Films focused on the 1st-century AD, featuring the Roman Empire, Jerusalem, and uncharted territories, inevitably lead to conflicts of power. Stories involving family ties and past experiences, where sacrifice is what counts the most, resonate more greatly.
Looking back at the 1959 classic Ben-Hur, the introduction of an overture ensures a bumpy and cinematic ride. The dramatic introduction feels like a theatrical production opening its curtains. The setting is an era where politics are about heritage and salvation. Freedom is at the center of the conflict. The secondary conflict involves having control over ownership. With the grandeur of lighting, cinematography, and special features, the elements in this film are more vivid in 4K UHD.
The scenery surrounding the land and the mountains create a sense of new beginnings. Revisiting Ben-Hur in 4K UHD reminds viewers that it is one of the most epic, yet brilliant movies to this day.
The hero of the story is Judah Ben-Hur, played by Charlton Heston. The enemy is Messala, played by Stephen Boyd. They begin as friends and later become foes. Judah wants peace for his people. He also believes in respecting the wishes related to how prior families have run territories. Messala is the opposite. He puts Judah in a place where only a challenge can solve their conflicts. Not just for the sake of Judah, but for the sake of his family and his people.
The Romans and the Jews represent the two sides of the conflict. Ben-Hur contains many deep moments filled with political discussions. There are many disagreements before tensions rise. The political context of believing in people’s right to live a better life is where there is strong faith exhibited in Ben-Hur. The fight for what is right has a steady, yet surreal context that flows through the movie’s political angles.
With the scenes involving Judah dealing with slavery and hardship, Ben-Hur has a strong comparison to two modern epics. The first one is the 2000 classic, Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott. The subject of Roman conflicts and fighting for family are the major similarities. However, Ben-Hur is better, because the film creates the foundation of what is set in motion and then keeps building up to the issues which lead its hero to make tough choices. These choices require him to take on challenges that can save his family and himself.
The other film that Ben-Hur compares to is the 2004 classic, Troy, directed by Wolfgang Peterson. In Troy, the conflict is around victories resulting from affairs and love. Ben-Hur still tops Troy. It does for the same reason as Gladiator. The moving parts focused on hatred deliver when danger is rising. These scenes create a mind-boggling and cinematic ride with Ben-Hur that is impressive to this day.
The biggest comparison between all three films is that they feature warfare and battles for peace. All three have an epic memorable scene. In Ben-Hur, it is the scene with the rowers on a ship. In Gladiator, it is the fight with a tiger. In Troy, it is the trojan horse. These modern epics all succeed in weaving in a historical component of meeting your maker.
The 4K UHD provides a blend of special features that combine for a heroic background. In the bonus disc, there is a short documentary Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic. It includes interviews with the film critic Pete Hammond of Deadline.com. In the documentary there are also discussions with K.J. Relth-Miller, the Director of Film Programs with Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. There are also talks with Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the Director of Photography of Arts and Sciences. Finally, there are discussions with author and film historian Tony Maietta. They all go deep into the subject of how storytelling related to heroism plays a role in the masterpiece of Ben-Hur.
The long history of conversations about this classic film continues with the talks related to technology. There is a new short documentary that talks about how the lenses and the fact that the movie was shot in 65 MM projection caused Ben-Hur to stand out. The lenses created elements of darkness that intensified the film’s dark moments. The restoration is amazing!
The short documentary includes the same individuals as Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic. However, the talks with Tommy Rose provide spectacular insights. Rose is an Image Technology Specialist for special optics with Panavision. He provides the context behind how technology was used to heighten the themes of power in Ben-Hur.
Special features:
-*NEW* Industry professionals Pete Hammond, K.j. Relth-Miller Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and Tony Maietta talk about the storytelling in Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic [6:47]
-*NEW* Industry professionals Pete Hammond, K.j. Relth-Miller, Durald Arkapaw, Tony Maietta, and Tommy Rose talk about technology and cinematography in The Cinematography of Scale [8:23]
Technical details:
-2160p Ultra High Definition
-Audio: DTS-HD MA: English 5.0 Mono
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is the distributor of many classic titles and TV series. Their official website has more information including opportunities to purchase the film on physical or digital.