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ivyficI watched Ben-Hur for the first time this weekend. Holy cow. I did not know the subtitle of this film was "A Tale of Christ." No, that's not a good thing. There's something so 1950s about an epic swords-and-sandals film with anvilicious references to Christianity. Oh, this bad guy here? We'll just call him Pontius Pilate. And while Judah Ben-Hur is travelling, guess who he runs into? One of the three kings. Ben-Hur is supposed to be a Jew (that's the whole point—he's one of the oppressed Jews), but he's really more a nascent Christian.
So Judah Ben-Hur is a wealthy, privileged merchant who, as far as we can tell, has never worked a day in his life. He's a prince. He has stewards for that sort of thing. (He's also not winning points with me for insinuating to the slave he's lusting after that he could have her if he wanted.) But despite that, he's strong enough to survive three years on galley ships, save one Roman who immediately hails him as his son, and then, when put on a chariot for the first time, is the greatest charioteer ever. Aside from the whole cruelly condemned for a crime he didn't commit, that's a pretty charmed life. I can't help comparing it to Gladiator, where there's a reason why Maximus becomes famous. He gains standing as a gladiator, which he's good at because he's a soldier and well-trained at killing people. It's all logical. Ben-Hur just seems to have this things given to him for no reason at all other than he is Charlton Heston and must win.
And the end! Talk about deus ex machina. So Ben-Hur has been consumed by hatred and his thirst for revenge, and then he meets Jesus and poof! He's cured! And *gasp* so are his sister and mother, who were lepers! All better!
I'm kind of peeved by the fact that because these characters are our heroes, they immediately embrace Christ as their savior. And the bad characters, they don't believe. It's so…simplistic. I think I would have liked this a lot more had it been like Gladiator—just a tale of revenge and redemption, no god involved. But then, if it was that, I don't think it would have won 11 Oscars in 1959.
There are still religious films now, I know, but it bothers me so much more that the story is not a Biblical story and really doesn't have anything to do with the Bible other than the setting. They just throw in the Christianity as a moral lesson. Passion of the Christ is at least honest in its moral overtones.
The chariot race, though. That was amazing. That alone justifies the other three hours of the movie. I know it's hailed as one of the greatest action sequences ever put on film, but a lot of the time, when I watch such classics, my reaction is clinical. I can see why it was important, but it doesn't really do anything for me. (The whole of French Connection left me blah and no, I didn't really like The Birds.) But this one was a white knuckle experience. I'd seen it before, but not in its entirety, I don't think. I had to rewatch it as soon as the movie was over.
Just so you know—that whole thing about someone dying during the filming of the chariot race? Big fat lie made up by one of the stuntmen in his autobiography. There's no proof anyone was seriously injured during filming and the director, stunt coordinator, and Charlton Heston have all denied it. One of the stuntmen almost died, though. There's a moment when Ben-Hur's chariot and team jump a downed chariot and you can see the stuntman flipped entirely out of the chariot. That was not intentional. He managed to twist in mid-air and land on the rig behind the horses, though, so he only bruised his chin. But the footage is in the film and it will make you gasp.
So, in conclusion, if you have not seen Ben-Hur, watch the chariot race. You can skip the rest of it.
So Judah Ben-Hur is a wealthy, privileged merchant who, as far as we can tell, has never worked a day in his life. He's a prince. He has stewards for that sort of thing. (He's also not winning points with me for insinuating to the slave he's lusting after that he could have her if he wanted.) But despite that, he's strong enough to survive three years on galley ships, save one Roman who immediately hails him as his son, and then, when put on a chariot for the first time, is the greatest charioteer ever. Aside from the whole cruelly condemned for a crime he didn't commit, that's a pretty charmed life. I can't help comparing it to Gladiator, where there's a reason why Maximus becomes famous. He gains standing as a gladiator, which he's good at because he's a soldier and well-trained at killing people. It's all logical. Ben-Hur just seems to have this things given to him for no reason at all other than he is Charlton Heston and must win.
And the end! Talk about deus ex machina. So Ben-Hur has been consumed by hatred and his thirst for revenge, and then he meets Jesus and poof! He's cured! And *gasp* so are his sister and mother, who were lepers! All better!
I'm kind of peeved by the fact that because these characters are our heroes, they immediately embrace Christ as their savior. And the bad characters, they don't believe. It's so…simplistic. I think I would have liked this a lot more had it been like Gladiator—just a tale of revenge and redemption, no god involved. But then, if it was that, I don't think it would have won 11 Oscars in 1959.
There are still religious films now, I know, but it bothers me so much more that the story is not a Biblical story and really doesn't have anything to do with the Bible other than the setting. They just throw in the Christianity as a moral lesson. Passion of the Christ is at least honest in its moral overtones.
The chariot race, though. That was amazing. That alone justifies the other three hours of the movie. I know it's hailed as one of the greatest action sequences ever put on film, but a lot of the time, when I watch such classics, my reaction is clinical. I can see why it was important, but it doesn't really do anything for me. (The whole of French Connection left me blah and no, I didn't really like The Birds.) But this one was a white knuckle experience. I'd seen it before, but not in its entirety, I don't think. I had to rewatch it as soon as the movie was over.
Just so you know—that whole thing about someone dying during the filming of the chariot race? Big fat lie made up by one of the stuntmen in his autobiography. There's no proof anyone was seriously injured during filming and the director, stunt coordinator, and Charlton Heston have all denied it. One of the stuntmen almost died, though. There's a moment when Ben-Hur's chariot and team jump a downed chariot and you can see the stuntman flipped entirely out of the chariot. That was not intentional. He managed to twist in mid-air and land on the rig behind the horses, though, so he only bruised his chin. But the footage is in the film and it will make you gasp.
So, in conclusion, if you have not seen Ben-Hur, watch the chariot race. You can skip the rest of it.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 11:23 pm (UTC)Actually, I still haven't seen it. Knowing the plot, I never felt particularly compelled.
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Date: 2008-03-04 04:05 am (UTC)The other thing that bugged me was the not treating these characters as Jews. There's a point where Esther, who's been converted, tells Ben-Hur's mother and sister they must come hear Jesus speak so they will have faith and no longer be afraid of dying. At that point, I was like wait a minute--they're Jews! They have faith! In the same god, even! It's not like they're heathens, here.
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Date: 2008-03-04 12:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 04:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-05 01:43 am (UTC)Also I believe the character gets leprosy or something.
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Date: 2008-03-05 02:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 03:52 pm (UTC)