The Greatest Spectacle Film of All Time

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2002)

It is no longer possible to make a film like Ben-Hur. Oh, George Lucas tries with all his computerized graphics, but this is a REAL spectacle, not some virtual one. 8,000 extras, tens of thousands of costumes, a $15 million budget (in the 1950's!), massive sets depict the power of Rome on the grandest possible scale. It took six years to complete production. When you think of this film, the chariot race sequence in the Roman Circus shines as one of the greatest sequences ever captured on film. Yet, its focus remains sharply on the detail, the private human experience of it all. The story doesn't get lost in the enormous vision of the work. Charlton Heston gives a sensitive and intelligent performance, as does most of the supporting cast. Ben-Hur's 11 Oscar nominations has been equaled by very few films. There have been similar efforts in the past (The Ten Commandments, Cleopatra, etc.) but nothing matches the dramatic intimacy balanced with the epic extravagance of Ben-Hur. Truly a film in a class by itself. Yet, when I show this film to my friends many of them fail to connect with it. Much of the acting, dialog, and style seem dated today. That is why it is so important to treat a great film (as with great literature or  indeed  any art form) on its own terms and view it by the standards of its own time. In doing so, one broadens one's understanding of what culture was like only a few decades ago and one develops a deeper appreciation of how culture is best reflected in art. This leads to the enrichment of oneself not only through connection with the work in question, but through the development of an expanded vision of filmmaking that is sorely lacked when judging today's efforts. Perspective is lacking today. Too many evaluate films without it. By such faults `greatness' becomes a rather common commodity, cheapened, instead of the celebrated rarity that it truly should be. There is no better film by which to attain a greater perspective on the art of making movies than a mindful viewing of Ben-Hur. 10/10.