Review of Ben-Hur (1959) by John M — 12 Jun 2013

Basically, an almost-four-hour revenge film, featuring the greatest action sequence of all time! Charlton Heston portrays a citizen of Judea who finds himself in the center of Roman power, and is then exiled from it. He spends most of the film seeking revenge, and doesn't stop wanting it even when he gets a big dose of it! His story crosses paths with that of Jesus Christ, making this film a Christian movie, to an extent. But, it's driven by Ben-Hur's endless need for vengeance. So, having three hours, forty-two minutes pass with this being the case seems like a bit much!

But, then there is the matter of the Chariot Race! It was actually not directed by William Wyler, but by famous stuntman Yakima Canutt and Andrew Norton. Canutt is famous for his being dragged underneath the lead horses in "Stagecoach" and ending up letting go and having the coach pass over him. That stunt inspired a famous similar stunt in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," that time involving a truck. Tons of preparation and filming went into the Chariot Race and it shows! It is truly spectacular, and makes the film worth seeing.

Otherwise, it really is a revenge movie, with the Christian theme really only coming into play in the film's final ten or so minutes. Robert Surtees' cinematography is excellent, as is Miklos Rozsa's film score. Certainly one of the most famous epics in film history, but to me, bettered by the likes of "Lawrence of Arabia.".