Review of Ben-Hur (1959) by Unitedfam20 — 14 Nov 2021

Having watched most of what good has been released by Hollywood post 60’s-era, I was keen to make a deepdive into the era before films were colorized. Most of what is being released today is blatant trash anyways, so what perfect time to explore hidden gems from an era very few have any idea about.

One night scrolling through the popular section on the newly HBO Max app, I came across Ben-hur, an allegedly legendary movie from 1959. I had heard of it before, but never had any intention of watching it, as I don’t really watch old movies.

But on this particular night, I said oh what the heck, lets just give it a try, check out an old flick. And I am glad that I did. It is easily one of the best movies I have seen in recent years. It stood out in so many ways, especially the acting, the dialogue, the storytelling, I could sense from the get-go that this was another level of moviemaking.

I was intrigued from the first scene. It was 3 and a half hours long and I finished it the same night I started it, and the funny thing, it didn’t even feel like 3,5 hours. This movie was just another confirmation of the notion I have had lately that almost everything was better back in the good old days.