Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Edition (DVD)

First time I saw this film was on the big screen during it's 10th anniversary re-release in 1969 when I was 12. Couldn't take my eyes off it! It has everything a 12 year old kid wants in a film: action, adventure, visual splendor and even an emotional story that you can learn something from. We all know the story about two childhood friends, one Jew, the other a Roman, caught up in the turbulent times of Roman imperialism only to be split apart as adults due to their own ideology and becoming bitter enemies. The full title suggests A Tale of the Christ, which is not necesssarily true. The Christ figure serves more as metaphoric backdrop, referencing Jesus' teachings of brotherhood and it's impact on a common man, Juda Ben Hur. This is what seperates Ben Hur from most other Biblical epics. It carries a highly emotional human drama despite all the visual splendor. Lessons on humility and redemption are delivered with a sledgehammer. The film was a make-or-break gamble for MGM, who was on the verge of bankruptsy at the time due to the increasing popularity of television. No expense was spared by producer Sam Zimbalist bringing in two time Academy Award winning director William Wyler along with several writers like Gor Vidal and a $10 million dollar budget. With the odds against MGM, the film still ended up being one of the most successful films in history bringing in a record 11 Academy Awards, a record that was held for almost 40 years until Cameron's Titanic tied it. This DVD set does the film justice for many reasons. First and foremost is the restoration of the film itself. Great care was taken to bring more vibrancy to the picture quality. Previous prints had some color desaturation due to age and poor handling. The most noticable was during the famous chariot race where a tint of yellow was clearly visible on the right side of the screen. That and the usual grain and other artifacts have been eliminated bringing us the best picture this film has had since it's release. As for the sound, it's pretty much the same as the previous DVD release done in 2003, I really don't think there's much improvement that can be made given the technology at the time. But it still sounds great, especially during the crucifixation scene when the thunder really thunders giving your sub-woofer a real workout. The extras are plentiful highlighted by the inclusion of the original 1925 silent version which that in itself looks great in terms of production, storytelling and restoration of the film as well. Other extras include the previously released documentary narrated by Christopher Plummer (love his voice!) and a new documentary focusing on the impact the film made on contemporary filmmakers. We get interviews with Ridely Scott, who did the heavily Ben Hur influenced Gladiator, and good old George Lucas on the inspiration the film had on Star Wars. Funny thing is, when I first saw The Phantom Menace, I instantly knew Georgie boy modeled the pod race after Ben's chariot race! And I was right! Other extras include some screen tests by other actors (like Detective Frank Drebin auditioning for the role of Masala!), production stills and the like. All in all, this a great package to have of one of Hollywood's most legendary classic epics. If you love action, adventure, romance and raw emotional storytelling, this is it. Blu-ray update: Take this set and frisbee it! Ben Hur Blu-ray is here at last. After years of delays for the 50th anniversary the wait has been well worth it. Warner made the right decision to say to hell with release schedules and took their sweet time putting this release together. A meticulous frame by frame restoration of the original 70mm negative done at a 6k scan has resulted in the most perfect image you going to see of this classic epic. Colors are bright and sharp as a razor, you can count the hairs and beads of sweat on Heston's arms in the chariot race. While the sound is still a bit harsh due mostly to old technology, I've found it to be more warmer sounding than before with plenty of boom. Aside from the same extras you get on the DVD package, you also get a new HD documentary that focuses on Heston's experiences while filming Ben Hur complete with home movie footage behind the scenes. You also get a pictorial book and a reproduction of Heston's personal diary that's quite informative.

I haven't seen Ben-Hur in ages, and one day I'm lying on the couch watching TV and it hits me: I want to see Ben-Hur. So, I went to Amazon.com and found this great box set. It comes with a lovely photo album of stills from the movie and casual shots of Charlton Heston with his family on the set. I really enjoyed seeing the human side of a great American film star in the classic mold. Combined with Heston's personal diary which he kept on the set of The Ten Commandments, you learn a lot about the man himself. I've seen comments disparaging the film as too long (one reviewer complains bitterly about having to listen to the ten-minute musical introduction), as being boring (another reviewer said three of four viewers fell asleep during the movie), and as being a ridiculously cornball Sunday School story (this reviewer also complained that Messala's friendship with Judah had homosexual overtones). It seems to me that these reviewers must be younger viewers who never lived the wonder of a great movie house showing this film. The ten-minute opening music gave latecomers a chance to find their seats and patrons a chance to get their popcorn, candy, and drinks at the snack bar without missing the first part of the movie. The intermission music gave patrons a chance to stretch their legs, take a bathroom break, and get a drink at the water fountain. This film is the product of a movie-going culture that the reviewers I've mentioned seem to know nothing about. I'm sad they missed it; it was a wonderful time to go to the movies. Unlike contemporary action films with nonstop car chases and fast cuts from scene to scene, this movie takes its time to develop character, to establish the old friendship before Messala's betrayal of Judah and his family, to show what Judah suffers and make us, the viewers, want revenge as badly as Judah does. Romantic interest is a must, even in modern film, so the relationship between Judah and Esther is simply part of the history of film right from the very beginning of the art form. And yes, the story is ultimately religious, depicting one family's conversion to Christianity and the miracles that Jesus promised to believers, in this case, healing Judah's mother and sister of leprosy (the New Testament reports Jesus curing lepers during his ministry) and healing Judah's heart of hate and revenge. It may seem strange to younger people in our present society, but people in 1959 took religion and the Bible much more seriously than they do today. There was nothing odd about going to see a movie that included biblical themes. From 1949 to 1965 Hollywood made The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Samson and Delilah, Quo Vadis, The Robe, The Big Fisherman, King of Kings, Barabbas, The Shoes of the Fisherman, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. People went to watch them, and some of them won Oscars for best picture: Quo Vadis, The Ten Commandments, The Robe, and Ben Hur, which won 11 that year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Charlton Heston). As for the supposed "homosexual overtones," it saddens me to see how modern culture has tainted people's perceptions of this classic film and it's "good triumphs over evil" message. Frankly, in 1959, few, if any, children knew what homosexuality was, and polite society didn't talk about it or tolerate it much in their movies. What a contrast between generations!

I watched this movie from my Dad's VHS collection of old films in California. I was so impressed with it so that I decided to also own this movie in DVD format which I purchased from Amazon. My friends and I were just inspired by it that we decided to give it 5 stars. The actors Charlton Heston,Stephen Boyd,Jack Hawkins,Haya Harraret,etc,etc did wonderful performances in our opinion. The movie's beginning shows two childhood friends Messala the Roman and Judah Ben Hur the Hebrew who met each other again as adults. Messala this time became a Roman Tribune. A serious conflict between the two arose when Ben Hur refused Messala's offer to help him capture suspected Jewish conspirators against Rome. Ben Hur refused to be treacherous to his own people or be branded as a traitor. One day, a loose tile from the roof of the Hur house fell and accidentally hit a Roman official on the road below. Although innocent, Ben Hur together with his mother and his sister were arrested and imprisoned. BenHur was then sent to the Roman ships (galleys) as one of the enslaved oarsmen. On the way to Rome, the entire ship sank. Ben Hur managed to save the life of the Roman Ship Commander named Arrius until they were rescued by other Romans. Arrius then later adopted him as a son. This led to his becoming in charge of the horses in the stables and eventually to the magnificent breathtaking 4-horse chariot races in the Circus Maximus (wherever) with BenHur as one of the charioteers. It so happened that Messala the Tribune was also a charioteer and the two former childhood friends met again as enemies. Since this is a movie review, I will not go further to tell the end or the events leading to the movie's ending. One has to watch this movie from its beginning to its ending to fully appreciate its magnificence and beauty. BenHur's encounter with Jesus Christ earlier and then up to His crucifixion is unquestionably very inspiring. It is also fascinating to watch officials climbing certain steps to get to the top of the magninicent buildings (there were no elevators of today then) in order to give the signals that the race is about to begin. The blaring of multiple Roman trumpets to announce the appearance of the Roman emperor was very majestic. Then during this brutalizing race, there were chariot accidents with serious injuries (even being trampled). The appearance of the Roman "paramedics or ambulances (very ambulatory indeed) " to get the injured safely out of the tracks are thrilling to watch. One reviewer actually said that one of these Hollywood stuntmen sustained serious injuries during the filming. The filming it was said was made in Rome or somewhere in Italy (not Hollywood) and no "green screens" were used. At that time there were also no computer generated tricks that could be used. The closeups and the audio and the editing,etc,were just amazing as the risks taken to film the chariot race. Some reviewers are actual movie filming technology experts and some of their criticisms appear valid. The task of judging the movie for its PRECISE OPTIMAL TECHNOLOGY belongs to these professionals which certainly is not me or not most of us. However,the good quality of the video-audio of my DVD copy (not BluRay) as well as the MESSAGE that this movie brings are sufficient enough for us to give it 5 stars. We recommend young or old to watch this outstanding movie. We believe that however old the movie maybe, it will never be forgotten.

It was wonderful to revisit an old movie I saw in my teens. Of course the chariot race was spectacular!

I can't say more about this wonderful movie that hasn't been said already except to give kudos to all the fine actors and their performances including but not limited to: Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Frank Thring and Haya Harraret, who helped make this the greatest movie of all time. The race begins!

Just for clarification, I am writing a review of the 2 disk Bluray 50th Anniversary Edition only and not the box set. I just watched this film for the first time, and I must say... How did I not know about this great film? I am still a college student, so most of my friends prefer movies more in the "popcorn flick" style, but I have always been a fan of classics. This is probably one of the more understated classics, as I discovered it on a Bluray sale on Amazon and had never heard of it before. After a little research on ye olde Rotten Tomatoes and a few other reviews, I just went for it, and I am glad to now have this as part of my collection. STORY The story takes place in biblical times and covers Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who grew up with the childhood friend, Messalla, who went on to join the Roman empire, and you can probably already guess that there would be conflict there. It is sort of a classic tale of revenge and forgiveness, and that is probably all I want to reveal.. I hate spoilers. I will say that the movie advertises as being a Christian film, which it is in a way, but not really "in your face" about it. You do see Jesus, but it is filmed in a very classy manor and leaves some mystery behind who Jesus actually was, instead focusing on Ben-Hur, his family, and his arch-nemesis, Messalla. There are some amazing scenes in this film, including the infamous chariot race, and another one of my personal favorites, the battleship scenes. All that said, the film is quite long at over 4 hours, and I recommend watching it in two sittings, stopping at the intermission. Bluray The Bluray was done VERY well. You can tell that this is a complete restoration, and I read that they spent a LONG time restoring it cell by cell from the master film reel. It shows. The picture is amazing. There were a few hiccups throughout the film, likely where the master film had to be spliced, but it is nothing major. This is probably the only way to watch this film anymore, as I am sure any previous versions pale in comparison. Please note that the only extras included are an audio commentary and two trailers, as well as a separate music track. If you are looking for extras, you are going to want to splurge on the boxed version. Overall To sum up my review, this is a great film. It is a little long and a little drawn out at parts, but some of these scenes are just unspeakably good.

Bought this "SPECIAL" Blu-Ray Edition because I wanted a handier package than my old Laser Disc edition from the early '80's and also hoping for maybe a possibly improved look if it was in anyway possible with today's technologies. Well, as for the "improved" look as I was hoping for, I can't find any !! The extra's in this package are a very nice addition, but as for the presentation of the old Laser Disc edition, I must say these old discs were quality wise very well made but heavy physically of course. I had no way of comparing these 2 editions side by side, but I took the time to watch these 2 movies one after the other and found no direct obvious improvement in quality and sound since I played them BOTH now through my Onkyo TX - NR5008 AV receiver and both sound set on NRL THX Cinema surround. I had exactly the same experience when I was comparing my old Laser Disc version of The God Father and the Blu-Ray Special Edition with each other in the same way. There was no obvious difference in presentation as to whether there were additions or omissions of scenes etc. etc. and in picture quality. That tells me that there is obviously not much you can improve upon when it comes to WELL MADE old movies. If it was not for the price that these Special Edition Blu-Ray's were offered for, I would not have bought them. These old Lasers have still some sentimental value for me ! Of course the prices of laser discs especially for those days were pretty steep. As a comparison, the Special Edition Blu-Ray of The God Father cost me only $17.99 at Amazon and the Laser Disc edition had cost me about $120.- and the Ben-Hur L.D. cost me in those days about $80.- As the movies are concerned, they are still examples of high quality Hollywood film making that are not seen anymore these days.

Movie arrived quickly. Movie is a classic and still entertaining after 66 years.

Elegantissima la confezione, grandissima la qualità del blu ray, un'oggetto cult...Compratelo!!! fantastico il copione personale di Heston, ricchissimi i contributi speciali.

Great looking film, if you are looking for the best version on blue ray.....this is it

When I first saw Ben-Hur on VHS, I remember being wowed by the spectacle. When it was released on DVD, I was still wowed, but also disappointed with the faded colour palate which made it seem like a lesser epic in comparison to Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai. Well, it is faded no more! This blu-ray presentation is in a word spectacular. The colours are full and vivid and detail is ever-present. This movie looks so good on blu-ray my entire opinion of the film itself has been raised. I've seen some pretty great video quality from blu-ray restorations of classic films, but Ben-Hur may just be the best of them all.

Als mittlerweile fast 50jähriger hat man Ben Hur natürlich schon seit Kindheit zig male gesehen. Und doch sehe ich den Film heute mit anderen Augen denn als Jugendlicher. Viele Jahre galt mir Ben Hur nur als typischer Vertreter des Sandalenfilms - überladen opulente und oft idealisierend verkitschte Historienfilme in XXL-Ausstattung, wie sie Ende der 1950er Hollywood in Serie hervorbrachte. Und es ist keine Frage, dass Ben Hur auch alle Stilmittel des Genres aufweist: Massen an Statisten, riesige Kulissen, malerische Matte Paintings, viel zu amerikanisch aussehende Sexbomben-Darstellerinnen mit perfektem Make Up, ein monumental-orchestraler Soundtrack und einfache Gut/Böse-Zuordnungen in den Rollen. Und doch steckt, schaut man wie ich heute genauer hin, in Ben Hur weit mehr. Zum Beispiel eine wahnsinnig eindrucksvolle schauspielerische Leistung von Charlton Heston. Sein Spiel, seine Gesten, sein Ausdruck, seine Sprache tragen den Film. Und Heston hat viel Gelegenheit, extrem gegenteilige seelische Zustände seines Parts auszudrücken, durchlebt seine Figur des Juda Ben Hur doch in mehreren Stunden Film mehrfach alle Höhen und Tiefen eines Menschenleben. Allein wenn der Fürst von Hur den Namen seines einstigen brudergleichen Freundes und heutigen erbitterten Widersachers ausspricht schwingt in diesem "Mesala" mehr Emotion und Ausdruck mit, als jeder nur mittelmäßig mit Talent beschenkte Schauspieler in einem ganzen Film mit Worten und Gestik über die Leinwand zu transportieren versteht. Das ist im Wortsinn ganz großes Kino! Heston lebt seine Rolle in jeder Sekunde und drückt dem Film seinen Stempel auf - wobei man aber auch den ebenfalls großartig agierenden Stephen Boyd nicht vergessen darf zu loben, denn eine so herausragend gespielte Heldenfigur wie Juda Ben Hur braucht eine auf Augenhöhe spielende dunkle Entsprechung. Und die Rolle des hasserfüllten Mesala, der selbst im Sterben noch unter größten Schmerzen dem früheren Freund eine letzte verbale Wunde schlägt, füllt Boyd mit Bravour aus. Erst durch seine Leistung kann Hestons noch größere Leistung richtig glänzen, entsteht als Nährboden großer Schauspielkunst aus der Feindschaft der Jugendfreunde ein tragfähiger Bogen dramarturgischer Spannung. Leider wird im Allgemeinen der Film Ben Hur mehr oder minder eingedampft auf das spektakuläre Wagenrennen. Was schade ist und dem annähernd vier Stunden langen Monumentalwerk in keiner Weise gerecht wird. Denn der Film arbeitet nicht allein auf diesen einen Höhepunkt hin, ordnet nicht alles andere dieser Sensation unter. Er hat viele Einzelabschnitte eines Lebens zu bieten, von denen ein jeder für sich wie das Kapitel eines Buches eine eigene Geschichte trägt. Da gibt es die Zeit auf den Galeeren, in der Juda Ben Hur es schafft, nicht nur der Sklaverei zu entkommen sondern im selben Moment auch die väterliche Liebe eines römischen Konsuls zu gewinnen, der ihn an Sohnes statt annimmt. Mithin keine alltägliche Geschichte in der Geschichte, die hier erzählt wird. Der Jude und Galeerensklave Ben Hur, allem Römischen abgetan, rettet erst den Galeeren-Befehlshaber und Römer, folgt ihm nach Rom und wird selbst zumindest ein Stück weit ein Römer. Freundschaft und Liebe überwinden den Hass und ethnische Gräben. Eine schöne filmische Aussage - und ganz ohne dass sie von Regisseur William Wyler mit dem moralinsaueren erhobenen Zeigefinger vermittelt wird, sie läuft einfach so mit. Dann gibt es die Zeit im arabischen Lager, wo Juda Ben Hur zum Wagenlenker wird und die interessante Figur des clever-gewitzten Scheichs Ilderim in den Film eingeführt wird. Hier wird der Film stellenweise etwas komödiantischer, wobei es neben all der Dramatischen Episoden gut tut, wenn auch mal geschmunzelt werden darf. Aber es bleibt eben eine weitere Geschichte in der Geschichte und der Film kippt an dieser Stelle nicht ab ins humoristische Fach. Denn gleich danach wartet mit dem großen Wagenrennen wieder die nächste dramatische Episode. Als sehr geschickt eingebautes Element, das die einzelnen Episoden aus denen der Film besteht verbindet, dienen die verschiedenen Aufeinandertreffen Juda Ben Hurs mit Jesus Christus und dessen Lebens- und Leidensweg. Durch diese zufälligen Begegnungen zweier Männer - hier der mit dem Siegerlorbeer des Wagenlenkers bekränzte Ben Hur, Gott seines Volkes für einen Tag und dort der mit der Dornenkrone bekränzte Zimmermann, Gott seines Volkes für alle Zeit - erfährt die Figur des Ben Hur eine wichtige Wandlung. Ben Hur erlebt durch Jesus am eigenen Leib dessen Werte wie Mitgefühl, Vergebung, Nächstenliebe auch für den Feind. So enden rund vier Stunden monumentalen Films auch in den Worten Ben Hurs, dass dieser Mann ihm mit seinen Worten das Schwert aus der Hand genommen hat. Das Wort ist mächtiger als das Schwert, Vergebung ersetzt Rache und schenkt den Menschen Frieden, auch den inneren. Auch wieder eine schöne Aussage und auch wieder subtil eingeflochten, nicht gezwungen aufgedrückt! Fünf Sterne kann man dem Film für vieles geben, sie würden sich wohl zu zwanzig oder dreißig aufsummieren. Und doch packe ich nochmal fünf drauf. Diese sind für die überwältigend gute technische Umsetzung des alten Filmmaterials auf BluRay. Hier wurde großes geleistet um ein absolut tadelloses knackscharfes Bild zu präsentieren, in dem die Technicolorfarben strahlen wie gestern erst aufgenommen, weder Kratzer zu sehen sind noch irgendein Rauschen selbst in dunklen Szenen auffällt. Auch der Ton hält mit; man achte darauf nur mal beim Wagenrennen oder auch in der Kreuzigungsszene Jesu mit dem anschließenden Gewittersturm. Wahnsinn was hier noch mit solch altem Material technisch geht! Fazit: Wer diesen Film nicht kennt hat einen absoluten Höhepunkt des Kinos verpasst. Wer den Film nicht versteht ist entweder wie ich damals zu jung dafür oder kann ihn zum Anlass nehmen seine diesbezüglichen Antennen zu verfeinern. Wer die BluRay nicht hat sollte diese Lücke im heimischen Regal tunlichst schließen, denn besser als hier geboten ist dieses filmische Meisterwerk nicht zu erleben! Vom Rezensenten eine tiefe Verbeugung für die damals rund um den Film Agierenden und auch eine in Richtung der heute für diese technisch brillante BluRay Verantwortlichen.

LOVE IT. HE IS SUCH A GREAT ACTOR AND HE WAS MADE FOR THESE ROMAN PICTURES.