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Amazon.co.uk Review
Ben-Hur scooped an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards in 1959 and, unlike some later rivals to this record-breaking win, richly deserved every single one. This is epic filmmaking on a scale that had not been seen before, and is unlikely ever to be seen again. It cost a staggering 15 million dollars and was one of the largest film productions ever undertaken: the Circus Maximus set alone covered 18 acres and was filled with 40,000 tons of Mediterranean sand. But it's not just running time or a cast of thousands that makes an epic, it's the subject-matter that counts and in Ben-Hur the subject is rich, detailed and sensitively handled. Despite both the original novel's and the film's subtitle, "A Tale of the Christ", this is really a parallel life, that of Prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and his estrangement from old Roman pal Messala (Stephen Boyd). The eponymous character's journey of self-discovery through bitterness and hate to eventual redemption has many deliberate echoes of Christ's life (at one point, Judah is mistaken for Jesus, much as Brian would be later in Monty Python's masterful satire), and the multi-layered script from (uncredited) literary titans Gore Vidal and Christopher Fry wrings out every nuance and every possible shade of meaning.
Director William Wyler, who had been a junior assistant on MGM's original silent version back in 1925, never sacrifices the human focus of the story in favour of spectacle (he had the good sense to leave the great chariot race to second-unit director and experienced stuntman Yakima Canutt), and it is his concentration on human drama and fully rounded characters that gives Wyler's epic its heart. In this he is aided immeasurably by Miklós Rózsa's majestic musical score, arguably the greatest ever written for a Hollywood picture, in which the development of character-driven leitmotifs produces the effect of grand opera. The Christian theme concentrates on the central character's love and compassion for his family (evoked by the discovery of their leprosy) rather than any heavy-handed sermonising (the figure of Christ is seen but never heard--his presence signalled by a serene musical motif instead).
On the DVD: this long-awaited release presents the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.76:1 in a glorious anamorphic print, complete with remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The music sounds fresher than ever, and both the theatrical "Overture" and "Entracte" are included (civilised times the 1950s: they had specially composed intermission music to enjoy while topping up on ice cream and popcorn!). There's an extensive and enjoyable documentary tracing the history of the story from Lew Wallace through stage productions to the first MGM version in 1925 and then to the 1959 production. Charlton Heston provides an intermittent commentary, evidently enjoying the experience of watching the film again, and his comments are usefully indexed so you can skip to the next bit without having to sit through chunks of silence (during the chariot race he voiced his concern to second-unit director Yakima Canutt that the stuntmen were better drivers. Replied Canutt: "Chuck, just drive the damn chariot and I guarantee that you'll win"). There's also a couple of screen tests, one with Leslie Nielsen in pre-Naked Gun days as Messala and a photo gallery and theatrical trailers complete an epic DVD package. --Mark Walker
Special Features
Sub-titles: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, French, Italian, Romanian.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bye Bye DVD copy of Ben Hur, you served me well.,
By
This review is from: Ben-Hur - Ultimate Collector's Edition [1959] [Blu-ray][Region Free] (Blu-ray)
If you're well into Blu ray, then all your expectations of this release will not disappoint.
If you're new to Blu ray and thinking about, and still unsure about how best to take advantage of your new investment and own the DVD copy of this film, then let me tell you, this release has been given a lot of TLC, newly restored and remastered from the original 65mm negative, then remastered to 1080p. Comparing Ben Hur on Blu ray to DVD is like comparing the DVD to VHS, the picture is outstanding. Then there are the extras including the 1925 silent version on Disc 3, not seen it yet so unable to comment. I'm not expecting Metropolis type restoration for the 1925 silent film, so I won't be disappointed when I get round to having a butchers. Buy this for the spectacular Blu ray version of Ben Hur, and you'll not be disappointed, the added 1925 film plus documentaries are just a bonus in my opinion. ********* UPDATE ********* The 1925 Silent version has been fully restored, is 2 Hours 23 Minutes in duration, and looks absolutely stunning, just like Metropolis. Is well worth watching ;-)
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Monumental Achievement,
By
This review is from: Ben-Hur - Ultimate Collector's Edition [1959] [Blu-ray][Region Free] (Blu-ray)
Ben Hur is, quite simply, a lesson in filmmaking. Once you take a step back its hard to believe that, what is arguably one of the top ten greatest motion pictures of all time was produced over 50-years ago, and twelve-million dollars was breaking the bank of MGM. Yet it remains as epic as what it surely must have been when it was first released, and perhaps most prevalent, is even more inspiring than what can expect today from any release. This is sad, for it demonstrates that no matter how much computer power you can pack into a room, or how monstrous a budget the studio and producer are willing to settle, neither technology nor money can conjure up epic craftsmanship. It is clearly a sign that something has gone wrong when we can today fail so miserably with more resources than anyone could even need.This is where Ben Hur strikes hot - the amount of heart that was put in to every single aspect of the production. The whole reason MGM were willing to spend so much when they were already in trouble was to create the "modern masterpiece", the film to which others could be judged beside. This testament holds true even now. When you watch the famous chariot race scene, you are completely aware that just about every Health and Safety procedure we know today is completely abandoned. So crucifying are some of the stunts and moves as thrown riders are dodging and trampled by horses that you can't help but gasp and cringe. Equally, Heston's inspiring performance cannot help but bring a tear to the eyes of anyone watching as he is reunited with mother and sister at the end of the film, following the sacrifices of 'Jesus'. I'm far from a religious man, but it says a lot when a film can so artistically portray the wonders of biblical adventure, and make it worthy to sweep '11' Academy Awards. The restoration for this Blu-ray is another achievement on its own, given the apparent state of the original negatives. It was an 8K scan (currently the highest resolution possible) on the original 65mm film, which itself is already a leap up from regular 35mm film stock. Aside from some very minor 'streak' issues now and again (which are barely noticeable to the untrained eye), it is a revitalisation to which others should be judged by. It is breathtaking. Natural grain is readily intact, and appears very filmic as it doesn't have the 'floaty' or smudged look that many studios compromise when cleaning up their films. The film shows absolutely no signs of digital enhancement or tampering in the cause of clean up. Detail is simply amazing for a film this old; I would say it easily surpasses any 'modern' film I've seen on Blu-ray. What I'm most intrigued by is how much of that detail fills the backgrounds, for you can see so far into the distance and everything is still defined. Even the colours have a natural Technicolor glow and show no signs over over-saturation which, again, can happen in some film restorations. Of course, since the film has such a wide aspect ratio (2.76:1) you will certainly need at least a 32" TV to start appreciating the detail and scale of this movie. I'm pretty envious of those fortunate enough to have projectors/plasma displays! Ben Hur's soundtrack also plays a major contribution to the enjoyment of the film, so fans will be pleased that this also has an excellent new reproduction. It sounds absolutely marvellous for its day, so you won't be afraid of cranking it up in all its uncompressed glory. Its like having an orchestra in your room. Included are a modest variety of bonus features that do a great job of outlining the films production; the best being one dedicated to Charlton Heston's own diary, as narrated by his son, daughter, wife and many other people whom were a part of his life. This is a very fascinating documentary that, at almost one and a half hours long, cottons rare home film footage (16mm), pictures and accounts of his life. The film is spread across 2 x Blu-ray discs, with a third being dedicated to the extras to ensure maximum quality of the film. Less is probably more when reviewing a film like Ben Hur, as it has been documented so much already. All the customer needs to know with this release is that it represents ridiculously good value for money; you're getting one of the best films ever made, a restoration that has surely set a new standard and some excellent quality bonus features. Don't forget the posh slip-cover too!
75 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest films ever made.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Ben Hur (4 Disc Special Edition) [1959] [DVD] (DVD)
Warner Bros.have gone and done it again.You know the story by now so let's just focus on this gorgeous 4 disc presentation.The print has got to be seen to be believed,crisp sharp,colourful everything this classic deserves. And what of the extras? WOW!!! First of all you get two documentaries-one from 1994 which was on the 2001 edition but the one made in 2005 is so impressive. The best extra ever in this reviewers opinion has go to be disc 3 which features the entire 1925 silent version with a new score by Sir Carl Davis. What more could you ask for? Superb,worth every penny.
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