Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Plot synopsis:
Ben-Hur is a wealthy Jew and boyhood friend of the powerful Roman Tribune, Messala. When an accident leads to Ben-Hur's arrest, Messala, who has become corrupt and arrogant, makes sure Ben-Hur and his family are jailed and separated.
Ben-Hur is sentenced to slave labor in a Roman war galley. Along the way, he unknowingly encounters Jesus, the carpenter's son who offers him water. Once aboard ship, his attitude of defiance and strength impresses a Roman admiral, Quintus Arrius, who allows him to remain unchained. This actually works in the Admiral's favor because when his ship is attacked and sunk by pirates, Ben-Hur saves him from drowning.
Arrius then treats Ben-Hur as a son, and over the years the young man grows strong and becomes a victorious chariot racer. This eventually leads to a climactic showdown with Messala in a chariot race, in which Ben-Hur is the victor. However, Messala does not die, as he does in the more famous 1959 remake of the film.
Ben-Hur is eventually reunited with his mother and sister, who are suffering from leprosy but are miraculously cured by Jesus.

Tags: revenge

Review:
The chariot race in the '59 version is still considered by some the great action scene ever filmed, especially since it was done without special effects.Unlike the '59 movie, this silent version had TWO big stars in the leads: Ramon Narvarro and Francis X.
As in the '59 version, you never saw Christ's face.Both had touching scenes with Ben-Hur and his sister and his mother.
This much lesser-known version of the Ben-Hur story from 1925 was the most expensive silent film ever made and benefits greatly from MGM's ability at the time to make films that looked amazingly grand and epic and still somehow manage to today.
Even after seeing William Wyler's 1959 version and even with the advancements of modern CGI, the 83 year old "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" still looks unbelievably impressive with its massive sets and thousands of extras.The mythos that has surrounded "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" among film buffs over the years has reached a status almost as grand as the film itself.
The deaths, bribes, and other stories surrounding the movie and in particular the famous chariot race sequence do nothing to detract from the film (although they do distract one from it) but instead increase one's fascination with the production.
Of course, the chariot race deserves all its fame and recognition and remains exciting, vibrant, and captivating to this day.The restoration on the DVD released in the four-DVD set released in celebration of the 1959 film is spectacular as usual from the Turner team with the original (and well-chosen) tints and the exceptional Technicolor sequences restored.
Another reason to watch this restored version is the terrific score by Carl Davis performed by the London Philharmonic orchestra.As good as William Wyler and Charlton Heston are, I'll take this Fred Niblo and Ramon Novarro over the 1959 version any day.
As far as the chariot race is concerned, the scene is gorgeous as for the silent era: these crowds of people, the decorations, everything is filled with splendor!The cast give very fine performances.
Nevertheless, all other characters do appear like in BEN HUR (1959), and they perform really well.The moments with Jesus Christ from this movie and from the one of 1959 are VERY SIMILAR!
The 1925 version of Ben-Hur is an outstanding example of silent film making at it's best.
Had the Academy Awards been given out at this time, Ben-Hur would undoubtedly have won it's share.The video version that I saw was restored to it's original splendor complete with tints and two color technicolor sequences, They are quite spectacular and hold up quite well today.
With her blond hair, blue eyes and riglets, she looks more like a Mary Pickford want to be than a Jewish slave girl.Despite all of it's well documented production problems, Ben-Hur still is one of the best movies of all time, silent or sound..
The story tells how a Hebrew prince defies his Roman masters by beating them at their own game, literally, while becoming increasingly aware that the young Carpenter he met in Nazareth is the very Son of God and how that knowledge changes his life.Years in the making, with filming in Italy & California, and changes of script and leading man, BEN HUR could have been a disaster.
Instead, it was a complete triumph, with the naval battle and chariot race scenes holding their own among the best ever filmed.
The scene in which Miriam and Tirzah find Judah asleep in the Hur palace is by far the most moving I have seen in any ancient-world epic, sound or silent.
It may seem unusual to see these extended emotional sequences in a picture that doesn't spend much time on characterisation or verbal interaction, but it is a perfect use of silent cinema form nonetheless.This Ben-Hur retains the subtitle of Lew Wallace's novel – "A Tale of the Christ", and the religious angle is more integral to the story here than in the 1959 version.
Of course it is very much like Niblo to use close-ups of hands to define characters, just as it very much like William Wyler (director in 1959) to film actors from behind, but I believe both portrayals owe something to the 19th century stage production, in which the actor playing Jesus kept his back to the audience.
In each case this was apparently done out of a religious sense of respect, but I feel the "hands-only" Jesus of 1925 is the most effective because it shows the Christ figure purely as a presence, continuously felt but always just out of sight.Probably the only respect in which the 1959 Ben-Hur is superior to the 1925 version is in its characterisation.
But there is an energy and sense of intimacy in Fred Niblo's version that is sorely lacking in the later version; the film, as a whole, is far closer in spirit to General Lew Wallace's novel; and young leading man Ramon Novarro (with a sexy intensity reminiscent of Tyrone Power), makes a far more charismatic and sympathetic Ben-Hur than Charlton Heston.The 1959 version is remembered today almost exclusively for the chariot race, one of the most spectacular action sequences ever filmed.
The scene is completely artificial, obviously comprised of models and rear projections (watch the toy seamen jiggle as ships collide!) The 1925 version's chariot race is equally as exciting, and the sea battle used full-sized ships and hundreds of extras (shot in Italy, where a fire broke out on the ships during the shooting...the extras' panic on screen was NOT acting!) With two-strip Technicolor to emphasize key scenes (the Nativity, the new Roman Consul's arrival in Jerusalem...yes, those ARE topless women leading the procession!), and a wonderful, stirring new musical score by Carl Davis, Fred Niblo's BEN-HUR is a treasure, a film you'll want to see again and again...Can you honestly say THAT about the '59 version?.
While it is now largely neglected in favor of the more familiar 1959 remake, the 1925 silent version of "Ben-Hur" is quite entertaining, and it is often impressive in its own right.
Like the later version, it makes some changes from the novel, but it still contains most of the same best-known scenes.The large-scale set piece sequences from the story work very well here.
The chariot race scene is approached a little differently than it is in Wyler's version, so that direct comparisons may not be possible, but in any case Niblo's version is very good.
The action is tense and exciting, and it is also fun to try to pick out the silent screen stars who appear in the audience.There are certainly a number of reasons for the enduring popularity of the Wyler/Charlton Heston version.
Childhood friends , Judah Ben-Hur (Ramon Novarro) and Messala (Francis X Bushman) meet again one time grown-up .
That said, anyone who appreciates fine film-making should also watch this 1925 version of "Ben Hur -- a Tale of the Christ." Director Fred Niblo directed this version, and how he did such a stunning job given the technology of the day is amazing (interestingly, William Wyler was an assistant to Niblo on this original film).
Ramon Navarro plays Judah Ben-Hur in this version, and it is easy to see why Niblo cast him in the lead.
Watch it two or three times (it is well worth the effort) and you will be surprised how much more you begin to notice and appreciate and also begin to understand that a failure to enjoy silent films to the full is not a fault in the films but a fault in the viewers who have lost the capacity to view a film as a film deserves to be viewed.In the case of the two Ben-Hurs that count (I will not try and defend the 1907 Olcott version), Wyler's 1959 film is a very shallow piece of work, completely typical of the fifties US epic, glossy, pompous, ahistorical and overly romantic.
In fact the entire political subtext of the story, eminently clear in this version, is largely incomprehensible in the Wyler film.Ben-Hur is certainly also about spectacle.
The spectacle in this film remains breath-taking and is far from restricted to the chariot-race or the magnificent sea-battle.As for the 2016 version, 90 years on, one draws a veil.........By the way, for those zombies who compile these cast-lists, there are no such people as Miss Remington and Miss Underwood (or at least there are or rather were thousands of them.
The effects work is markedly better in this version than in1959; the naval battle is clearly being fought from full sizebattleships (except for a couple of obvious long model shots),while the remake's parallel scene appears to have been staged ina bathtub.
With a good score, this is exciting and adventurous -- sword fights, the chariot race, and an interesting approach to Judeo-Roman history.And, even more startling, if it is true that all those future stars appeared in the film as uncredited extras, this may be the most star-studded film of the 1920s..
I finally sat down to watch the 1925 silent version of this story, and from the very beginning I went in completely biased to the 1959 remake by William Wyler, as that is what I consider to be possibly the greatest film ever made.
I also thought the scenes with Judah running into Jesus Christ were much more prolific in the sound remake; not one of them in the silent version comes even close to capturing that emotion for me.
It took The Big Parade to put MGM in the black that year and keep it there for a while.With some deviations the plot of Ben-Hur runs pretty close to that of the more familiar sound version where Charlton Heston won his Academy Award for Best Actor.
Honestly, he thinks Ben-Hur died in the galleys and he is trying to provide for daughter Esther played by May McAvoy.There is one character who does not appear in the sound version, Egyptian siren Carmel Myers.
Also such up and coming folks like Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, and Myrna Loy are all just unknown extras and somewhere in Ben-Hur. The basic themes of General Lew Wallace's novel are kept intact and if the box office didn't quite pull MGM out of the hole, it certainly gave the studio its first real prestige picture..
In my opinion, this version of Ben-Hur and The Big Parade are the two best films to come from the silent era.
Quite technologically advanced for its day, Ben-Hur boasts several colored sequences as well as a terrific sea battle and chariot race.I have not read the book by Wallace but I am familiar with it enough to know that this movie is more faithful to the book than the 1959 remake.
Admittedly, watching the latter on television in letter-box format is not the best way to view it, but even on a full screen, nothing would be able to disguise the hammy acting and shallowness of the film.The original, on the other hand, has the spectacular scenes - the battle at sea was much more convincing, and the chariot race superbly well done, but where it really shone though was in the simplicity and intimacy of the performances, and although it's quite long by silent standards, its 2 hours+ length is just about right.
The segment in the Valley, with silent wraith-like figures moving about, and the later healing of the women by Christ on his way to Calvary, also stand out in my memory - a tribute to Fred Niblo and his sensitive direction.Technically, I'm sure it must have been a marvel in its time, and it still stands up today as a very watchable and enjoyable film..
Novarro shows great grit and strength as he progresses from social elite Jew to galley slave to Roman gladiator champion.The chariot scene is just amazing and every bit as exciting as the one in the 1959 film.
And this one sequence is one of the most famous in silent film history.Claire McDowell plays Ben-Hur's mother, and Kathleen Key is the sister.
He's no Charlton Heston but he sure wasn't ready to be taking any more beatings from the Romans by the time in the film where the chariot race occurs, and I highly recommend that EVERYONE WHO READS THIS REVIEW SEE THIS MOVIE, EVEN JUST FOR THE CHARIOT RACE SEQUENCE.
although i love charlton heston and stephen boyd in the 1959 version, this is the better movie - if it were a sub sandwich it would have everything including hots - incredibly well done, especially the spectacles such as the sea battle (much better than the 50s version which was all too obviously done with models), and the chariot race.
Jazz Age audiences no doubt didn't mind that Ramon Novarro's emoting in the title role was more furious than even the famous sea battle, or that his rendering of the heroic Prince of Hur was downright effeminate next to Francis Bushman's burly he-man Messala.
When people think of 'Ben-Hur', most immediately think of the 1959 film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, the best known version.
For some it's even better than the 1959 film, for me it isn't quite but it is every bit as great.'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' isn't quite perfect for me.
Comparable in scope and grandeur to the famous 1959 version, 1925's "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" is an epic imaging of Lew Wallace's story of the fall and rise of a Jewish prince during the days of Christ on Earth.
While showing its age, the cinematography remains outstanding, with tranquil scenes that look like images from vintage Christmas cards juxtaposed with the magnificent sea battle, the dramatic entry into Jerusalem, the dramatic earthquake that accompanies Christ's crucifixion, and the iconic chariot race.
Before my generation's "Ben Hur" there was my grandmother's "Ben Hur: a Tale of the Christ," a 1925 silent film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Ramon Novarro as Judah, Ben Hur, Francis X.
There is no in-depth look at the friendship between Messala and Ben-Hur in the earlier film; it's hard to believe, from Bushman's portrayal, that the two were ever friends (also the actors were 16 years apart in age).
The scenes with the trireme battle at sea and the chariot race are incredibly realistic and highly entertaining, and I don't mean that as "for a silent film from 1925", I mean that period.
It is a Christian film which shows scenes from Christ's life often preceded by quotes from the Gospels, but to its credit, it gets the fundamental message of peace and nonviolence right.Novarro makes for a reasonably good Ben-Hur, particularly while rowing in the slave ship resentfully, and in the scenes opposite a young woman he's interested in (May McAvoy).
Indeed, a young 23-year-old assistant director (William Wyler) would go on to make the better-known 1959 version of the film.
The film may not have been as popular or as exciting as Charlton Heston's 1959 version of Ben-Hur, but a film 74 years old at the time of this writing in 1999 sure tells you a lot about how early film making shames many of today's less compelling dramas.
Ramon Novarro (as Judah Ben-Hur) grows up in Judea, around the same time as Jesus Christ.
The entire cast and crew had every reason to be proud of the completed "Ben-Hur." Both the 1925 and 1959 versions of "Ben-Hur" are essential viewing.Novarro and Bushman deservedly won special "Golden Globe" awards during the 1959 film season; almost certainly, these awards acknowledged their lead and supporting roles in the original version of that year's big award winner.
The chariot scene was wonderful to watch, and the acting although exaggerated (like most silent films) was still able to convey the feeling and mood of the story Ben-Hur..
this movie was filmed 10 years and remains still one of the greatest silent movies ever made!and i guess the novel is good too by Lem Wallace but i haven't read it.in my home there is not these novel,but i someday buy it.i personally love epics (most of them Napoleon 1927)and of course this movie is very old too,but it's don't make it bad at all.and this the original version of Ben-Hur 1959 is remake what won 11 Oscars.Fred Niblo was a great silent movie director hands down.Top five silent movies: 1)Napoleon(1927) 2)Metropolis(1927) 3)The Gold Rush(1925) 4)Nosferatu(1922) 5)Ben-Hur A tale of the christ(1925)Sherlock Jr. was good too,but Dr.Caligari Cabinet is highly overrated..
Though primarily a B&W film, this silent features several 2- strip Technicolor scenes (e.g. those with Jesus Christ, including his birth and the Last Supper) which help to make this a must-see classic.
It was added to the National Film Registry in 1997.Ramon Novarro plays the title role of Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Jew and boyhood friend of the powerful Roman, Messala (played by Francis X.
Arrius then treats Ben-Hur as a son and, over the years, the young man grows strong and becomes a victorious chariot racer many times over.Of course, this eventually leads to a climactic showdown with Messala in a visually spectacular, incredibly exciting chariot race, perhaps only surpassed by the later filmed version of this story.May McAvoy plays Esther, the daughter of the Hur family's former servant Simonides (Nigel De Brulier).
I watched the 1925 version of Ben Hur for the very first time last night.
It did not make money until it's re-release in 1931 with added sound effects because it was the most expensive film made in it's time.The Roman Galley sequence in this movie was shot in Italy.
The staggeringly elaborate sets, the camera-work, the Technicolor segments, and the special effects are absolutely spectacular.The sea battle and chariot race sequences are better here than they are in the more famous sound version.
One of them being a Jew, Judah Ben-Hur(Ramon Novarro) and Massala (Francis X.