The penultimate epic, one of the all-time greats, rich in both scale & scope

Rating: 9/10 (10 November 2019)

The general problem that a lot of epics have is that behind all their technical expertise and spectacular scenery, the human drama sometimes gets lost under the visuals. This is not the case for Ben-Hur, one of the most splendid of all epics and long productions, as it succeeds on both of these points.
One thing one could always expect in an epic such as this is indeed the grand visual splendor, and not only does Ben-Hur deliver in that regard, it outperforms most of the similar themed movies such as Quo Vadis or King of Kings most splendidly. It is longer, greater, and the sets are simply even more beautiful. A couple of objects in certain sets are drawn in artificially, but it nevertheless looks absolutely gorgeous. In particular the set for the chariot race boggles the mind. Not even keeping in mind how filming such gargantuan sets was even possible in 1959, it's even more so impressive today in an era of plastic made scenery. The production is simply bigger in scale & generally more beautiful than nearly every single picture that has ever been made ( It's in the top 10, at least ).
The costume design is beautiful, the cinematography impeccable, and the widescreen shots of hundreds of people marching across the screen in David Lean fashion is also a sight to behold. The sound is generally outstanding, except for a couple of obvious post-production additions, which sounds a bit off, but that really is something of minor significance in the grand scheme of things. Of course, Ben-Hur also features quite possibly the greatest action sequence of all-time, the chariot race. As stated before, the production for this sequence is already beyond comprehension, but to add such a superbly edited and performed action sequence to it really is quite remarkable. There was this particular stunt in which a stuntman drives over a crashes chariot, being launched into the air before just gripping on, which could have easily resulted in death. It's an impeccable action sequence for both this extraordinarily committed stuntwork & the tight editing.
One also cannot forget Miklos Rozsa's incredible contribution to this picture by providing one of cinema's greatest scores. Nearly a symphony of epic proportions, it creates some of the greatest tearjerking moments in cinema. Of course, this is also partly due to the film itself, but themes like the love theme or the Star of Bethlehem are nearly unparalleled in cinema, truly creating that feeling of literal magic on the screen, coupled with excellent action oriented themes such as Parade of the Charioteers & Rowing of the Galley Slaves. The score is undoubtedly one of the most emotionally superb scores of all-time.
Even though few to no epics score as good in this regard as Ben-Hur, most are still very solid in the aspects named above. But what truly makes Ben-Hur stand out from most of them is the essential core upon which it drives; its genuine human drama. This is not just a spectacle of sound & visuals, it is also the very human story of the gradual redemption of our main character, Judah. The subplots of Jesus Christ aren't just added for the sake of it, but it signifies his final deliverance from the hatred tearing his heart apart. Jesus is symbolized as a reminder against despair, as is so beautifully shown in the scene where he gives Judah water, which is essentially what keeps him alive not only physically, but mentally as well. It renews his will to live. It is heartbreaking to see the injustice done to Judah and his family, and watch him struggle with this loss internally for the rest of the entire movie, yet in the end he finds his redemption and is rewarded for it.
Charlton Heston is the perfect actor for the role of such a biblical epic, as he has proven before in the Ten Commandments, and his nemesis Stephen Boyd as the evil Messala is perhaps even more impressive. His death scene is definitely one of the greatest death scenes in all of cinema. How you could so greatly display such pain and agony and incoming death in an acting performance is quite extraordinary. Their friendship and betrayal seems to affect the heart even more so due to these excellent performances, especially the argument in Judah's house being a superbly acted scene. Esther, played by Haya Harareet, an Israëli actress, is also splendidly affectionate as the true driving power behind the redemption of Judah's soul, even though her odd accent sometimes distracts a litte bit.
Ben Hur is thus grandiose in both scale and scope, internally and externally, visually and substantially, in nearly every aspect of its being. It is beautiful to look at, heartbreaking to witness and especially fulfilling to both the mind and heart of the audience. There's little doubt of its status among cinema's all-time greats.