Greatest Movie of its Time

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2005)

Every five (5) years or so I sit down with my spouse of 33 years, and we write down our top 50 movies of all time. For the last 4 of these reviews this movie was and is now at the top of my list. It such a complete movie. Much hullabaloo is made about the chariot race, and I agree, it is grand. However, William Wyler's ability to draw a full range of emotions from each of his character is what appeals to me most. I am not a Charlton Heston fan. Outside this movie, and I would agree he fit the part of Moses for the Ten Commandments, but that's it. No offense to Heston, but it seems an over awareness of self comes through in his pictures, but early on we see a different Heston here especially after Esther reminds Judah that this custom of taking a slave "unto himself" was a custom of "...long ago". You can bet I was cheering from the rafters after that one.
First, the music is the best I have ever heard for a movie. I had no problem sitting through the intermission (I have seen this movie over 20 times)just so I could relax and then follow the crescendo out of the interlude and into the act of the last half. Miklos Rozsa's use of instruments to depict light hearted scenes was interesting, almost a "happy western feeling" to it, which fit especially well to the many scenes in the desert.
Some of the visuals, some just scenery, some by persona are scenes we carry with us all our lives. The shot of the leaves blowing across the courtyard before and just after the intermission. The shot of the Roman Soldier telling Jesus not to give water to the prisoner, Judah Ben-Hur, "No water for him!" The shot of Jesus starting to preach on the hillside, Esther leaves Judah to listen and the back shot of Jesus as you follow Jesus'head watching Judah walk away from afar...wow! The galley drummer going to "ramming speed" (a phrase repeated by children and adults to this day). The shot of Miriam and Therza (not sure of spelling) seeking shelter from the storm in the cave after the cruxifiction of Jesus, and coming clean from the leprosy. The shot of Messala and Heston(Stephen Boyd---what a role)taunting Judah on his death bed, "It goes on Judah...it goes on."(Notice Wyler had made Judah look especially spent (more so than he appeared to be right after the race)) There are many movies who have a cast of characters as great if not greater than Ben-Hur, but I can't remember a movie when so many great actors and actress had their best performance in one movie. Who can forget Sam Jaffe as Simonides, "Judah, Ben-Hur...she always said you'd come back."
I don't need to repeat the story of the Arabians, and the real life training of those magnificent horses, but if you are not familiar with the story, I encourage you to pick up the DVD set of the movie and watch the making of the movie.
This is a movie every parent no matter their religion should take his children to see just to learn about what makes a great movie.