William Wyler's "Ben-Hur"-A Cinematic Standard

Rating: Null/10 (2 August 2006)

Had "Ben-Hur" never been made, Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" wouldn't have been nearly as brave,and Peter Jackson's "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy wouldn't have been half as lordly. Both cinematic spectacles drew heavily from "Ben-Hur",a story of catastrophic defeat,steadfast inspiration,tremendous action and overwhelming faith. The epic that all but invented and continues to define the swords-and-sandals genre,"Ben-Hur" is a tale of scummy politics,atrophied friendship and brutal,unjustified punishment. Ultimately,as nearly all great films are, "Ben-Hur" is a story of love. The film moves with an assurance and majesty that is hardly seen in modern movies. It's certainly in no hurry to get started,content to roll out with a deliberate,operatic sweep. The film begins with a 6-minute,30-second orchestral overture(composed by Miklos Rosza)focusing on the Sistine Chapel image of man's hand outstretched toward the touch of God. The introduction works to calm you and allow you to settle in for a grand scale of an epic.
At the focus of the story is the rivalry between Hebrew prince Judah Ben-Hur(Charlton Heston)and his childhood friend,Roman politician Messala(Stephen Boyd),drunk with newfound power.Judah refuses to go along with Messala's request to help quell rebellions,and the twisted Messala takes revenge by falsely accusing Judah,his mother and sister of treason and attempted assassination. Judah is stripped of his wealth and prominence,ripped away from the woman he loves-from his servant's daughter,who is promised to another man-and condemned to slavery. The one thing that keeps Judah alive through years of punishment is sheer hatred of Messala. Judah's rise to freedom and renewed power is an inspiring as it is frightening. It becomes clear as the story proceeds that Judah is gradually becoming just like Messala,with whom the conflict reaches fever pitch in a 11-minute chariot race,one of the most brilliant action scenes ever filmed in cinematic history. Director William Wyler carried a flourish-free,straightforward approach throughout a career that began in the silent era and spanned through the 1960's. He was nominated 12 times for the best-director Oscar and won three times for "Ben-Hur","Mrs. Miniver" and the after World War II epic,"The Best Years Of Our Lives". For those who made have never heard of Wyler,that's probably because his unique style didn't stand out in the manner of such Hollywood directors as John Ford,Alfred Hitchcock or David Lean. Instead of forcing a signature the material,Wyler has a way of doing things his way. While the luminaries of his period tended to bend scripts toward their own visions,Wyler bought into the story wholeheartedly adapting his own techniques to best serve the film. Wyler plunges through "Ben-Hur" with a fortuitous assuredness. His most masterful choice is his depiction of Christ,whose story unfolds silently behind the scenes,sometimes intersecting with the trials of Judah. Wyler never shows us his face,but implies the effect Jesus has on others through his interaction with others. We see Christ reflected in reverent reaction shots. Christ comes forth poetically as a character of inspiration and charisma.
"Ben-Hur",was MGM's bold desperate move to avoid bankruptcy,and the idea to make the film was seen as audacious at the time since it was a remake of the 1925 silent adaption of the Lew Wallace novel. Several actors passed on the lead role,including Rock Hudson and Burt Lancaster. Wyler,who started his career as an assistant director on the 1925 version was a natural choice to helm the $15 million production,colossal for its day. Filmed in "MGM Camera 65"(Super Panavision 70),and magnificent Technicolor. Filming "Ben-Hur",with lavish sets,sprawling cast and excruciatingly difficult special effects must have taken a dogged resolved that matched that of Judah. The results became one of the highest grossing pictures of that year,when it was released in 1959. The risk paid off well in a total of 11 Oscars,including Best Picture,director,actor(Charlton Heston),and supporting actor(Hugh Griffith),as well as the windfall of a $70 million domestic box office return. The motion picture "Ben-Hur" is tied with James Cameron's 1997 epic "Titanic",which won 11 including Best Picture,and the final installment of Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings Trilogy "Return Of The King",also got 11 Oscars including Best Picture of 2003. Both movies had match "Ben-Hur's astounding record with the number of Oscars. It was re-released in theatres numerous times by the studio and became one of the biggest roadshow spectacles attractions of all time. The take,however,is minuscule when compared to what it gave back to filmdom and Hollywood as a whole.