Orthodox Easter has finally arrived and with it, the mood to watch movies based on biblical events. Today we are going to remember two scenes from one of Hollywood's best films, Ben Hur (1959).
Ben Hur is the story of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a wealthy Jewish merchant who lives in Jerusalem with his mother and sister. When an old Roman friend and current commanding officer of the Roman Legions, Messala (Stephen Boyd) arrives in Jerusalem and visits Judah, the two have a row which shows them the racial gap that exists between them and their peoples. Soon, an accident which puts the new governor's life in danger happens and Judah and his family are blamed for it. The women are sentenced to imprisonment and Ben-Hur is sentenced to slavery. Messala does nothing to help even though he knows they are not guilty and Ben-Hur swears to come back and take his revenge. Thus begins an epic story of a man who has to overcome the tremendous obstacle of slavery in order to return home, make his old friend pay and save his family.
Ben-Hur was a massive production, the most expensive ever made up to that time (costing $15 million) and it was the first movie to win 11 Oscar Awards* including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Effects and Best Music.
Ben-Hur is full of unforgettable moments that range from sentimental love scenes to frightening sea fights but today we are going to revisit two memorable moments. The first one is the scene which cost 1/3 of its budget: the chariot race.
Secondly, this quite touching scene is the moment when an exhausted Ben-Hur is forbidden from drinking water but soon a man approaches him and offers him some anyway. The man is none other than Jesus Christ Himself but, due to an excellent directorial decision, we never see His face throughout the film. His power is only implied by Miklos Rozca's music and the reactions of the people around Him.
If you haven't seen this legendary film, I suggest you go watch it as soon as you can because it is truly a masterpiece of epic proportions worthy of its fame. Happy Easter.
* The other two movies that achieved such a big win were Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
* The other two movies that achieved such a big win were Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
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