Review of Ben-Hur (2016) by Aharon B — 27 Aug 2016

While I initially had zero interest in seeing this film (how do you justify remaking a classic that won 11 Oscars?), I was pleasantly surprised at the differences between this adaptation and Karl Tunberg's classic script.

I'm also guilty of erroneously thinking that the Christian aspects that propagated William Wyler's epic would be marginalized in this version. Well, that is simply untrue and the message that is conveyed at the end of this film manages to make up for many of its own shortcomings, in comparison to the 1959 classic.

Huston does manage to do a fine job in the lead role, and with a running time that is slightly more than half of the previous big-screen version, those looking for a fluid representation that contains both an action-packed narrative and/or elements of spiritual redemption shouldn't be disappointed either way.

It's obvious that the next step for me is to finally view the 1925 version so my comparisons of General Lew Wallace's timeless "Tale of the Christ" can come full circle, much like the breathtaking chariot races that I've had the pleasure to witness in both the Wyler version and Timur Bekmambetov's reverent update.