Pick one movie...

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2009)

If I were forced at gunpoint to pick one favorite movie, it would probably be Ben Hur. Sure, it's an epic spectacle, and I love that aspect of it, but it also has some surprisingly intimate moments as well. What can I say that hasn't already been said about this movie? It looks great, it sounds great, the acting is superb on all counts, and the screenplay is genius. I saw one reviewer complain about the "flowery dialog," but that was by design. Christopher Fry was brought in to prettify the screenplay after Gore Vidal had his way with it, and I think Fry added just the right amount of archaisms to set the mood. Miklos Rosza's score is perfect - the best one he ever did, I think, and that's saying quite a bit! This movie has a beauty that CGI will never attain, though I know there are quite a few practical effects in it. And the actors - I really can't think of a weak performance in the movie. Haya Harareet is just luminous, and I never saw her in anything else. Charlton Heston never looked, acted, or sounded better. I can't imagine anyone else's having the heroic stature to carry this role. They don't make 'em like Chuck anymore. This movie is a cultural icon - if you haven't seen it, do so immediately.