Review of Ben-Hur (1959) by Lenny R — 16 Jul 2010
Ummm...Epic? Can't think of any other word for it, really. While watching it I thought "Jeez, it goes on a bit", but after it finished I felt fulfilled rather than relieved -- not by the religious element, but by having finally gotten around to watching this massive, beautifully-made...epic. This style of filmmaking is sadly dead, so even when they remake the story again in a few years (I tip Shia LaBeouf for Judah) it ain't gonna look like this. It makes the record-equalling Titanic and Return of the King look...just a little bit sad. Well, Titanic IS a bit sad (and I mean quality-wise, not "Oh no, Leo's sinking and freezing at the same time!"-type sad), but Ben-Hur makes it look even sadder. Like RotKing, it also goes on for a while after you think it's over -- but not forty-seven times.
Come to think of it, Gladiator (which won a lightweight 5 Oscars) looks just a bit ordinary to me now too...
The Hest has no trouble at all holding the screen for the three-and-a-half hour running time. Say what you want about him as a real-life dude, as an actor, the guy can hold your attention like next-to-nobody else.
Speaking of the number 3 1/2, this is easily the third-and-a-half best movie Frank Thring ever did (behind The Man From Hong Kong, Hercules Returns and the first half of Mad Max 3) -- or possibly the best, depending on your point of view.
This review of Ben-Hur (1959) was written by Lenny R on 16 Jul 2010.
Ben-Hur has generally received very positive reviews.
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