $10 million. But to speak about Ben-Hur without mentioning the chariot scene would be pointless. Chariot racing was a popular Roman sport, and makes an appearance in Ben-Hur. To carve out the stone for the horse racetrack took about 1000 workers more than a year, and $1 million of the budget. But it was definitely worth it, as it is one of the best, if not the best scenes in cinema history. This scene combines action and close up shots for a 10 minute suspenseful clip. We’re talking people getting ejected from their chariots, bodies (ragdolls, not real people!) getting run over, and plenty of crashes. The best part of the scene is what is not actually there. A technique called ‘matte painting’ created the illusion of a grand stadium, when actually the only physical part was the racetrack and first floor. The upper stories of the stadium were highly detailed painting that I thought was real the first time I watched it. The close up shots are present so you can focus on the action, while not being able to see past the actual set, which was a clever and creative way the camera crew handled the scene.

The last note worthy part to talk about is the presence of Jesus. Ben-Hur is a biblical film, but at the same time, it’s not. The face of Jesus is never shown, the reason that I believe is because this story wasn’t about Jesus so to say, but he was there. It reminds me of La Vita è bella, where the story doesn’t focus on the Holocaust, but you know it’s there. Despite this, I think that anyone, Catholic or not, can enjoy this movie because of what it has to offer.

Ben-Hur deserves a 4/4 rating because of its euphonious musical score, groundbreaking views, attention to detail, commitment to quality props over quantity, excellent actors, and interesting story, which can only be experienced if you watch it for yourself. Despite its intimidating runtime, I enjoyed it, and you will too.