Rating of
4/4
Ben-Hur review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 11/12/11
Having viewed this again as an adult one can truly appreciate the beauty of this picture. A wealthy Jew named Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and childhood Roman officer Messala (Stephen Boyd) have disputes due to different beliefs. Ben-Hur's mother and sister Miriam (Martha Scott), and sister Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell) became peasants during the reign of Messala and was tendered by Esther (Haya Harareet), a daughter of a loyal servant. Ben-Hur encounters Jesus Christ twice. Had tremendous action sequences and enormous cast and set pieces without the aid of advanced computer graphics. Performances were realistic and screenplay and score were endearing.
One of my favorite lines: Messala: "It's an insane world, but in it there's one sanity, the loyalty of old friends." Arrius: "You have the spirit to fight back but the good sense to control it." Esther: ""Love your enemy. Do good to those who despite-fully use you." Balthasar: "Your life is a miracle!" The minute observation that was irrelevant was the story between Esther and Judah, which affected the length of the film. Still, this epic doesn't disappoint. So many themes symbolized such as politics, faith, relentlessness, patience, forgiveness, family and friendship. Having a likable characters, gorgeous costumes/set pieces, flawless acting, timely sound/editing, endearing story and believable effects has its recognition and rewards. A movie that can be rewatched for viewing pleasure. Ben-Hur's record 11 Academy Awards are a given, the universal subjects and groundbreaking style and storytelling gives its unique magic that stands the test of time which is loved no matter your race or beliefs.
