Still good after over 4 decades (Some spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (21 November 2001)

Recently, I watched Ben-Hur for my first time. The movie got off to a slow start and there are quite a few minutes I would have considered editing out (The overture alone was six minutes). But, after about half and hour or so, this movie really got going. The story revolves around Jonah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is arrested for attempting to murder a roman governor (Which was untrue. It was a mere accident) and forced into slavery. Ben-Hur is portrayed in an Academy Award winning performance by Charlton Heston. Some critics have complained in the years following the film's release that Heston is wooden in his role. While his performance isn't brilliant and does have some poor moments, he is excellent nonetheless. The rest of the cast is also good. The sets, cinematography and special effects are also excellent, which is probably why they won among the film's Eleven Academy Awards, a tally that wouldn't be equaled until 1997's Titanic.
I though at first that the opening scene of the film (The birth of Jesus Christ) had nothing to do with the movie. But Jesus was a main part in Ben-Hur's life, at least in his Hollywood life. He encouraged him to continue moving on when Jonah was a slave and also baptized him. When Jesus was dying at the cross, he performed one last miracle on the Hur family by curing Jonah's mother and sister of leprosy.
There is in this movie what is among the ten most celebrated action scenes in motion pictures: The chariot race. After more than forty years, the sequence has not lost its original excitement and is still inspiring directors today (See the pod race in Star Wars Episode One). What makes it so good is the way it was filmed. Sometimes, the camera angle makes it look as if we are spectators at the race. In other shots, we are chasing the chariots or even feel as though we are sitting in the driver's chair. The fact it was filmed in the 1950's before such a scene could be computer generated or filmed in front of a blue screen makes us appreciate it more because of the risks the producers took in filming it. Would such a scene be as great and realistic if filmed today?
Three-hour epics such as this are what can be considered an acquired taste. They are long and slow at times and often with unnecessary scenes. But this doesn't mean they aren't worth watching. If you want to learn about the Roman Empire or if you just feel like watching a good movie, Ben-Hur is highly recommended.