One of the most Cinematic and Beautiful Experiences ever made, even after 60 Years

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2019)

I started watching Ben-Hur when I already watched a big amount of movies(I always avoided the old and long ones because I tended to get absolutely bored), and afterwards I was awestruck that a movie was still able to hit me this deep on an emotional and fascination level. William Wyler's epic deserves that name in every way, and still stands as a masterpiece of filmmaking.
Acting:
Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur gives a terrific performance throughout the whole runtime, with a lot of emotional range, showing both subtlety and intensity. He is not perfect though, as it sometimes feels that he is trying way too hard. Is it Oscar Worthy? Yes it is, and he got one. His character goes through a lot, and is fairly simple in terms of development, but Charlton makes every minute of it compelling and interesting.
Stephen Boyd as Messala also gives everything he has to make a hateful and prissy Roman tribune, and watching the friendship between him and Judah fall apart is amazing to watch. The problem of trying too hard is even more visible here, however, sometimes feeling like we are watching a stage play rather than a movie.
Jack Hawkins as Quintus Arrius is a relatively small role, but a very effective and enjoyable one. Hawkins gives a strong performance which adds a duality and humanity to the Romans that we do not often see.
Haya Harareet is an interesting one; she plays Esther, Ben-Hur's love interest, and at the same time serving as moral compass and emotional guide for Judah. It is a pretty simple yet compelling role, given the though choices she makes, and Haya delivers enough good acting to make her a likable character. A lot of times however, she appears a bit wooden and hollow.
Hugh Griffith as Sheik Ilderim is nice touch of variety in all the rather serious characters, providing a lot of comedic moments with a strong performance. The Sheik is a relatively simple yet very likable character, and if you didn't know better, you'd say that they hired a real sheik to do this role. He got an Academy Award, which is understandable.
Direction:
William Wyler has done an outstanding job to make a finished product out of the hell that was production. All the scenes have a strong gravity to them, and you get the sense that he was in full command with every shot. Not every scene worked as well though, particulary some dialogue. In the grand scheme of things however, this is easily forgiven.
Cinematography:
Outstanding work with relatively simple techniques. The dialogue scenes keep you attention every time because of the framing, and the chariot race is absolutely baffling if you look behind the scenes.
Plot:
The story of Ben-Hur keeps you hooked from start to finish, which is really impressive considering its length. Judah's introduction, downfall, journey, and quest for revenge and redemption are all very compelling and an amazing viewing experience. Not every scene flows as nicely within the narrative, but the end product is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Music:
Miklos Rozsa was John William's mentor, and it absolutely shows that the master of movie music was inspired by a master himself. Miklos delivers a wonderful orchestral score, delivering on both the emotional and epic angle. Without the movie, it is still a pleasure to listen to, and movie soundtracks would never be the same.
Production Design:
One of the reasons why this movie deserves the title masterpiece: everything was done practical back in the day, and every ship, stadium, home and street was built from the brink up and shot on location. This much devotion to detail and realism was staggering and it's a shame that few filmmakers now strive to do the same.
Costumes and Make-up:
With just as much commitment as to the sets, these aspects made the film come to live and truly feel like the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus Christ. It all looks great, even the ragged slave/prisoner robes. I truly do not know how they achieved dismemberment of limbs at the time, but they did it.
Sound:
Perhaps the only real hiccup in this movie. The dialogue recordings sometimes sound pretty off, and pose a risk of pulling you out of the scene. Everything else sounds pretty spot-on however, and particulary the chariot sequence is absolutely a pleasure for your ears.
Editing:
In terms of creating a cinematic experience of storytelling, the movie greatly succeeds in that due to the editing. It is not perfect, and pacing is still an issue sometimes, but for a three-hour 60-year old movie it is still quite the achievement.
Tone:
Everything about this movie feels like what it is: an ancient epic. Very dramatic and impactful, which is a good thing most of the time. Every important moment is felt through the exquisite direction and acting, and save for some "romantic" scenes it is pretty much perfect.
General Concensus:
While certainly not without flaws, this movie is a spectacular achievement in cinema history and it is quite the miracle that it still holds up after such a long time. I have nothing but the utmost respect for it and will continue to do so. 8.5/10