Ben-Hur

Rating:
Summary: Classic Spectacle
Review: "Ben-Hur" is a great example of the kind of large scale film-making that Hollywood occasionally did and in this case they did it first rate. Probably what killed this kind of film-making is the excesses of later spectacles like "Cleopatra". Thankfully, with the help of CGI, it was revived with "Gladiator". Much has been said about the classic set-pieces (the chariot race, the battle at sea, etc.). The central conflict of this film between the former friends Judah(Charlton Heston), the Hebrew, and Messala(Stephen Boyd), the Roman Centurion is what is most compelling about this film. Boyd's rendering of the despicable Messala ranks as one of the great acts of villainy in screen history. Heston, who many dismiss unfairly as a lesser actor(probably because of his conservative politics and presidency in the NRA) gives a commanding performance which is not an easy task when you're working on an epic scale like this. His work in "The Ten Commandments" was probably good preparation for this film. Lest we forget this film is also subtitled "A Story of the Christ". Jesus makes appearances in this film, photographed from behind and usually with swelling music. Basically these scenes are a cue to forget our bitterness, no matter what injury has been done to us, because there are larger things in life than our current predicament. On a final note the DVD contains a first rate documentary as well as a great commentary track from Heston that dispels the legendary rumor that he was wearing a wristwatch during the chariot race scenes.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest films of all time!
Review: A winner of 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture (only 2 other films have matched that feat), "Ben-Hur" has been hailed as one of Hollywood's greatest motion pictures ever, and deservedly so. Based on General Lew Wallace's novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," this movie tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, the Judean prince who is betrayed by his childhood friend who is now a Roman tribune. The story follows Judah from Judea to Rome and back again seeking vengeance against his former friend and the rest of his tormentors. The chariot race is highly regarded as one of the greatest action sequences in motion picture history. And let's not forget Judah's fateful, life-changing encounters with Jesus Christ. "Ben-Hur" is one of my favorite movies of all-time, and it has a permanent place in my DVD library.

Rating:
Summary: Vacuous fairy tale
Review: I read every one of 217 previous reviews; trying to understand why people love this movie, but did not come to conclusion with repeated expressions like: "Ben-hur is one of the greatest movies of all time" or "The chariot race is the BEST part of the movie".. well it is definitely not like the chariot fight of Gladiator.

However, among these reviews I liked the following negative comments that I hereby revitalize to equal the determined incomprehensible comments about the GREATNESS of this stupid classic.

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Certainly not a bad movie, certainly not worth 11 oscars, i guess nothing better came out that year, because this movies so long they could only make this

"Ben Hur" richly deserves its status as a gay cult film -- never before nor after was Charlton Heston so hunky.

Another is the cascade of Oscars it received - especially one to Charlton Heston for smoldering (considering that alternatives that year included Jack Lemmon in "Some Like It Hot," Cary Grant in "North by Northwest," and James Stewart in "Anatomy of a Murder"). This is not even one of Heston's best films.

While the cinematography and acting are spectacular, the over drama becomes heavy handed when it doesn't advance the story.

Jesus makes a cameo in this movie but to my great disappointment he doesn't take part in the chariot race.

I would recommend this movie for anyone looking for an in depth history of the time period, or just for someone looking for a little action and a lot of sleep.

I knew that I was not the only one having a hard time keeping mentally stimulated through this "classic" when three of the four people that were watching Ben-Hur with me were asleep at the same time.

The chariot race is great, but on the way to that race you have to face hours of suffocating piety, starting with the Star Over Bethlehem and all that.

Instead of the movie keeping the pace, I kept it myself, with a little help of the fastforward button.

You just spend ten minutes listening two the opening music, before anything happens. I first thought it was some sort of mistake. When the story finally gets started you just wish you were back with the music.)

the Charlton Heston "Ben-Hur" is so overblown that you may feel the need of an Alka-Seltzer at intermission

Remember you're a Womble! The problem with this movie is it's blatant theft from Smokey and the Bandit, they obviously believe a "Roman Twist" would confuse us.

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Rating:
Summary: Okay for its time, which you can tell was long ago.
Review: Certainly not a bad movie, certainly not worth 11 oscars, i guess nothing better came out that year, because this movies so long they could only make this. At almost 4 hours making it to the end without skipping some scenes is impossible, but there is definetly some quality stuff here. The chariot race (i dont call it the finale because it happens an hour before the end of the movie) is incredible, the camera work is excellent and the race is pretty brutal with guys getting crushed by flipped chariots, horses trampling men, and juda takes a dive over the front of the chariot (it was actually kinda funny to see this guy flip over the chariot so quickly but its real). There is a battle on a slave ship which is pretty violent for a G rated movie because it shows slaves with cut off hands and feet with bone sticking out and blood. Those two sequences and the crucificxion are the only real events that occur however, as with many other old films this is a huge flaw, the film is entirely too long with way too much irrelevant dialogue. Its definetly not worth 11 oscars maybe 4, if Ridley Scott were to remake it i could see it winning 11 oscars because it is a good story to work off of. Overall its a fairly average film, good, not great, for its time it was very good, but now its nothing special. People who are 50 watch this, people born after this movie was made watch LOTR. 6 out of a 10.