+- Forums (http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomForum)
+-- Forum: Doom Arts (http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomForum/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Forum: Doom Streaming (http://www.brotherhoodofdoom.com/doomForum/forumdisplay.php?fid=21)
+--- Thread: Ben Hur (/showthread.php?tid=4428)
Ben Hur - Greg - 04-02-2018
I finally caved in and watched Ben-Hur on Sunday. It was Easter. It seemed appropriate. And goddamn that film is long. It came in at a little over 3 and half hours. How could people sit in the theater for that long? I was also shocked to see Ten Commandments on ABC the previous evening coming in at 5 hours with commercials. I guess binge watching now makes that acceptable. Didn't they use to show that over two nights when we were growing up.
Basically, Judah Ben-Hur is a Jewish prince who is thrown into slavery when the military ruler of Israel decides he stands in the way of his rule. Ben-Hur has adventures along the way which have him crossing paths with Jesus Christ. It's a big and lavish spectacle complete with a chariot race.
So, Heston is shirtless a lot. And every time I see him shirtless, I hear Alan Rickman saying "I see you managed to get your shirt off"
The other odd conceit is that you never see Jesus from the front. You only see him from the back. And he is never referred to as Christ. He's just this guy with really great hair.
RE: Ben Hur - King Bob - 04-03-2018
I've loved that movie from childhood. I have a soft spot the old "sword and sandal" pictures. And I think it may be Heston's best, although it might be a tie with Planet of the Apes.
Here's some trivia, from script doctor Gore Vidal, roughly as told in The Celluloid Closet: Stephen Boyd, who played Messala, says to Vidal that it just doesn't make sense that Messala would be so vindictive over a political disagreement. So Vidal tells him to play it like he's in love with Ben Hur. Boyd says that Heston would never go for that, so Vidal says "We won't tell him."
I've just started watching the remake, which seems like it will be crap, but I'll let you know.