Ben-Hur 1959

 

If one can accept this large scale biblical epic as a rousing boy's adventure story then you might have some fun and maybe even get some enjoyment from it. I have to say that these large scale biblical epics were never my thing, even when as a kid. I first saw BH when I was 12 on the big screen, reserved seats at the newly renovated Loew's State Theater in Times Sq. during Christmas vacation. I was bored.

That said I decided after decades of ignoring it to have another look at this big Oscar winner via the blu ray edition. It looked good but I still didn't stand up and cheer . It's so overstuffed and bloated that it really was tiring at an over 3 ½ hour running time. The story is simple and reverential with all the points on how Christianity came to be highlighted and underlined.

It can also been seen as a story of a long friendship that begins in childhood between a Jew and a believer in idols and emperors. That would be Judah Ben-Hur a Jewish prince and Messala a believer in the worship of Greco Roman gods and emperors . They grow up to become Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd who have a very homoerotic reunion at the beginning of the film which over long plot strands becomes a hated and heated revenge story.

The homoerotic thing is there no doubt because Gore Vidal put it in the screenplay that he among many others worked and labored on, and is one of the legends of Hollywood Gore lore depending on who you believe. Boyd who is given to long lingering stares into Heston's eye's is the best thing in the film. He's emotional and there is depth to his performance, and his longing for Ben-Hur is potent. Wyler may have pleaded innocence when it came to this hidden meaning of male love and affection but the homoerotic is certainly there especially in the scenes of Boyd surrounded by his bare chested muscular adoring soldiers and servants and is especially telling in the steam bath scene which made me perk up for a minute.

Also in the large cast of millions is Hugh Griffith terrible in brown face so thick it looks like shoe polish as the campy Shieik llderim and won a supporting Oscar for this performance which is one of the Oscar duds of all time along with the ridiculous win for best actor to Charlton Heston.

Jack Hawkins always good plays Quinutus Arrius who comes to Heston's rescue after Heston comes to his rescue during a lavish sea battle done with miniatures and matte paintings and is one of the famous set pieces of the film, the other being the big chariot race that comes in the 2^nd half of the film, and is colossal and animated with action between Boyd and Heston racing, racing, racing. It comes to a bad end with (spoiler alert) the death of Boyd, who grasps the arm of Heston as he lies dying. Its a surprise that Boyd didn't get an Oscar nomination for his 

scene stealing performance.

And then there's Jesus. He hovers over the film in pivotal scenes but he's never seen up front and personal. Always shot from the back or in partial body parts, his hand giving slaves water, and the cruel walk to his crucifixion where he gives out with a few miracles including curing Judah's mother and sister played by Martha Scott and Cathy O'Donnell of leprosy which actually looks like a bad case of acne.

The oscar winning music score by Miklos Rozsa is loud and big befitting this loud and big film. Filmed before in 1925 with the gay actor Ramon Novaro as Ben-Hur.