Movie Review- Ben Hur (1959)
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Movie Review- Ben Hur (1959)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American film directed by William Wyler and produced by Sam Zimbalist. Charlton Heston, who plays the title character, is the film’s star (Solomon, 2013). Essentially, the film tells the tale of Judah Ben Hur, a wealthy Jew who was wrongly suspected of trying to kill a Roman chief by his close friend Mesallah. Judah Ben Hur was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Since regaining his independence, Judah Ben Hur plots his vengeance against the ruthless Romans who destroyed his soul (Peterson). Ben-Hur is without a doubt the finest film ever produced since it was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and received 11 of them, including best director, sound mixing, and best movie production, amongst others. Instead, the film has been praised as a beautiful, engrossing, and insightful human story, as well as the most entertaining and credible Bible-fiction ever produced. (Peterson). The famous chariot race in the film, which is still stunning today, will keep anyone on the edge of their seat. As a result, Ben- Hur is regarded as the most fantastic film ever made.
Summary
At the start of the first century, Judah Ben-Hur is a wealthy Jewish prince and trader in Jerusalem. Messala, his old acquaintance and senior general of the Roman army, returns with the new governor. They are initially pleased to see each other after such a lengthy moment, but their differing political viewpoints segregate them (Solomon, 2013). A brick from Judah’s house falls to the ground during the welcome festival, narrowly missing the governor. Even though Messala is aware that they are innocent, he assigns Judah to the dockyards and imprisons his mother and father. Judah, on the other hand, swears to return and exact vengeance.
In the 1959 film Ben Hur, Judah Ben-Hur demonstrates the capacity to comprehend and interact with all Jews and others who associate with the Holy Roman Empire. The wealth and influence of Judah inside the city of Jerusalem are evident early in the film. Part of this comprehension is his strong relationship with the Romans, especially Messala (Solomon, 2013). The affection between Judah and Messala is highlighted in two famous scenes in the movie; the main is a stroll where they share stories about their upbringing. The second is when Judah, after being wrongfully incarcerated for tossing a piece of tile roofing at the ruler, breaks free and flees to Messala’s space, where he insists that Messala relieve his soldiers and enables an intense connection.
Historical Event I
The dramatic scene of the chariot race was shot at Cinecittá Studios, in Rome, on an arena track that covered 18 acres, the most extensive single set in motion picture history at the time. Many tonnes of white sand were brought over from Mexico (Solomon, 2013). The track had to be strong enough to support the weight of the chariots and, at the same time, very smooth so as to avoid any damage to the horses when they ran around it over and over again during the training and filming sessions. A total of 18 Roman chariots were built; half of them went to Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd. Both actors had to spend long hours training to learn to ride the chariots. It was faster and easier for Heston to learn to ride the chariot, as he was a gifted and talented horse rider.
In actual history, the circus was a unique venue, formed like a projectile, for the performance of chariot races in ancient times, with the Circus Maximus in Rome being the biggest of these (Solomon, 2013). The term “Circus Maximus” refers to the world’s largest circus. It was a massive building, four floors high and half a Roman mile long on either foot, with a wide spine running across the middle of the racing field where the chariots ran. It could hold about 200,000 spectators, rendering it the most significant sports stadium ever built elsewhere in human existence at the time.
Event II
The other interesting scene is where Ben Hur meets Jesus. What makes this scene so powerful is the fact that Jesus is introduced as a faceless man. We do not need to see his face to realize he is an important individual and that his kindness speaks volumes, primarily through his gentle touch and warmth (Paul, 2008). When he pours water over Judah’s face, it’s like he is reinvigorating Judah for his new journey of self-discovery: “Whoever thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”
In recent history, research into Jesus’ resurrection has taken unexpectedly promising turns. This isn’t to say that today’s critical academics agree on what the Bible says. Scholars are increasingly persuaded that specific assessments, usually refer