I was swept away

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 1999)

Ben-Hur has always been my Grandad's Favourite film. Until recently I never really 'got' this film, only having seen it on TV.
I then got the opportunity to see this in its full 2.76:1 ratio from 70mm stock with proper, well maintained, 6 track mag sound on a Cinerama screen in Bradford, England. Never before have I been so totally swept away by a film. CG is great, but this is awesome. I saw Titanic on the same screen later, and its effects just paled in comparison. Obviously the Chariot Race is incredible, but the scale of this whole film is beyond belief. As The Emperor is greeted and the camera pans out over Rome all I could do was wonder at the Jaw-Dropping scale of it.
Just that would have been enough to justify this film to me, but the story was great too, and the performances of all involved masterful. However, this film loses all its magic on TV - Think about it, you are losing over half the picture when its shown 'pan and scan'.
This film is a genuine cinematic masterpiece. I think only having it rated at #84 (on 4 April '99) is unfair. It's certainly in my top 10. Go convince your local cinema to put it on, preferably in the original 70mm, and see it in its full glory.