"Row well, and Live....!"

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 2017)

A story of injustice made good, revenge, redemption, against a backdrop of the brutal Roman empire at the time of Christ.
It was never going to be 'just another movie', not this one; not with the folk involved, and the budget. At the time this was easily the most expensive film that had ever been made, and it shows.
Yes, movie-making is a different thing these days and the expectations of the audience are different too. Some folk will say this film is too long, but apparently the first cut of this film was about twice as long; I don't say this of many films but I would like to see that version too! I don't think there is a duffer in the cast, and the film (in restored form) with few exceptions looks and sounds really good even by modern standards. Obviously the chariot race is a standout moment.
I didn't notice at first but Stephen Boyd's eyes are naturally blue; he wore brown contacts to contrast with CH's eyes. Wyler only reluctantly accepted the job, probably for the wrong reasons, too. He wanted not to make the film in widescreen; I can't believe it would have turned out so well had he got his way.
Yes some of the points are hammered home with a blunt instrument, but this is truly an Epic Film, worthy of inclusion in anyone's top-ten-of-all-time list. A world full of rainy Sunday afternoons would not be complete without this film to watch. I have not seen the recent remake, but it won't be as good, guaranteed.