Ben-Hur -- 1959 -- G

Taking a trip back in time, we comes across the first big-time Academy Award winning film that took 11 awards back in 1960. This goes to show that long dramas are where it's at since this one runs about 3 hours and 40 minutes long. We also have Charleton Heston in another biblical setting following the Ten Commandments from 1956. Now he's been Moses and met Jesus.

The story follows a guy name Judah Ben-Hur, who is a Jewish prince of the house of Hur. He was once friends with a guy named Massala, who is a Roman made in charge of Jerusalem under a new incoming governor, but their friendship had a falling out when Massala wanted Judah to turn in his friends for being against the Roman government. After an accident involving the new governor, Judah is made an example of and sent away in stocks and chains until he finds a new life elsewhere. He is obsessed, however, with returning and finding out what happened to his mother and sister, who were also arrested when he was, and upon returning, he is led to believe they are dead, which sparks him into participating in the big chariot race against Massala (and quite a few others). Sure, I left out some details, but I can't tell you everything; it's against my code of ethics. Weaved into this fabric is the existence of Jesus Christ, and though he is not a major character in the story, he does play a role in Ben-Hur's life, and to Ben-Hur, the scant run-ins with Jesus are memorable and pivotal.

The film is billed as "A Tale of Christ," but it's more appropriately titled, "Someone Christ Ran Into On An Occasion." It's rather misnomed in my opinion, but that's how the book is titled, and maybe the book has more to it than the adaptation, but I can't imagine what was left out of the almost 4 hour epic, which is complete on the DVD with Overture, Intermission, and Entr'acte.

Character-wise, Judah receives the lion's share of development, and he is an odd one. He moves from a pacifist to vengeful in the course of his experiences, and still knows when to hold his tongue. I think some of his decisions were strange, especially the final one when he was with Pilate, but it fits all right and makes him real since not everyone fully thinks out their choices and acts very impulsively.

Those around him got some development, but only enough to make you relate to them from Judah's perspective. Massala was probably number two in the developmental arena followed closely by Esther and then Judah's mother and sister. A big plus here that a lot of movies lack in is that I remember the names of all the prinicpals and most of the supporting cast. That, in itself, shows some good development in the characters.

In the action department, we have a bit here and there. Judah gets into quite a few scraps with the guards. Things get blown up and burned. The centerpiece of the work is the chariot race, which is not just a thing they threw in for the fun of it. This is the climax of the film in regards to the relationship between Judah and Massala. It's an impressive piece of work that was very well done.

So, if you have a lot of time, this one is definitely worth catching. It's the first winner of 11 Academy Awards (which means I've seen all three of these winners, the other two being Titanic and Return of the King still proving that 3 hour plus epics are where it's at), so that in itself should be enough to plug it in. It's also a very good film though with a good story and a good ending.