This Best Picture Showcase was supposed to be completed in 2014, but due to a variety of reasons (including that I just got lazy with it), that didn't happen. Sorry about that.
When this started, there were a planned 86 blogs to come covering all the winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture. That number has now become 87. And yes, we'll be covering the newest member of the club down the line.
So with 27 movies left to finish the BPS...I say it's about damn time we got back into it. Shall we?
Today we're covering the 1959 winner, Ben-Hur. With a running time of 222 minutes, it's the third-longest Best Picture in history. (And as a sidenote that I just discovered today, interestingly enough, 7 of the 10 longest Best Picture winners we actually haven't covered in the BPS yet, including all of the Top 6. See why I got lazy with these blogs?) Directed by William Wyler, this is a remake of the 1925 silent film of the same name, which in itself was based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Considered by many the ultimate "swords-and-sandals" epic, this film is probably most renowned for its incredible chariot race scene, which took five weeks to shoot over a period of three months and at a cost in excess of $4M. The film's overall budget (nearly $16M) was the largest for any film up to that point in time. Let's dive into the synopsis.
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The film opens with the birth of Jesus Christ, complete with the Three Wise Men and everything. There's no dialogue, but everything is well implied. The opening credits confirm that by containing the "A Tale of the Christ" as a subtitle. We move ahead to 26 A.D. in Judea, which is under the thumb of the Roman Empire. Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a wealthy prince and merchant in Jerusalem. He lives with his mother Miriam (Martha Scott), his sister Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell), plus their loyal slave Simonides (Sam Jaffe) and his daughter Esther (Haya Harareet). A childhood friend of Judah is Messala (Stephen Boyd), who now resides in Rome and is newly put in command of the Roman garrison. Messala is all for the glory of the Roman empire and greatly respects and admires the Emperor Tiberius Caesar (George Relph), who desires for the Jews to be more obedient.
Messala receives word that Judah is visiting him, and the two share a happy few moments of reuniting after many years. It doesn't take long for the tone to go sour, however, as when Messala asks Judah for advice on governing the province of Judea, Judah's advice is to give the people their freedom from Roman reign. Messala tries to convince Judah that Roman rule is the best option, and hopefully Judah will convince his people not to rebel when the new legions come into the area. Both men disagree on the right answer, but they continue to plan loyalty to one another.
Messala returns the visiting favor some time later by coming to the Ben-Hur home to visit his family. Outside, Judah and Messala talk some more. Judah says many agree with his non-violent goals, but there are some that don't. Messala wants those names. Judah doesn't want to be an informer and a turncoat, so he refuses. The debate escalates until ultimately, Messala says that Emperor Tiberius is God, not "this", as he waves his hand upward to the sky. Messala says either Judah is with him or opposed to him. Judah says he is opposed. Messala leaves. Judah goes into the house and tells his family of the falling out. Later, Simonides and Esther talk of her being betrothed to someone soon. It is obvious, however, that Esther and Judah share feelings for one another. Judah privately takes Esther's slave ring from her thumb and places it on his ringfinger, signifying she's free to go off and marry. They smooch.
A parade is taking place for the new governor of Judea. As the governor heads down the parade route past the Ben-Hur home, some tiles fall from the rooftop where Judah and others are watching. The tiles spook the governor's horse, and the governor is nearly killed as the horse throws him off. Immediately, Roman soldiers storm into the home. Messala himself enters as well. Judah assures him it was unintentional, and Messala even checks the roof personally and finds that more tiles crumble with only the slighest push. Nonetheless, Messala ignores Judah's plea and has him imprisoned.
Judah is sentences to the galleys without a trial. He fights the Roman guards who have come to take him there, but is knocked cold by Messala. He comes to and escapes a second time, ultimately finding Messala and threatening him with a spear. Messala tells his guards to leave the room. Messala admits he is making an example of Judah, his friend, to show the Jews that both he and the Empire are not to be trifled with. Judah pleads with Messala to reconsider, but Messala retorts that he pleaded with Judah first to no avail. Judah's plight is now his own full responsibility. Judah raises the spear and Messala quickly says that he will have Miriam and Tirzah crucified right in front of him if he goes through with this. Judah frustratedly throws the spear into a cabinet. The guards return and bring Judah to the slave caravan, but Judah vows revenge when he returns. Messala scoffs, "Return?"
Simonides and Esther visit Messala's tribune and plead for mercy on Judah. Messala sends Esther away and has Simonides held for questioning. Meanwhile, Judah and other slaves are marched to the galleys. After some time, they come upon a village (which turns out to be Nazareth) where the soldiers get water for themselves, the horses and the slaves. However, Judah is disallowed water by the guards. An exhausted Judah collapses and asks God for help, when someone then appears and gives Judah water. A soldier objects and the helping man stands. We see from behind the recognizable silhouette of Jesus Christ. The soldier backs away stunned and does not impede Him helping Judah further.
We're now at sea aboard the slave ships. Judah is known as "41", his rowing position. The Roman Consul Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) boards his flagship and checks out the men. He notices 41 and asks him some questions. 41 has been here for three years now. Quintus continues walking but then surprises 41 with a whip shot. 41 starts to react as if he will fight back, but chooses not to. Quintus says he admires the desire to fight back but the intelligence not to. Quintus sits and watches as the rowing starts back up at normal speed. Quintus has the speed increased to battle speed, then attack speed, then ramming speed. He's watching 41 the whole time, and 41's watching him right back. Other slaves begin to collapse around him. Finally, Quintus calls for the men to rest.
Quintus has 41 sent to his quarters, where he tells 41 he admires his determination and self-discipline. He sees hatred in 41's eyes. Quintus offers to train him as a gladiator or charioteer. 41 declines the offer, declaring that God will aid him in his quest for vengeance. Soon afterward, the Roman fleet encounters the enemy Macedonian fleet. Quintus orders all the rowers except 41 to be chained to their oars. The battle commences, but eventually the flagship is rammed and boarded by an enemy ship. Quintus winds up nearly killed by a spear, but 41 has climbed to the deck level and throws a spear at the Macedonian first, killing him. Quintus is then thrown overboard, and 41 dives into the water, bringing him to some large floating debris. Quintus attempts suicide as his ship has been destroyed, but 41 stops him. The next morning, still floating on the debris, Quintus discovers he's been chained down. 41 says it's to keep him alive. Quintus learns 41's name is Judah Ben-Hur. Quintus asks why Judah saved him. Judah asks why was he left unchained. Judah then sees a ship in the distance. Quintus asks if the sails are square, because that would mean it's a Macedonian ship and Judah would have his freedom. Judah dejectedly says the sails indicate it's a Roman ship, but still unchains Quintus and waves down the ship. After being rescued, Quintus learns that the Romans won the battle, and Quintus receives the credit for leading the charge. An elated Quintus has Judah served water before he is.
Quintus is honored for his success by the Emperor Tiberius. Tiberius asks Quintus about the man he's with. Quintus says that man saved his life. Tiberius tells Quintus that man will not have to return to the galleys, but instead will be given to Quintus as a slave to do with as he pleases. Quintus winds up announcing at a party that he does not call Judah his slave, but his adopted son. Quintus gives a family heirloom ring to Judah, who vows to wear the ring with gratitude and honor. Judah is now the heir to the Arrius estate, and he spends the next year living as a Roman, and becoming a champion charioteer.
Judah decides it is time that he returns to Judea. Quintus lets him know that Pontius Pilate--who Judah has met--is the new governor of Judea. It is an amicable farewell as Quintus realizes Judah will likely not return to Rome. During his travels, Judah meets Balthasar (Finlay Currie) and Sheik Ilderim (Hugh Griffith). Ilderim has four white horses that pull his chariot for racing. Judah sees the practice run go badly and advises that the horses be repositioned so as to maximize their collective strengths and minimize their collective weaknesses. Ilderim is impressed and asks Judah to join he and Balthasar for dinner. It is then that Ilderim learns Judah's racing credentials, and he asks Judah to ride his chariot in the upcoming annual Arena event, mentioning that Messala and his four black horses have been unbeatable. Judah is stunned to hear Messala's name, but still passes on the offer, saying he'll deal with Messala in his own way. Balthasar realizes this means Judah desires to kill Messala.
Judah returns to his home in Jerusalem. He finds the outside rather unkempt, but notices Esther coming down a set of stairs. They reunite. Esther says she has been hiding here with her father, but there has no word on Miriam and Tirzah. Esther later privately tells Judah her betrothal never occurred. The E&J love still exists too, as they smooch. Esther pleads with Judah not to confront Messala again, but she knows he will.
At his tribune, Messala receives a gift from the son of Consul Quintus Arrius. Messala didn't know there was such a son. He opens the gift and it is a fancy dagger. In walks Judah. Messala is completely flabbergasted. Judah explains how it all happened. Messala assumes this gift if meant for Messala to use on himself now. Judah asks about Miriam and Tirzah. Messala says he has no idea. Judah tells him to find out by tomorrow when he returns. Judah leaves. Messala sends a soldier to the dungeon to find out about the women. The soldier goes to the jailer, who brings him to the lower level. The jailer has never opened the door but knows the women are alive because the food that is left for them every day always disappears. The jailer opens the door for the first time and enters...but recoils with a look of horror in his face. Miriam and Tirzah have contracted leprosy. The jailer immediately commands them to be released and expelled from the city, but the women first return to the Ben-Hur home. Esther sees them but is told to stay back as they are lepers. They beg Esther to tell Judah that they're both dead, as they wish for Judah to remember them as they once were. Miriam and Tirzah head off to a leper colony in the valley. Esther heeds their wishes and tells Judah the women are both dead. Judah now decides to enter the chariot race.
Sheik Ilderim visits the Roman tribunal and offers a wager with the soldiers that his chariot can defeat Messala's. The wager winds up 1,000 pounds at 4-1 odds. Race day then arrives, and as the chariots are all lined up, Ilderim alerts Judah that Messala has his wheels doctored up with blades. As the racers are introduced, Judea gets the loudest reaction, which doesn't seem to please the Romans announcing.
And now it's race time! Boogity Boogity Boogity! Let's go racing, boys!
(Sorry for the Darrell Waltrip NASCAR line. I just had to.)
The race is what looks to be 8-10 laps, and it's intense. Some chariots are done in by bad steering, but many are done in by Messala's blades. As charioteers fall, men quickly run out with stretchers to remove them and the debris from the racetrack. Messala appears to be the only person using a whip on his horses, as if Messala isn't already a big enough prick. On one lap, Messala cuts down another chariot, and the debris isn't removed quick enough before the racers return back around. At this point, Messala and Judah are side-by-side, and Messala steers in such a manner that Judah is heading right for the debris. There's no avoiding it, but Judah's horses jump the debris, and Judah's chariot itself bumps over it, sending Judah nearly toppling out of it, but it continues to race on. Messala can't believe it. In the final two laps, desperation sets in as Messala decides to stop whipping his horses and instead whip his opponent. The two men grapple over the whip, and as this occurs, Judah's wheels wind up interlocked with Messala's wheels, and the blades wind up chopping up Messala's own vehicle. Judah eventually gets the whip and gives Messala a taste of his own medicine. And then suddenly...
...Messala's chariot completely falls apart, sending him to the ground where he is dragged and trampled by other horses and chariots. Judah goes on to win the race. Pontius Pilate greets the victor and announces to the crowd that he is the God of his people. The crowd cheers wildly.
Messala refuses medical treatment until Judah comes to see him, which he knows he will, and sure enough, he does. Messala gives Judah one final reason to hate him, informing him that Miriam and Tirzah are living in the leper colony. Messala then dies. Judah immediately goes to the valley looking for Miriam and Tirzah. He doesn't find them before he finds Esther arriving with food for them. Esther tells him the women asked her to not let Judah know of their plight. Judah catches a glimpse of the women coming out of their cave. Esther leaves food for them and returns to Judah. Miriam and Tirzah get the basket and go back into the cave. Judah wants to run in there but Esther says it would tear them apart if he did so. As they return home, they see many people marching. One of them is Balthasar, who says that the Son of God has arrived in Jerusalem and will be their savior. Judah catches a faraway glimpse of Jesus Christ, while Esther sits closer and listens to Him speak.
Pontius Pilate sends for Judah and tells him that he's being granted Roman citizenship. Judah wants none of it, denouncing the Empire and giving Quintus's ring to Pontius, saying he honors Quintus too well to wear the ring any longer. Pontius tells Judah he should leave Judea for his own safety. Back home, Judah and Esther argue as she only sees vengeance and hatred in Judah's eyes anymore. She really sticks it to him when she says he's turning into Messala.
Esther goes to the leper colony again, bringing the basket directly into the cave. Miriam pleads for her to stay back but she says she wants to bring the women to Jesus Christ, as she's now a firm believer that He is the savior. Miriam tells Esther that Tirzah is dying. In walks Judah. Miriam is terrified but Judah calms her down. He then goes to find Tirzah and does so, carrying her out of the cave. The foursome head off to find Jesus Christ. When they arrive, they learn that Jesus Christ has been put on trial by Pontius Pilate and sentenced to death. They witness the march as Jesus Christ carries the crucifix. It is here where Judah sees the face of Jesus Christ for the first time and discovers that He was the man who gave him water when Judah begged for God's help in the slave march. Judah follows the march as Esther brings the women back to the colony.
As the march continues, Jesus Christ collapses under the weight of the crucifix. Judah brings Him water until the guards kick him away. Judah and Balthasar both witness the crucifixion. After it is finished, a violent storm erupts overhead, and it also erupts over the colony, where Esther has returned with Miriam and Tirzah. The rain falls on and around the women...and Miriam and Tirzah are miraculously healed from any and all effects of the leprosy. They rejoice. Meanwhile, back at the Ben-Hur home, Judah returns and tells Esther that just before Jesus Christ was crucified, he heard His voice telling him to forgive the Romans, and He also "took the sword out of [his] hand". Judah no longer feels the need for vengeance. Judah then sees that Miriam and Tirzah are healed, and the foursome all embrace.
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Ben-Hur was an MGM production, which would mean the film would open with the roaring lion logo. Director Wyler was concerned that this would create the wrong mood for the sacred nativity scene that starts the film, so MGM replaced the traditional logo with one in which the lion does not roar.....Screenwriting credit went to Karl Tunberg, but the script actually went through many revisions, including those of Gore Vidal.....Several A-list actors turned down the Judah role before Heston accepted it. One refusal was by Burt Lancaster, who found the script dull. Another refusal was by Paul Newman, simply because he felt he didn't have the legs to be wearing a tunic.....Heston was actually initially cast as Messala.....Jesus Christ was portrayed (uncredited) by opera singer Claude Heater.....Miklós Rózsa's musical score was and still is the longest score ever recorded for a film. In 2012, Time-Warner released a limited-edition five-CD set of the complete film score.....The "pageantry" sequence before the chariot race begins is a shot-for-shot remake of the same sequence from the 1925 silent film version.....Several urban legends exist regarding the chariot race scene, all having been disproven. A stuntman did not die, a red Ferrari is not visible and Heston did not wear a wristwatch.....Ben-Hur is the only Hollywood film to make the Vatican-approved film list in the category of religion.....This was the first movie remake to win Best Picture. Only one other film (2006's The Departed, remade/re-imagined from the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs) has done so since then.....You want numbers? More than 200 camels, 2,500 horses and 10,000 extras were employed for the film shoot.
MGM was in dire financial straits at the time this film was released, but the studio was sure this film would save it. Sure enough, it did, with roughly $75M in box office, making it the second-highest-grossing at that time behind only Gone With the Wind. It was also praised unanimously, with the acting, the story and that chariot race getting nothing but raves. Ronald Holloway of Variety called the race (including all before and after the race itself) "40 minutes of the most hair-raising excitement that film audiences have ever witnessed." The only criticisms seemed to be the film's length, with some critics saying certain points were made past the point of necessity. Some critics actually didn't like Heston's performance, and in fact, even director Wyler eventually admitted he wasn't fond of it either. I know that I've heard such criticisms about Heston's performance in my lifetime, and it's been lampooned and satirized on several occasions. Guess what, though? The Academy liked it. Heston won Best Lead Actor.
That wasn't the only Oscar for Ben-Hur either. The film garnered a whopping 12 nominations, and took home wins in 11 of those categories, a record that still stands today, although tied with two other films (1997's Titanic and 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). The Oscar wins were for Best Lead Actor (Heston), Best Comedy/Drama Score (Rózsa), Best Sound Recording, Best Film Editing, Best Special Effects [now called Visual Effects], Best Art/Set Direction--Color, Best Cinematography--Color, Best Costume Design--Color, Best Supporting Actor (Griffith), Best Director (Wyler) and Best Picture. That top win was over Anatomy of a Murder, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Nun's Story and Room at the Top, none of which stood a chance against this monster of a movie. The Best Picture award always is for the film producer(s), and the producer of Ben-Hur was Sam Zimbalist, who actually died suddenly shortly before filming was completed. Zimbalist remains to this day the only producer to win Best Picture posthumously. Oh, and the single category that Ben-Hur did not win the Oscar for? That would be Best Adapted Screenplay, which went to Neil Paterson for Room at the Top. It is widely accepted that the only reason Ben-Hur did not win here was due to the controversy of the screenplay being credited to one man when it was widely known to have gone through many rewrites involving many other people.
Until seeing it in full for the purpose of writing about it here, I never saw this movie in its entirety. I'd seen parts of it, including the chariot race, but never the whole thing. Part of the reason is that, with honest and full disclosure, I'm just not a religious person. Films telling the story of Jesus Christ just never have grabbed me with a need to see it. I respect religion, and I believe in some sort of a higher power, but that's as far as I can go. So in relation to that, I think this may be why I had trouble with this film as a whole. For the first 2.5 hours or so, I was really interested in it. But then the chariot race ended, and Messala died, and Judah achieved his revenge against him...and then we still had 45 minutes to go. This is when the film kinda slowed down for me, since it then turned into more of the story of Jesus Christ, or at least had that B-story become more prominent in relation to the main characters. I do have a secondary theory as to why I felt this way, and that's because before seeing this film in full, I'd seen 2000 Best Picture winner Gladiator. That film's narrative and structure was also about one man's injustice and revenge against his foe, and that man succeeded in his revenge and killed the adversary...and then the film ended. Ben-Hur went that same route, but then also had the additional stories to finish. The official full title is Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, and that played out into two separate stories that did somewhat interweave, but ultimately to me just became too much. Still, with all that said, I recommend the film greatly. It is one of the most impressive cinematic achievements of all time. You just may need to watch it in segments throughout a day or two.
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