Holy Roller: The 60th Anniversary of “Ben Hur”

By Michael Lyons

“The Entertainment Experience of a Lifetime!”  This promotional tag line from the original movie poster for “Ben Hur” is not only a clever play on words, it truly sums up the film.

At a time in Hollywood history when films became events; when movie studios battled television by creating epic films; when these films were three plus hours in length, came with an intermission and a program; when a night at the movie theater with an oversized screen felt like a night at a Broadway theater; and when studios turned to the Bible for inspiration, few films were more epic, more Biblical and more of an out-and-out moviegoing experience than “Ben Hur!”

A movie regular around the Easter season, coupled with the fact that this year marks the 60th anniversary of “Ben Hur,”makes this the perfect time to celebrate this most classic film.

Based on the 1880 novel, “Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ” by General Lew Wallace, the story was actually first adapted as a silent film in 1925.

Set in Jerusalem in AD 26, the film tells the story of a wealthy Jewish Prince, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a kind, generous nobleman who lives a life of privilege, until he and his family are betrayed by a family friend Messala (Stephen Boyd).  Messala has grown up to be a Roman Tribune and wrongfully accuses Judah Ben-Hur of attacking the Roman army as they march by.

Ben-Hur is sentenced to a life of slavery, his sister and mother sent to prison.  While enslaved and shackled, marching through the desert, a stranger takes pity on Ben-Hur, offering him water.  The stranger is Jesus Christ, who also provides Ben-Hur with hope and a will to live.

While a slave in the galley of a ship, Ben-Hur saves the life of a Roman Consul Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins).  To repay this, Quintus adopts Ben-Hur, bringing him back to civilization and, once again, a life of privilege, where he becomes one of Rome’s greatest charioteers.

Through all of this, Ben-Hur searches for his mother and sister, only to find them lepers who have been banished to a leper colony.  Filled with hate and despair, Ben-Hur and his family find themselves back in Jerusalem and witness to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.

The experience changes and transforms Ben-Hur, losing the anger that filled his heart, filling him with peace, as he lets go of his past and looks ahead to life anew.

“Ben-Hur” was directed by veteran William Wyler (“The Best Years of Our Lives” and “Mrs. Miniver”) in a style that gives new meaning to the term “cinematic beauty.”   The expanse and magnitude of some of the scenes in this epic film are still breathtaking after all of these years.

Standouts are the sea battle with galleys full of oarsman trapped in the bowels of the boats and the emotional trial of Jesus with its endless mass of extras as he is marched through the streets.

Most memorable by far, however, has got to be the now famous chariot race, in which Ben-Hur faces off against Messala.  Without a doubt, one of film’s greatest action set pieces.  Unfurling in real time, the danger and energy of the scene is palpable.  No mystery that it’s still studied by film students and scholars to this day.

The chariot race sequence, along with the entire film, must have been nothing short of staggering for 1959 audiences to see on the big screen (literally).  “Ben Hur” was a box-office hit that snagged deserved Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Actor, after its initial release on November 18, 1959.

A genre that has faded in time and a film that fits squarely in the “They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore,” “Ben Hur” continues to endure.

What’s allowed this is its strong subject matter and message.  Ben-Hur (whose life experience of being sent to his death and essentially being “resurrected,” mirrors that of Christ himself) learns that faith and forgiveness are powerful allies that can truly save our lives.

More powerful that any epic scale or action-packed chariot race, that’s what makes “Ben-Hur” the “Entertainment Event of a Lifetime.”

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Easter!

Sources: 

IMDb 

Wikipedia