Rating: 
Summary: 21:06:42/12/04/01.
Review: Correctly framed at 2.76:1. EYES:Sharp,high levels of detail throughout do justice to the Cinematography.Only very slight traces of dirt,and the occasional scratch is visible,but hardly distracts.The Chariot Race has never before looked so clear and sharp.Considering the films age,i would rate this transfer at 4.5 out of 5. EARS:The 5.1 Dolby Digital track does hiss slightly and some noise elements,which seem to be a source fault.On an overall basis,i think this is due to the age of the material,again. This never distracted me,though being a Projectionist,it is sometimes difficult to actually "watch" a film,rather i am "looking",for faults!I would say 4 out of 5 for the 5.1 track. The film!?Five,out of 5,ofcourse!
Rating: 
Summary: Great film, not a great DVD
Review: Ben-Hur is one of the greatest films of all time, winning 11 Academy Awards, including the award for best film of 1959. It should have had a better DVD treatment. Instead of using two discs, the movie is put on two sides of the same disc. That is too bad, and smacks of cheapness. By Comparison, Cleopatra, a less accomplished film, was put on two discs, with a third disc with bonus material thrown in for good measure. (And for about the same price.) The two-sided format will not bode well for long-term durability. The master film that the DVD was made from does not seem to be restored footage, and some of it shows wear. There are many dark places on the film, and DVD generally does not do well with dark screen areas, including those on this disc. (It should be noted that the DVD of "Spartacus" had the same problem, and that was made from a restored master). On one occasion, my player had difficulty reading one of the sides; I'm not sure why. The widescreen version wastes a large amount of screen real estate in an attempt to preserve as much of the aspect ratio as possible, given the super-wide 70 millimeter Panavision process that the movie was shot in. Don't bother trying to watch this movie on anything smaller than a 27 inch TV; in fact, this disc really calls for 36 inches or more of screen space. Despite these limitations, and given the price, this disc should be part of any basic DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Flat-Out Epic Film
Review: This is what film is all about. These kind of films are why you pay the money you do to get a ticket to see them. 'Gladiator' can't even begin to compare to this sweeping epic which stars a young Charleton Heston, who plays a popular Jewish prince who grows up friends with a young, rising Roman political figure. The two are inseparable until Charleton Heston is called upon by his friend to betray his Jewish people. When he refuses, we learn how people are not always who we think they are. This movie is lavishly filmed, has exceptional action sequences, and of course culminates with the greatest chariot race ever filmed. It won 11 Academy Awards in 1960(a record back then), and it deserved every one of them. It is an absolute must-own for all film and DVD buffs.
Rating:
Summary: Wow...Superior film making!
Review: This movie reminds us that these days Hollywood has opted for blood and gore over suberb story telling. BEN-HUR deliveres on every level, without being so grossly bloody-- the photography is stunning, the acting very good ( Heston is better in this role than as Moses in THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, another fine movie) the music is both inspiring and moving and the grandeur of the film is unparalled. No computer effects here, just a huge cast of extras that bring reality to the awesome scenes in which thousands of people appear on screen. I was pleastantly surprised when I watched this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Bible Epic
Review: This Heston classic never looked and sounded better! The DVD version also includes some rare footage screen test with Leslie Nielson as Masala! Ben Hur is a great film. Like its counterpart TEN COMMANDMENTS(which I actually like better), Ben Hur is hollywood splendor in use of sets, special effects, and cast of a thousands(LITERALLY!) Hopefully, a new generation will experience Ben Hur due to the success of GLADIATOR. Ben Hur is not just a tale of the Christ. This is a story of one's loyalty tested in tumultous times. The story of Hur and Masala take place during the time of Christ, and that is what makes the film so powerful. While the Roman Empire is at its height, and the conquered Judea is made to be colonial subjects of this empire all the while Christ is walking the earth and "doing his work...." Soundtrack by Miklos Roza works well on DVD version, and they did leave in the Overture and En'tracte. The old VHS version and some tv versions used to letterbox only the chariot race sequence. I will admit that at times film can be somewhat poky and pretentious, but why carp? This is a brilliant picture with all the epic splendor of a Cecil B. Demille masterpiece(even though he had nothing to do with this !!)I highly recommend this dvd version as it adds to excitement and power to an already incredible piece of cinema(WINNER OF 11 well deserved OSCARS).
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Ben Hur is one of my favorite films, and I own copies on VHS (pan and scan), Laserdisc (Letterbox) and now DVD. Unfortunately, the DVD is not the same aspect ratio as the laserdisc - it is a bit lower, and some portions of the screen are cut off, and the color quality is not as good as the laser. My expectations were high, and I am disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece fails to shine on DVD
Review: What more can be said about one of Hollywood's greatest productions? Unfortunately, it doesn't translate well into this latest DVD release. Most of these issues are purely technical, but are profound enough to disappoint this reviewer. First the movie was set in the original movie screen format. Although sure to please most purists, it appears disturbingly tiny even on a widescreen TV. Second, several scene changes are rough and it seems as though the film master from which they recorded this version had some bad cuts in it. A film of this magnitude deserved to be released on two discs rather than the dual-sided single disc it presently appears on. Apart form these "minor" issues, Ben-Hur appears in all of its glory.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece!
Review: Everyone should see this film on DVD. The most emotionally moving film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: powerful and emotional
Review: Is there a more powerful moment on film than when Judah Ben-Hur looks into the face of Jesus as he offers him water? I can't think of one, although there were many emotional moments in the classic "Jesus of Nazareth". Ben-Hur is such an astounding movie because it covers the gamut of emotions. The cinematography is amazing and it far surpasses Gladiator as far as the story goes and is destined to go down as one of the greatest movies of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Cinemas greatest masterpiece
Review: Ben Hur remains the most honored and celebrated film of all time. This DVD edition is a remarkable accomplishment for home video. It is fruitless to compare any film to Ben Hur. It is the Cinemas high point in filmmaking on every level. It was voted best film, by the press in every city in the world in which it played. And adjusted for inflation, it would have a gross of over a billion dollars worldwide.It holds the record of 11 Oscars, and a 12th Oscar it shared with the Panavision company for the development of the 70mm photographic process used in the film. Gladiator has many fine qualities to it, but is more in line with Stanley Kubricks' Spartacus, with its' gladiator themes. Ben Hur is the definitive Christian epic, a film that depicts Christs' influence on all of humanity , told through the story of Judah Ben Hur. William Wylers' direction and Miklos Rozsa's score, work together , with the outstanding performances of all of the cast, to create an emotional experiance unrivalled in all of film history.
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