#100: Ben-Hur (1959)

*Oscar winner:
Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Picture, Best Sound   *Unequaled until 1997’s Titanic

I may have been my own worst enemy on this one. Yeah, I know you are supposed to go into a movie with no expectations, but I’m sorry, the fine print on the back of the DVD cover which said 212 minutes scared me a little bit. I had seen the chariot scene well over 25 times throughout my lifetime and was amazed every time, but I had to still get into a decent mindset for this movie.

Ben-Hur is a Biblical epic in which a Jewish prince of Jerusalem, Judea Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), has his whole life turned upside down when his old friend Messala, a high-ranking officer of Rome, throws Ben-Hur into slavery after he is wrongfully accused of trying to murder the Governor of Rome, and for good measure, locks his mother and sister in jail as well. Told alongside Jesus’ ministry on Earth, the film follows Ben-Hur’s incredible journey to find those closest to him and seek revenge on Messala.

It’s a great plot. You can’t help but think of other epic films like Braveheart and Gladiator, but the big thing for me was that it took 3 1/2 hours to tell this story when it could have just as easily been told in 2 1/2 hours or less. It’s hard to adjust to the theatrical acting in the film because it just makes the scenes seem that much longer. But it is amazing to watch just for the set design, and oh yeah, have I mentioned the chariot scene yet? This movie really was truly an amazing feat for something made in 1959. If it was made today, I can imagine all the sets just being computer effects, like 300. Ben-Hur is a movie that has its ups and downs, but like many roller-coaster rides, you are glad that you stepped out and took the ride.

I give Ben-Hur 3.5 out of 5 spiky wheels.