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At a distinguished party in a handsome manor, Ben-Hur presents itself as a rich & important member. Finely detailed in an aquiline manner and topped with an impressive personality, many members think he must be some important official. What they don't know is that he is the owner of the manor himself, the one who invited them all to the party! I've always imagined Ben-Hur in that sense. An outstanding film that turns heads of many people but receives recognition from a certain few. Not to say Ben-Hur is under-rated, far from that. I just wish that more of the young generation of the now would see this film and not get repelled by its 3+ hour screen-time and movie content. It is such a classy, masterfully made film that it should be of no wonder when someone ranks it no. 1 in their list, like I have. Prior Ben-Hur I had seen countless of films and most were eligible for the number 1 position, but when I saw this film, it became immediately clear that it would hold the spot for a very, very long time. Why? Because it has a certain charm, a certain element that no other film quite has. I can't explain what that is but it is always present whenever I see this film, something I did not feel in other movies, believe me.
To the modern eye the film may seem kinda clunky and offish but if you take a closer look you will come to realize that every scene is very professional and thoughtfully made and every cast member seems alive, involved, energetic in every sense. Every detail has rich value, every major cast member acts as if it's their final movie, giving unmatched performances, and the music could very well be written by Apollo himself, a legendary achievement. How can a film like this ever be disliked or ranked lower than the others? It is filled with energy and has a really awesome cinematography that literally makes you one of the cast members because of its mastery.
The movie starts off showing the birth of Christ. Then we see two old friends, Messala and Judah Ben-Hur, re-uniting. The loyalty towards each other as well as tension and frustration is not lost to the audience. The different personalities and view points are brilliantly showcased in a small time frame. One thing leads to another and Messala condemns Ben-Hur, as well as his mother and sister. Ben-Hur finds himself below the deck as a rower, all dignity lost. Now, if you compare the galley sequence to modern day sequences, it seems very dog-tired and repetitive. But like I said before, everything seems convincing, realistic to the point you can actually feel the whip that comes down on them, the aching in their arms while they row, and all that. May sound cheesy but it is not. Every single person, major to extra, played their part brilliantly, most importantly Jack Hawkins, who introduces himself in a very memorable monologue (You have the spirit to fight back...) Then, after 10 things here & 10 things there, Ben-Hur finds himself in a chariot race, arguably the finest use of chariots, mass audience, music and entertainment. It is also one of the most violent moments in cinematic history, even if it doesn't seem much. The reason why the 9-minute chariot race is so well loved is not only because of the significance it holds in the film and to the character (the chariot race was to Ben-Hur what the arrows were to Odysseus), but also because of its one shocking scene where Charlton Heston almost broke his neck due to a timing error. But the brave Heston carried on, giving us one of the damn greatest 2-second moment in cinematic history. After when everything is said and all is done, Judah Ben-Hur witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and reunites with his family and his loved one. Such a brilliant end to a bona-fide film.
From the performances, every single cast, from the major to the 2-second extra, was great. The one thing I appreciated was not showing the face of Christ and the actor who portrayed him, Claude Heater, was actually good in his role, despite the fact we only see his hands and backside. But his lithe hand movements were enough. Charlton Heston, as always, stole the show by his amazing portrayal of Judah Ben-Hur and it was of no surprise when he won the Oscar. Granted, it may not be one of the perfect performances I've seen, I have seen better, but it certainly shows what great acting is all about. A performance not to be missed at all! Then we have Hugh Griffith as the charismatic, never-failing Shiek Ildrim, a performance which rightly won him the Best Supporting Actor. He not only provides detailed comic-relief but a great addition to the epic, and is introduced at the best possible time. Even though he never got the world-wide fame as Heston, Jack Hawkins will still remain as one of the best actors of yesteryear. Not only he had his well-known role in check, he also managed to upstage virtually everyone, even challenging Heston face-to-face. He embodied the true persona of a Roman. Then we have Stephen Boyd as Messala, the main antagonist of the film. An equally memorable performance as the others. If he had been given a little more screen-time, he would've been a very good contender for Best Supporting Actor. His death-scene performance is arguably one of the best. From the rest, Sam Jaffe, Haya Harareet, Finlay Currie, Frank Thring and Martha Scott were also great and unresting in their respective characters, each providing a humble contribution to the film and made good use of their screen time. Like I said before, virtually every cast member was truly amazing in their role and all were alive in some manner.
In conclusion, Ben-Hur is cinematic perfection (I just love that sentence!) It is everything what a big-scale film should be and is a classic example of how Hollywood used to survive back in the day without the use of CGI and exaggeration. Ben-Hur is more than Hollywood. It defines it.
10/10
