Movie Review: Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur (1959, G): ****

Technically speaking, Ben-Hur is one of the most, if not the most, awe-inspiring and visually stunning films to look at.  Indeed it is a movie, one of those Biblical drama ones to be sure, that is blown to epic proportions.  As such, the production values are genuinely incredible.  In that sense, Ben-Hur so effectively utilizes its awesome production value to craft together some of the most marvelous and unforgettable set pieces ever captured on film.  There are several highlights to name throughout the film’s narrative, but as an example, I will go ahead and take the most famous of these, which is undoubtedly the chariot race.  The sequence, along with the aftermath of it, takes up a good 40 minutes of the film.  But the entire scene is so luxuriously filmed, so expertly crafted, as so that it offers some of the most unsurpassed movie scenes to be watched.  There are quite a few other highlights in the film as well, and the one that comes to mind first me is the naval battle between the Romans and the Macedonians.  But what really remains the strength in this masterpiece is the story, which really is, if you think about it, one of the most special stories put to screen (releasing spoilers is something I hate to do, so I won’t go deep into that).  Ben-Hur became a very important landmark in cinematic history by being the first movie to win a grand total of 11 Oscars, something that has only been equaled by 1997’s Titanic and 2003’s the Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King.  Directed by William Wyler.