Here is a movie that is made once in a hundred years, a movie that sets standards so high that the others are left gazing at it in awe and wonder, a movie crafted and mounted on such a grand scale that if just takes the viewers breath away, a movie made in an age and time when there was no hi-tec wizardry, a movie that easily outshines another wannabe-masterpiece of our times...that story of a poor boy and rich girl falling in love on a big ship titled “Titanic”.
Many were the epithets and bouquets bestowed on this powerful film which would be my nomination for the “Best movie ever made in the history of Hollywood” (or any other wood for that matter).
The protagonist in the movie, Judah Ben Hur (Charlton Heston in a role of a lifetime), is deeply uneasy about the intention of the Romans to take over the small town of Judea and convert its Jewish citizens into Roman citizens, which would mean their swearing of allegiance and worship to the Emperor of Rome. This is further compounded by his close friendship with Messala (Stephen Boyd in a very convincing role), a tribune in the Roman army who hopes to count on Ben Hur’s support for the smooth transition of power.
By a strange twist of fate, Ben Hur and his family (comprising his mother and sister) are wrongly implicated for trying to kill the newly designated Governor of Judea. While Ben Hur is sentenced to the Roman galleys in Tyre, his family is marched off to prison. After three years, fate again intervenes when after a tough battle in the seas between the Roman fleet and the Macedonian galleys, Ben Hur saves the life of Quintis Arius (Jack Hawkins) a Roman council member. Out of deep gratitude, Arius “adopts” Ben Hur as his son and takes him along to Rome.
Even with an entirely new life in Rome and a new wealth and status inherited from his adopted father, the draw of his homeland and longing for a return to Judea to find his mother and sister and wrest vengeance is stronger to Ben Hur than the attraction of Rome and so takes his leave of Quintus Arius to return home. On reaching Judea, Ben Hur finds his house in ruins and no trace whatsoever of his mother and sister. Thinking that they are dead, Ben Hur returns to Rome to seek revenge on Messala...
The climax is superbly mounted amidst grand sets and is wonderfully choreographed and executed (watch out for a major flaw here, a motor car can be seen in one particular shot). The climax of Ben Hur is so filled with emotion that it is best left to the viewer to see and comment for oneself.
Based on the book “Ben Hur: A Story of the Christ” by Lewis Wallace, this majestic movie narrates many stories...whether it is the suppression of the Jews by the all-conquering Romans, a thick friendship that turns sour because of political intrigues, the ruthlessness of the Romans who consider themselves to be the guardians of the “New World”, one man’s unwavering love for his country and family and his never-say-die spirit that keeps him alive in the face of adversity, all these are translated onto the screen with effortless ease.
The most amazing thing is that the secondary character adorned within the title of the book (Christ), never actually speaks a word in the entire movie but his message of universal love and brotherhood is conveyed by a couple of brief, but incredibly impacting sequences, a few of which result in interactions between Ben Hur and Christ. These sequences are so powerful and well-timed in the movie that one can see and feel the visible difference in Ben Hur’s attitude, when at the end of the movie the message finally gets across even to him, that love for one’s fellow human being is a more powerful force that any other emotion on earth...politics, patriotism, even hate.
Rated as the costliest movie made at that time (1959), the movie went on to clean up the Oscars. Out of twelve nominations, it clean swept eleven (an all-time record for any movie which stands to this day)! The movie had more than 300 ominous set designs which contributed greatly to its vast and perplexing beauty. The luxurious costumes, which were reported to be in excess of over 100, 000 outfits for 8, 000 extras, are meticulous and exact in detail and authenticity. The movie’s grand scale and moving storytelling, under the superb direction of William Wyler, are the icing on this multi-faceted and breathtaking film set in the first century BC.
One of the most incredible epics to be ever put to the screen, “Ben Hur” defies all obstacles and comes out as an unflawed and perfect movie. The story is superb, the cast is fabulous with each actor giving a powerhouse performance, the sets are grand, the music score is scintillating, costumes are impressive and cinematography is simply breath-taking. The movie’s running time is close to four hours but worth every minute of it.
Don’t miss it for anything in life...you get to watch such movies only once in a lifetime!