Big Ben

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2002)

When one thinks of the word "epic" in regard to movies, certain titles automatically come to mind : perhaps the most popular pick among the mass movie-going public would be GONE WITH THE WIND; but I think there is one picture that truly stands out - it may not be the biggest or even the best, but the elements that define the genre are so identified with this film that the title alone has become a moniker for epic movie-making . I'm referring to William Wyler's 1959 re-make of MGM's original silent, BEN HUR. Back in the early 20s the silent BEN was fraught with countless production mishaps that plagued the then merging Goldwyn and Metro Companies but the problems were vindicated when the spectacular production finally opened in 1925. The movie's centerpiece was a thrilling chariot race sequence that purportedly half of Hollywood's population took part in as extras. Done in the standard florid style of the silent era, the picture was the last word in spectacle for its time; fast-forward to 1959 when a desperate MGM was counting on the new production to save the company from financial disaster. The new version did just that, receiving nearly unanimous critical praise and enormous receipts at the box office. There are several reasons why BEN HUR was such a success. The obvious reasons are all there (great story of former boyhood friendship and later bitter enemies leading to a classic tale of revenge; the requisite big set pieces, costumes and a chariot race to end all chariot races ; it tops the silent classic and remains to this day as perhaps the greatest action sequence ever filmed). There is another key to the film's popularity and that is Miklos Rozsa's monumental music score. Is it great music? Highbrows would probably beg to differ, but has there ever been a movie that punctuated nearly every scene with as much portent and exposition? The music is a virtual stew of borrowed styles that seems to be conducted by a Divine Hand ( a soothing lullaby of voices accompanies the Star of Bethlehem as it hovers over the Manger in the pre-title Nativity sequence; the Christ's hand offers BEN a sorely needed ladle of water to strains of a Heavenly Wurlitzer and the announcement that lepers are present gets a huge boost from a heavy laden brass accompaniment). This is program music, maybe not of the highest order but incredibly effective. To sum up , BEN HUR has it all, including a pretty unsubtle homo-erotic spin on the relationship between Ben and Messala ( thanks to uncredited scenarist Gore Vidal. )