Evan D. As a project this year we are taking a trip through time to revisit all of the Best Picture winners in history, Wings to Anora. Ben-Hur is the thirty-second film in that series, to see all the other Best Picture reviews, click here. An interesting part of working through the history of the Academy Awards and Hollywood filmmaking is the trends that begin to emerge. There are the easily explainable ones, like a fascination with war around two global conflicts. Then there are the cultural trends that go in and out of style. The 50s and 60s specifically saw Hollywood craft two types of blockbuster films with frequency: movie musicals and biblical epics. Both have since fallen out of fashion but it is not hard to see why they appealed to audiences back in the day. Of that latter category there is little doubt that William Wyler’s Ben-Hur is among the most gigantically epic of them all.
Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a Jewish prince in Roman controlled Judea, generous and well liked by the community he presides over. That community though is deeply upset by the impositions of Roman rule. Judah’s childhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd), is brought in to serve as the province’s new second in command. When Judah refuses his order to turn over Jewish rebels, Messala falsely accuses him of attempting to assassinate the governor. As punishment Judah is forced into slavery and his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O’Donnell) are imprisoned. Vowing revenge, the young prince sets off on an epic odyssey back to Jerusalem. Of Wyler’s three best picture winning films, Ben-Hur is easily the most gargantuan. Part of a broader trend of religious epics sweeping the era, the film clocks in at over three and a half hours. Massive, custom built sets dominate in widescreen shots that often dwarf the characters on screen. The sheer scale of the film is a major departure for the more character driven director of Mrs. Miniver and The Best Years of Our Lives. In a way the interiority of Wyler’s previous standout films are what make him a rather intriguing fit for the biblically influenced Ben-Hur. In a tale of tyranny, miracles and chariot racing — truly marvelous chariot racing — the story never loses sight of what Judah has lost or the spiritual battle roiling within him. Like Gladiator with Jesus, this is the story of a man bent on revenge, discovering that what he wants and what he needs are at odds with one another. As a core narrative this works to a point. All that enormity becomes unwieldy after a while though. Judah’s journey to Rome and back encompasses many years but relatively few of the things that happen to him play out on screen. Rather, we get lengthy sequences that often reveal little. Action sequences are drawn out but enthralling. An epic battle at sea and a climactic chariot race stand out as among the most thrilling of the era. Little of what happens in between — Judah’s travels, parties or conversations with the supporting cast — give truly meaningful context to the drives Judah or anyone else. Before that sea battle we are told that Judah had been imprisoned for three years, but at no point do we feel the weariness or burden of the sentence. Some, but not all, of this disconnect falls on Heston’s portrayal of the titular Prince of Hur. He has the physicality for those action sequences to really shine but always feels just a little bit off in the more emotional and profound moments. The rest of the cast is not much better — although Jack Hawkins was a standout as Quintus Arrius — especially given that most are severely underused. Like many classic pictures reviewed in this series, Ben-Hur is very much of a product of its time. Hugh Griffith won an Oscar for what was essentially a caricature of an Arab in blackface. Things like this pop up quite a bit in these old winners, but it is still worth mentioning just how off putting it is when they do. I also find the whole narrative around Jesus of Nazareth overly preachy and distracting to the story at hand. Obviously it is a cornerstone part of the book and silent film from which this was adapted, but it still spiritualizes Judah’s journey in a way that minimizes his emotional arc. For all its many warts, I do imagine that parts of Ben-Hur will stay with me longer than many of the previous winners of Best Picture. The chariot race is genuinely one of the more technically impressive sequences I have ever seen, with multiple moments begging the question of how they possibly pulled it off. It also very clearly set a template for films like the aforementioned Gladiator, another historical revenge story that would go on to win Hollywood’s biggest prize. At times a test of endurances, Ben-Hur is still an impressive feat. 6/10
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