Welcome back to the Oscar Film Journal, here at Enuffa.com!
Today's a doozy. I'm finally breaking the seal on the year 1959, and starting at the top, with the Best Picture winner (along with the ten other awards it bagged), Ben-Hur. Based on the 1880 novel by Lew Wallace, directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur was a massive undertaking, boasting some of the largest film sets ever constructed and an epic three-and-a-half-hour running time, not including the overture and intermission. At a $15 million price tag it was also the most expensive film every produced at that time, and was such a box office sensation it outgrossed every film that came before it except one: Gone With the Wind.
The narrative is set against the backdrop of the birth, rise, and eventual crucifixion of Christ. A fellow Judean named Judah Ben-Hur (Heston), born around the same time as Jesus, grows up to be a wealthy Jewish merchant. His childhood friend Messala has gone on to become a Roman tribune, co-governing Jerusalem. Messala has fully bought into the idea of Roman global domination and tries to convince Judah to join him and become a high-ranking Roman official. But Judah's loyalty is with his Jewish brethren and he vows to help them regain their freedom, driving an intense rift between the two friends. During a parade held for Governor Gratus, Judah's sister Tirzah accidentally knocks a loose roof tile into the street, injuring Gratus. Even though Messala knows it was an accident, he uses this as a pretext to imprison Judah, Tirzah and their mother Miriam, making them an example of what will happen to anyone who questions Roman dominion.
Judah's mother and sister are imprisoned, while Judah himself is sent to be a rower in the galleys of military vessels. During a battle he saves the life of Roman consul Arrius, who in return adopts him as his son and trains him to be a chariot racer. Instead of remaining in Rome, Judah returns home to search for his mother and sister, and through a prophet named Balthasar, learns of a Nazarene prophet spreading a message of love and forgiveness. But Judah is driven by vengeance, confronting Messala and demanding Miriam and Tirzah be delivered to him. Messala's men find them still in a dungeon, having contracted leprosy. Miriam and Tirzah return to their abandoned home and decide to self-exile to the Valley of the Lepers, convincing their former servent Esther to tell Judah they've died. The news sends Judah into a revenge-filled rage, and he agrees to a chariot race against Messala. Judah wins the violently contested race and Messala is mortally wounded. As his final act, Messala reveals that Miriam and Tirzah are still alive and have leprosy. Judah and Esther take Miriam and Tirzah to see Jesus, but Christ is already on his way to be crucified. After the crucifixion comes a thunderstorm, and Miriam and Tirzah take shelter in a cave but are suddenly healed. Judah is reunited with them and Esther at their home, rejoicing at their miracle and embracing forgiveness over revenge.
The religious aspects of Ben-Hur may seem a little hokey, but this is a glorious spectacle of a movie, nearly every frame filled to the corners with stunning imagery and vibrant color. Robert L. Surtees earned his Best Cinematography Oscar and then some, loading up the film with panoramic landscape vistas and dynamic movements that made a lasting mark on the cinematic language. At a time when television was threatening the solvency of the movie industry, Hollywood was firing back in a big way with massive big-screen experiences like this one. The 4K restoration is fantastically beautiful, as eye-popping as it must've looked in 1959.
Two memorable action sequences punctuate the first and second acts. The first is a harrowing sea battle between Arrius's Roman ship and the Mesopotamians, filmed using miniatures in an enormous water tank with painted backdrops. Despite the simple special effects, this sequence is extremely effective in conveying the scope of the skirmish, and aside from some clunky composite shots, everything looks pretty seamless.
The other big action scene is the stuff of cinema legend, and the most famous in the film. I'm speaking of course about the nine-minute chariot race, shot on the largest movie set ever built at that time - an 18-acre arena carved out of a rock quarry over the course of a full year. At a cost of one million dollars to build, another million to film, it took three directors to bring the scene to life: William Wyler directed the pre-race parade of chariots, while second unit directors Andrew Marton and Yakima Canutt tackled the race itself. The scene is a milestone in cinematic race sequences and must've influenced nearly every such scene that came after (The podracing scene in The Phantom Menace for example, down to the absence of music throughout). It's also quite graphic for its time, with some very intense stuntwork involving men being thrown from their chariots and trampled under hoof. It's easy to see why this scene is Ben-Hur's lasting visual, this is one of the all-time great action sequences.
At 222 minutes total, Ben-Hur is certainly a marathon, but unlike Lawrence of Arabia (a film I found visually incredible but emotionally empty), this one has a very relatable anchor to keep us engaged. From Judah's falling out with Messala to his unjust servitude, to his eventual redemption and letting go of his anger, there is always a strong emotional arc for us to latch onto. This film feels long but never like a slog to sit through.
I'm actually glad I waited until the age of 4K remasters and giant HD TVs to watch this film. I can't imagine how much of its grandeur was lost in 80s and 90s broadcasts on sub-30-inch CRT televisions. For anyone who hasn't seen Ben-Hur, I can't stress this enough: Watch it on the biggest screen you can find, and soak it all in; it's a massive cinematic achievement.
I give the film **** out of ****.
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