BEN HUR (1959) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- Enjoy my reaction as I watch Ben Hur for the first time!
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0:00 - Intro
1:49 - Reaction
34:50 - Review
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![[1/2] THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KRN686XYsNY/mqdefault.jpg)
![[UNCUT] รัฐสั่งหยุดปล่อยคลื่น! แต่หยุดพลังปะทุ “น้องหญิง” ไม่ได้ I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RmQh47eIiV0/mqdefault.jpg)
Never showing Jezus's face make those scenes even more epic in my opinion.
Of course! I also love the reaction of the roman soldier who looks into Jesus face. We see all his expressions, but nothing of Jesus. What a great shoot!
The Roman Centurion's reaction is one of my favorite scenes in this movie. His expressions when facing Christ run through a range beginning with anger and ending with shame.
I concur. It's a superbly done scene. The wholoe film is really good (if a bit long).
Aside from the epic chariot race, the scene where The Savior gives water to the fallen Judah, is my other favorite scene. It really sent chills up my spine.
@@dongilleo9743 Its a brilliant performance. His face says so much in only 5-10 seconds.
Yeah back in the day, going to the movies was an event, so there was a musical overture as the crowd gathered and socialized, took their seats. During the intermission you'd have time to get up, stretch your legs... Have a drink, discuss what you'd seen so far. Going to the pictures was something you dressed up for. I kinda miss those times.
A number of movies from that time were made double length, such as Camelot and Lawrence of Arabia. Overtures and intermissions were ideas borrowed from stage plays. The movie audience was already accustomed to sitting for 4 hours, since most theaters had double features.
Yeah. I miss those days. especially when getting a ticket can even be an adventure, or just searching for a theater that’s playing your movie.
Often only place air conditioning was available
While the overture is considered "old-fashioned," it also serves a dramatic purpose. The orchestra establishes the themes of the story, specific musical motifs to be associated with characters, settings and dramatic situations. You can think of it as a foreshadowing of the story to be unfolded. (It also serves the practical purpose of giving people time to be seated.)
A good example of the use of overture is from Dr. Zhivago.
th-cam.com/video/HRU5cM-5jlw/w-d-xo.html
Great stuff reading these words.
Cinema's were a day out not just a film.
Cassie, I was 19 when I first saw this movie and, now at nearly 83, I still consider it the finest film ever made. It was well written, well directed and very well acted. And the music was FABULOUS! I've been a huge fan of movie soundtrack music since I was about 14. Anyway, MGM would have been bankrupted if this movie had bombed. Sam Zimbalist, the producer, was so stressed out with all the many problems that came up during production that he never lived to see the final result, having died of a massive heart attack before the filming was even finished. Charlton Heston, on his way in to the academy awards ceremony, was talking to Jimmy Stewart who, himself was nominated for an Oscar. As they were going in together, Jimmy looked Heston in the eye and said, "Chuck, I hope YOU get this, you've earned it." About that surprising comment, Heston in a later interview stated that no actor ALIVE would EVER say that to a fellow nominee and MEAN it. But he DID say it, and he DID MEAN it! With all the massive sets built for that movie, I doubt a film of this magnitude could be done that way today. Now it's all CGI which in itself is expensive. Ben Hur will be a classic for decades to come. And, sadly, virtually all the cast and crew in that movie are now gone.
I know. This is the best film of all age. It's great
This movie is an epic in every sense of the word. It won 11 Oscars!! Only 'Titanic' and 'The Return of the King' have matched that! The film was shot in Italy, used 300 sets and nine sound stages. Most of the film was shot near Rome; the beach scenes were shot at Anzio. Two 175ft (53m) long replica Roman galleys were constructed for the film as well. The sets were so huge and visually exciting that tours were arranged and 5,000 people visited the sets. More than 1,000,000 feet of film was used. The acting, directing, photography, music are wonderful! You could call this the ultimate 1950s movie.
Yup, THREE FILMS
"Ben-Hur" Winner Of 11 Academy Awards, Including BEST PICTURE
"Titanic" Winner Of 11 Academy Awards, Including BEST PICTURE
"The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" Winner Of 11 Academy Awards, Including BEST PICTURE
‘Ben-Hur’ won two of its’ Oscars’ for ACTING! Those other two films didn’t. Acting is a higher Category than CGI……
@@elizabethroberts6215 I agree with this sentiment with regards to TITANIC, but Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has very good acting in it.
The Academy just refused to see it.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THE ACTING IN BEN HUR IN COMPARISON TO TITANIC AND RETURN OF THE KING THAT WAS MOSTLY THE SETS AND EFFECTS.
Not a fair comparison, considering that several of the awards that 1997 Titanic and Return of the King won DIDN'T exist back in 1959 during Ben-Hur.
I could kiss you for reacting to this film. I'm sick to death of most reactors doing the same shallow Marvel or Disney crap when there are so many fantastic films out there to enjoy. Sharing this experience with you helped me relive seeing Ben-Hur for the first time again. You're right about it being a true epic. It's always been one of my most favorite films, and deserved every one of its eleven record-breaking Oscars.
Please keep dipping into the older films. There are a lot of real treasures out there.
Hear hear! :D
@@1977Suspiria Because Hitchcock'stechniques can easily be used and have.
Because if Hollywood declares something as 'dead', it ignores it. One failed Pirate movie and Hollywood is convinved that people don't like Pirae movies anymore. It coldn't be that it was simply a bad one. Same with monumental or gladiator mocies. Pirates of the Caribbean and Gladiator are seen as flukes at best. Hollywood declared these genres as dead which is why few will dare to even try to make one.
They said stop-motion is dead and since Nightmare before Christmas we see one once in a while.
But it all comes back to Hollywood and their perception.
What they see as 'sead' or too expensive does not get a chance.
What they see as a success gets repeated, even if they are failures. Just look at the last few Robin Hood or King Arthur movies. The last really successful ones were in the 80's and yet, we will see them again in worse versions.
I disagree that Disney and Marvel are shallow, but I do wish people reacted to classic masterpieces more often. There are only a handful of people who have ever reacted to Casablanca, for example.
Yep me too. I’ve given up with a lot of reactors because of it. Cassie remains a phenomenal reactor because she’s willing to give everything else a chance, not the same generic crap.
Need some james cagney reactions. The guy is a legend.
Judah: Almost at the moment He died, I heard Him say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
Esther: Even then.
Judah: Even then. And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand"
What a dialogues! Epic Master Piece
Amen.
Jesus Christ is Lord, Amen
That gave me chills
"Even then, .......". Words to live by ❤
24:56 "He's not just an amazing chariot racer - he's got the drive of revenge!" They could honestly have put that on the movie posters, what an excellent line :D
"Judah needs Jesus" is an apt summation as well.
You clipped it really well showing the important parts. It is wonderful that younger people can appreciate a great older film.
Little known fact. The color of the piece of cloth/cape he wore just before the chariot race had such a beautiful hue and that magnificent radiance which befitted the appealing character of Judah that it later became known as ‘Ben Hur blue’
Also, a man doesn't show his bare head or face when talking to God,
Judah was being humble and asking forgiveness for seeking revenge, for as the Bible says; vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord, I will repay...
This movie holds the record for the most Oscars for a single film, in a three-way tie with Titanic and The Return of the King.
While today's movies 'seem' to be judged on box office sales (adjusted for inflation my ass) Just tell me the total number of tickets sold - the total numbers of butts in seats! I could give a rats ass about manipulated $ figures. The number of times the movie was viewed is the ONLY important value. It's hard to know exactly what games were being played concerning the Oscars back then as it is today. Still - the fact remains and regardless of anything else - impressive.
Yes except all the sets are real not CG
Ben-Hur earned all 11 in an era where Oscar wins mattered. Titanic and Return of the King haven't aged well at all, and I didn't think they were effective pictures to begin with. A Night To Remember and Return of the Jedi are better alternatives.
That said, Ben-Hur 1959 towers above them all. Every year, the cynic in me wants to find a flaw or anything that would date the film, or discredit it. Function like Jeremy or Chris' nonsensical mindsets when they review movies poorly.
Impossible. This film is perfect no matter what angle you look at it from. From the highly developed characters, to the strong emotion, the perfectly explained organizations, motivations and relationships that you can understand and feel, to the overwhelming sets, costumes, stunts, lighting and camera work by some of the most talented people in Hollywood at that time.
Yeah I wonder why...
Back when Oscars really meant something
These movies are so much better than today’s junk food movies. I’m 24 and I’ve been watching TCM for years (a tv channel that shows movies like these) and I absolutely love them.
Very happy to hear this. I watched these movies with my father when I was a kid and growing up. There is an impatience today with all our technology. A movie with a story and 3-dimensional characters seems harder to come by today. There is so much magic in movies from our past. I even love the silent films era. Acting was a babe at the beginning of film, so much was done over the top as you would expect on the stage of the time. TCM is great for classics 🙂
I believe it was General Ben Wallace, not sure.
@@carlchiles1047 General Lew Wallace was the author of the 550-page or so best-seller book "Ben-Hur -- A Tale of the Christ," out in 1880. The November 1959 film was shot mostly in Italy, with some 300 sets, 2,500 or so horses, and 10,000 extras used in the epic. It won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture. The latter part of the book was dropped. It remade thee 1925 B&W silent film version.
The brilliance of Ben Hur was that it was a fictional story centred around the life of a Jewish nobleman who just happened to live around the time of Christ. It wasn't an overly sentimental religious film and the Director William Wyler takes a huge amount of credit for that. It was simply a brilliant story. Still one of the greatest films ever made. I've watched it dozens of times and still get an overwhelming emotional feeling at the end. I'm Christian but not overly religious.
In the book/play/movie Ben Hur’s story has parallels to Christ’s. Judah is a prince who willingly takes the punishment for his sister’s “crime” . She does not mean to but it is still her fault and she is liable. He is sentenced in a mock/political trial to death. He does not die but returns. Unlike Christ he comes back with hate and vengeance for what the world has done to him. We see Judah take pity on The Christ and repays him with a drink. His heart is changed in a dramatic end to his story arc.
Obviously, the Christ is God’s son who is innocent but takes the world’s punishment for all it’s sin and pays the penalty on the cross. He does it willingly and without hate or malice. At the end we see the blood of the Christ mixing and flowing with water to “heal” the earth.
The one thing she may not have realized is the scope and monumental aspect of this picture. The number of extras and the chariot race alone is one of the best action sequences in all of film.
My kids are grown and living in a different state. I'm a widow at 53 and don't get to watch the movies I love with anyone anymore. Thank you for sharing your reactions. Your compassion, your genuine curiosity and your enthusiasm are such gifts to me. Thank you.
Love ❤️ from Scotland. Some one will always love you hen.🙏🏽👌❤️🏴🏴
you should become a writer. you have the gift.
I'm also 53 and while i still have my wife of 32 years we never had children. Once we no longer have each other we will have no-one to care about nor mourn us. I'm sorry for the loss of your husband but hope your children bring you comfort for the blessing they are, even if you arent able to share much with them. Just their very existence and knowing that when you pass on someone will mourn you, or at the very least, remember you. Children are a blessing that should not be taken for granted. I send my love to you Charlotte and hope you see my words, not as morbid or depressing, but that they might bring you some comfort.
If you want a movie-watching-buddy, I'm right here! We could do this online and talk about it after, maybe through WhatsApp. I'm quite serious. If you're interested, let me know. I'm in the UK and love watching movies with others, I love older movies and a lot of my friends are not into them. Have a lovely day and perhaps meet you soon, who knows? 😊
Their is ways to watch great movies with others. Look into your services like Disney- HBOMAX- Netflix and such. I do know that some will have this but not all but eventually it will also become common in all stream service. Anyway you can actually invite someone to watch a movie and the movie will begin at the same time so you can watch it together. You can also call them and be speaking with them while watching the movie together. Eventually you will become if not already a grandmother and your grand babies will want to watch Cocomelon with you. It’s worth looking into it.
Never thought I'd see anyone watch Ben Hur on TH-cam. The epic Chariot race took nearly a year to set up and film, mainly because the had to learn how to actually ride the things.
The chariot race is totally a must see cinema experience though too. Episode I clearly took inspiration for the podracer scene from Ben Hur. And many other movies, from racing movies to others have either payed homage, or copied from the chariot race.
@@andmicbro1 Yeah. Those not familiar with older classics will miss some things in Lucas' films. In _Episode IV,_ there is a clear reference to John Ford's _The Searchers._ And the map montages while travelling in the Indiana Jones movies are a homage to _Casablanca_ --, although I don't know if that came from Lucas or from Spielberg. In any case, the inspiration drawn from _Ben Hur_ to _Episode I_ should be the clearest, with even the theme of slavery.
@@Doutsoldome The pod race in Phantom Menace is clearly to the epic Chariot Race.
I was born in 1954, five years before this movie was released. I have seen it countless number of times, most recently last month, and I have NEVER been able to watch it the whole way through without shedding many tears. It won 11 Academy awards which wasn't equaled until 1997's Titanic. Ben Hur is a classic for all time!!! It's a wonderful story of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Thank you sooooo much for reacting to this wonderful film!
To be fair, several of the awards that 1997 Titanic and Return of the King won DIDN'T exist back in 1959 during Ben-Hur.
That's an excellent point, @rickoshay5525, making 1959's Ben Hur even more amazing! Had those awards existed back in 1959, it may have won many more than 11 academy awards.
That’s a great point about the 1997 awards not existing in 1959. So technically, Ben hur might have won 15 or 20 academy awards if it were made today. Making it the greatest film in history.
So many emotions packed into this film. Love, hate, power, determination, forgiveness. One of the most intense, and compelling films of its' era, and beyond; plus not to mention Miklos Roza's superb music soundtrack, that alone could bring you to tears. The way Ben-Hur's storyline is wrapped around the Christ is just pure incredible.
The chariot race is still one of the most incredible sequences captured on film. My father loved this movie and I didn't appreciate it until I became an adult. Epic is an understatement.
Have you seen the Ben Hur remake from a few years ago, the chariot race is all CGI, not a patch on the real thing.
Those stunt men had some real guts.
Star Wars stole the chariot race scene from Ben-Hur with Anakin doing pod racing
The rest of the film drags a bit after it. Could've done with cutting 30 minutes.
Agreed about the chariot race. The scene where Messala is trampled is hard to watch even by today's jaded standards, despite that he deserved it. The race overall is very well done.
My favorite Christian movie of all time. The final scene when Heston is climbing the steps and sees his mother and sister after they have been healed is one of the best acting scenes I've ever seen. My God! It was so powerful, it had me crying like a baby. Thank you for sharing this beautiful movie with us. It's been years since I've seen it.
Yeah I felt that. He's not even expecting anything on top of being healed himself and having the peace of mind again to return to his old self. He was content with accepting them being sick and living with them. And then god puts a cherry on top to let him know that it's really him. Like a signature. I love when that happens, which ... it happens for real. It happened to me. Thank you Jesus. Amen
Try "The Gosphel of John" by Philip Saville. I have seen a hundred . As good as Jesus Christ Superstar or The Ten Commandments starring Charton Heston.
Yes that is awesome. I agree mine too along with the Ten Commandents & Passion of the Christ.
@@rogermoore4383 Sweet, I do loved The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur very much since both have Charlton Heston, but my most favorite bible movie of all time it would be The Prince Of Egypt along with Joseph King Of Dreams by DreamWorks.
I am from Belarus. I was born into a religious family. I watched this movie very often in my childhood. Although I became an atheist, this movie had a very strong influence on my worldview and my good taste in movies. For this, thanks to my mom who instilled in me the right interests from childhood. I re-watch "Ben Gur" once a year closer to Christmas. Usually when you get older, movies from your childhood don't seem as vivid as they do as an adult. But this movie never gets old! It has virtually no mistakes, every dollar is seen on the screen! The golden age of Hollywood! The movie will appeal to even regular atheists as a good interesting story. Ben Gur deservedly won 11 oscars! Miklos Rozsa wrote strong music - personally for me he is better than John Williams. Not even the 2016 remake comes close to this masterpiece of world cinema.
Considering how bent out of shape Hollywood is now in modern agenda and propaganda, movies like this won't be made for another hundred years - maybe never!
Time is mercy. 💗
This and The Ten Commandments are probably the most epic movies depicting Biblical events. And they are amazing, classic, epic movies with scores to match. This is why Charton Heston has such legendary status.
The night Charlton Heston died, the first obituary on the network news that I heard began with the words "If there were a Mt. Rushmore for actors, Charlton Heston would be on it."
Heston said he wished the man who directed Ben Hur had directed The Ten Commandments. The X Commandments is also some 4 hours long but it drags on and on. Worst of all they just end the story abruptly.
Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus Of Nazareth was pretty epic. So was The Passion Of the Christ.
BenHur is fiction. It's not Biblical. The Ten Commandments does try to depict supposed events in the Book of Exodus.
@@jollyjohnthepirate3168 So he would have replaced Cecil B Mille with William Wyler?
I was surprised to see you reacting to this epic movie and really never expected to ever see it in this format. I've seen this movie probably 20 or more times in my life with many kinds of reactions to it and effects from it. I'm now in my 70s. Watching it with you was so much like seeing it for the first time all over again and I was swept up with you in the sweeping beauty and truth of this tale. I wept most of the second half of the movie for the first time in many decades as it touched my heart again. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
Same experience for me!
I’m 71 and I love this movie. For those that who do not know how the Romans were this movie shows how harsh the Roman council were!!
Saw this film in original release (and many times after). Even after all these years....never fails to emotionally pull at me. Loved, loved being with you as you watched and reacted to this film. ❤.
I love the fact that everything you see in there is real and filmed on location. The chariot race was all practical, no miniatures or special effects (this is pre-CGI). The arena was a full scale set and filled with over 10,000 extras. At the time, it was the largest set ever built for a movie. Also, the leap over the crashed chariots was done practically, and the stunt double actually hurt his chin (you can see him smash his face against the front rail of the cart). The stuntmen were Yakima Canutt and his son, Joe Canutt. Amazingly, Joe's cut was the only injury of the movie.
There are some optical effects to make the arena look bigger, specifically the size of the crowd. You can see that in the wide establishing shot.
The Scene is so iconic - it's always nice to hear more details about it.
Having to say this was pre-CGI is kind of funny. It's like saying the American Revolution was pre-aircraft carriers.
@@lastguyminn2324 There are people today who probably don't know the former or the latter.
Obviously its pre cgi
My grandfather went on a business trip to the USA from the UK on the liner Queen Mary in the late 1950s and the crossing back was one of the roughest there had been. Everyone went below deck to their cabins except my grandfather and another man who stayed in the lounge talking and having a drink. This other man was Jack Hawkins and he said he was going to start work on a new movie soon, that being Ben Hur. He had the part of the admiral Quintus Arrius. I still have the menu for the return journey of the ship.
I love how tender-hearted you are. Thank you
"Chicken Messala" - I was laughing every time you said this!
"Overture" is an instrumental introduction; it is commonly used in operas to create a mood before the story begins. Some of these old movies also had an overture and an intermezzo to call back on this operatic form. Modern audiences are more familiar with movies than with opera, but this used to be different in the early days of film.
In the 1950s and 60s especially overtures and intermissions were often grafted onto epic widescreen productions to remind you that you were in a theater and you were getting something you could not get at home on television.
As well as setting a mood for the listener, the overtures and intermissions also allowed people a chance to shuffle their way into the theatres to find their seats, and go out and get a drink, take a bathroom trip, discuss the film so far with others, in the middle of these long cinematic epics.
Like the version of Ben Hur that Cassie is watching, my Lawrence of Arabia DVD still included the overture and intermission at the beginning and middle of the film. I appreciate that the studios still include these types of things as being a part of the films' viewing experience, and don't edit them out to try and streamline the movie.
@Jon's Labyrinth Dear Lord, that's an exaggeration, it's maybe 4 minutes at longest. It's also *fake* … Turner Classic Movie Channel added the overture to Kong back in 2005, which was also included on the 2-disc DVD. It never appeared on any theatrical run of the film, in 1933 or at any other time.
@Jon's Labyrinth Then you are misremembering, because it did not exist before 2005. Besides, no broadcast television station would show what is effectively 10 minutes of dead air, as you claim they did, in the pre-"specialty channel" (pre-cable) era.
@@philliplozano7587 Used in Lawrence from Arabia, the Ten Commandments and How the West was won for example. Its by really big and long movies, it was as indroducing for the audience and as a sign for the staff to show the audience where to sit and gave the audience time to enter the screen room. In the old times cinemas were big Theatres with balcony, big soft seats, just like Opera houses and in the 50s the people dress themselves like a visit in an Opera, no T Shirts or something. I saw Ben Hur in 1973 maybe in the biggest cinema in town (with my dad), in Summer, and i remember the intermission when the people can leave and buy a drink in the foyer...it was a huge Theatre with 2 Balkony, stairs, and a platform in front of the screen where Stars can speak to the audience at a premiere.
Whoever is suggesting all these perfect movies to her thank you.
Cassie, your channel is one of the sweetest things on TH-cam. Your genuineness and vulnerability are unsurprisingly blessing a lot of people. God bless you and your lovely sister for sharing this experience with us!
Heston is also known for “The Ten Commandments” (another long one) and “Planet of the Apes”. Both worth watching!
Other great Heston movies:
El Cid
The Warlord
Soylent Green
The Omega Man
55 Days at Peking
He was better in Planet of the Apes IMHO.
Another good Heston film is 1955s "The Private War of Major Benson." A good lighthearted movie about an army major in charge of an ROTC program full of kids.
@@M1cko33 he was also one of the first champions of the civil rights movement and a good man. Your sickness in his heart comment is pure ignorance.
"Take your stinking paws off me, you dam dirty ape!"
I had the pleasure of seeing Ben-Hur at the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles when it had there was a re-release. When you see it at that size you understand a lot of the blocking and staging better. On a small screen some of the actors' poses look a little stagey but on that giant screen they look like these epic tableux. That screening used the original multi-track magnetic sound technology too - the roaring of the chariot race and the storm scene at the end made your ribs shake.
I also watched it there for the re-release. Epic movie! Too bad covid closed the Cinerama Dome.
I saw this film in a theatre on it's original release but I was only 10 or 11 years old then. A couple of years ago I got the opportunity to see it on the big screen again. It was just as impressive then.
That's a good point about the staging for a large screen.
Yes! When I saw it; they were selling programs. Books about the making of, & all the stars’ backgrounds. It was a real event! 🤙🏽💯
In the early 1970s, when I was a kid, it was a big deal when Ben-Hur was broadcast on nighttime TV. Watched this film with my family several times. And I tell you, certain scenes brought me to tears-and still does. When Jesus refreshes Judah with water…I can hardly see thru my tears. The crucifixion scene…my heart aches to the core. When Judah’s mother & sister are healed…I’m a sobbing mess. That film, for me, informed me thru childhood, adolescence & young adulthood as to what Jesus must’ve been like. And this brilliant, classic film is my all-time favorite! I’m so happy & thrilled that you got to experience it. And I got to thrill & cry along with you!!!
I am almost 70 yrs old and have seen this movie probably a dozen times and never tire of it One of the best ever made. Thanks for letting me watch it again for the ‘first time’ with you. Thanks
The golden age of Hollywood was an incredible time for film making. Imagine all that was done without CGI. Yes the "Overture" and "Intermission segments used to play as if you were at the Grande Opera, at a time when many movie theaters were palatial. This was filmed in Rome and though there are some location shots, the bulk of filming was done on Cinecittà Studios lots and sound stages. Reading about the preparation is an epic in itself. One fact stood out to me that "More than 400 pounds (180 kg) of hair were donated by women in the Piedmont region of Italy to make wigs and beards for the production". The special anamorphic Cinemascope camera lenses, used to produce the wide screen format, cost $100,000 each and were still being used fairly recently. The scene during the chariot race where the chariot bounces wildly with Ben Hur was an actual accident caught on film and incorporated into the final cut. Stephen Boyd who played Massala insisted on doing most of his own stunts, so in almost all of those wild chariot scenes it was really him being dragged and in danger of really being trampled. It took five weeks of actual filming , spread out over three months to complete the footage for the race. Even for non-religious people, this is a compelling spectacle to behold. I can't help getting emotionally caught up and carried away by it all
There's nothing wrong with CGI. You only see the bad stuff, but the good stuff goes unnoticed, and it's used a LOT in TV shows to do things like cars and city streets. Remember, practical has had its fair share of duffers too, so it's not infallible.
Just because something is old and has a nostalgia factor for people who saw it when they were younger, doesn't mean it's better
@@nebularain3338 I don't think I said there was anything wrong with CGI
@@ell6323 Better than what? I don't think I said it was better than anything else.
@@ell6323 But movies made from golden era to maybe end of 90s were better. Why do u think Hollywood so desperately copies movies from that period. Name me movie made in 2010s that will be watched 50-60 years from now.
It’s funny how we adults joke about how kids have no attention span, but I remember watching this movie when I was 6 or 7 years old. I loved it and remanded invested for the full 4 hours.
I've watched the movie so many times I think it accounts for at least a couple months of my life. I'm 63 and first saw this movie about 1965.
It was the same for me at that age. My family didn't have a tv so whenever I went to my grandparents' house (they had a tv and a few VHS tapes) I would watch this or The Ten Commandments all the way through. This one was my favorite!
I watch reactors and some think a 2 hour movie is too long.
it goes to show the power of a good director. i remember this being shown on easter sunday and i was roughly the same age as you. i didn't really understand what was happening, the only parts i understood was about jesus, but everything else i didn't. nonetheless, i watched it all the way through to the end. i was mesmerised by it.
We joke about how TODAY'S kids have no attention span.
The man that wrote this book was Lew Wallace, a Confederate General. A tremendous story. The chariot race took 5 weeks to shoot and many months to set up. It was shot in Rome, on an 18 acre set..there were some cuts and minor injuries, during the shooting of the race and that was all. Still very exciting even after more than 60 years
Lew Wallace was a Union General from Indiana.
A masterpiece. The facial expression is when Ben Hur is given water by Yesua, and again, when Ben Hur gives water to Yeshua. That is Oscar-winning acting.
One thing to consider.. this IS a great movie, it won 11 Oscars... and it was made before the advent of CGI, so the chariot race, the sea battle, and the other battle scenes had to be filmed with huge numbers of extras, live extras that is, on a scale we cant imagine today..all practical effects not CGI.......... in todays world of incredible scenes in movies thanks to modern technology, we tend to take big scenes for granted, this movie blew people's socks off when it was in cinemas back in 1959...........
A lot of people don’t know this but the movie Ben Hur was actually based on an epic historical adventure novel that was published in 1880 and written by a famous war hero named General Lew Wallace who fought for The Union during the American Civil War. It is not without it’s sense of irony that Ben Hur is known as “the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century” when you consider that Wallace was an agnostic at the time he wrote it. Writing the novel was such a powerfully moving experience for him that it was what eventually led him to come to faith, in fact by the time he finished writing it he decided that he wanted to become a Christian.
I read somewhere that Wallace's war record was somewhat under a cloud due to certain 'hesitancies' under his command, partly why he was 'farmed out' postwar to the remoteness of New Mexico. Don't know how true. Great book, though, with a sweeping vision of the burgeoning Roman Empire in all its unrelenting brutality.
LOL...sounds like Lew Wallace's journey to Jeezer was a lot like his actions at Shiloh; lots of meandering around before coming to the wrong place.
@@academyofshem lol, the wrong place.
@@academyofshem ha ha hush your heathen mouth
@@lifelover515 after you shut your Gnostic mouth, pal.
I’m a big movie buff and watch movies from all eras and Ben Hur is without question my favorite movie of all time hands-down. Thanks for the great review.
Ben Hur is an amazing movie, my favorite of all time. Messala is an underrated villain in movie history, and the character arc of Judah Ben Hur is so applicable to many people. Vengeance and hate begets more of the same, but forgiveness is eternally healing. I was so surprised to see you watch this movie! It was a joy for me to react with tears along side you.
The first film shot in Ultra Panavision - widest film format ever. 70mm film shot in Cinemascope for a crazy aspect ratio of 2.76:1. Shooting the chariot race in that format with enormous cameras and minimising camera shake was an amazing achievement. The lenses made for this film were most recently used on Tarantino's Hateful Eight and also on Rogue One!
That's like 12 k
Second film in Ultra. The first was Raintree Countey 1957.
Hence the cliched phrase used in advertising thereafter: "Bigger than Ben Hur!"
Thanks for sharing Chris. Really interesting.
I always say the first epic movie made, before epic movies were a thing. No cgi so awesome
I never realised how much I wanted to see people react to this movie than right now.
Your emotions and connections to the story of both Jesus and Judah made this video Cass: truly a journey~
These long films of this time period were appropriately called “epic films.” The sets and vast numbers of extras on the sets were unmatched. These films were epic in their sets, actors, and length. Most epics had a Christian storyline. Others that come to mind are The Robe, Spartacus, King of Kings, as well as The Ten Commandments that starred Heston as Moses, and The Greatest Story Ever Told that also starred Heston as John the Baptist. Great family friendly films. 😎
The most mistake was trying a remake! Nobody can! Masterpiece!
The only good thing about the remake was Judah and Messala reconcile.
TOTALLY AGREE!! All the remakes are trash!
A former civil war cavalry man wrote this script in the late 1800's. It was adapted to a silent era movie and was redone as this 1950's epic. Thanks for your reaction, as I'm shocked as a young believer you've never seen it before. As others have said, you had this 60 year old man in tears watching it with you. You had a very heart felt reaction to the message and it showed.
Major General Lew Wallace was at Shiloh and other notable battles. He is buried in Indiana. The book "Ben Hur" made his family wealthy. There is much more about him...
His stipulation for adapting the story for the stage was that no one could properly emulate Jesus so on the stage Jesus was represented as a light and that’s why in the movie you never see his face
Miklos Rosza's score for this film is a masterpiece, back when there was music from beginning to end in these epic movies
It is a masterpiece.
I have the complete score edition, 3 CDs, and its beyond words how good its. A real journey for the soul. If i have to pick up one of the tracks it would be "The Miracle", the ending theme, because it summons all the score in one single theme perfectly. Also "The Parade of the Charioteers" is one of my favourite parts of this masterpiece soundtrack.
@@davida7153 Wow I have to put listening to that on my bucket list. In the mid 80ties while living in Culver City CA as a 20 year old that did not know much about movies. one of my roommates, a brazilian who was passionate about movies, invited me to watch a movie with him. I asked what is special about this movie? the acting , the directing?. He said that's all that was fine in this movie but we were going to watch it because of the music. the movie was "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers". that is when I fell in love with movie music.
Miklos Rosza's work was always consistent, a masterpiece no matter how big or small the movie was.
@@luisvillar8320 Yes, i can relate to this 100%. To me the music is always a very important part of the movie. If you ask a person to thing about an specific movie, a lot of times probably the first thing would come to their mind will be the main theme of the movie, or a theme related to the movie. Not always, of course, but a lot of times. Music is what tells the story for real, especially when they are masterpieces. Another score of Miklos Rosza i like a lot is "El Cid", with Charlton Heston as the main protagonist as well, with Sofia Loren.
You like Miklos Rosza? All of you have excellent taste 😉
Hands down, the best movie ever made.
I honestly envy you for seeing this "epic" for the very first time. I, myself, have watched this film at least 100 times. The chariot scene is one of the most incredible
spectacles ever filmed; bar none. Truly, a masterpiece.
I’ve watched it so many times’ I can recite the script accurately!
Biggest thrill of my life was the first time I met Mr Charlton Heston. He was the loveliest man, no ego, just plain ‘down to earth’ person. His wife was beautiful, & we had many long conversations’, intermittently, over the space of thirty years’, which was enthralling, & fun. They’re both gone now. When he died, they’d just three weeks’ before, celebrated their 64th Wedding Anniversary. May they RIP
@@elizabethroberts6215 I envy you. What wonderful memories you must have. And yes, may they both R.I.P.
p.s. It must have been interesting for Mr. Heston, meeting the actual "real" Moses upon arriving at Heaven.
@@LATVERIAN1 yes, AND Rodrigo Diaz ‘El Cid’ 1962, Andrew Jackson, (‘The President’s Lady’ 1953, & ‘The Buccaneer 1958)Wild Bill Hickok (‘Pony Express’ 1953), Lewis & Clark (‘Far Horizons’
contd: John the Baptist (‘Greatest Story Ever Told’ 1965, Michelangelo ‘The Agony & the Ecstasy’ 1965, General Charles Gordon (‘Khartoum’ 1966), Julius Caesar 1970, & a few more plus all his co-stars’ over 52 year career……
@@elizabethroberts6215 Ha, how very true. That list reaches longer than just Moses. However, I believe that Moses would
at least make Heston's top three. 😉
An "Overture" is something that movies did back then to alert the audience that the movie would be starting soon and to signal that it was time to take your seat and prepare yourself to enter the world of the cinema. Much of the time there was also an intermission moment at the mid point in the movie where a similar screen titled "Intermission" would come up for 5 to 10 minutes to give the audience time to use the bathroom, stand up and stretch, and refill their popcorn. No it's not a wester...Ben-Hur is a 1959 American religious epic film, it was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The sea battle was actually filmed in a huge tank on the studio lot. No they didn't have canons back then. This was before gun powder was invented. This movie was truly an epic undertaking for the time. It had the largest budget, 15 million, as well as the largest sets built, of any film produced at the time. Over 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used, with some 10,000 extras. One of the most notable moments in the race came from a near-fatal accident when stunt man Joe Canutt, was tossed into the air by accident. The long shot of Canutt's accident was cut together with a close-up of Heston climbing back aboard, resulting in one of the race's most memorable moments.
I remember days when people used to remain in their seats and clap at the end of a film...
Not certain , but I think the " Western " comment was for the Next POPCORN in BED reaction > Dances With Wolves
He wasn’t torturing the rowers he was evaluating them. In battle His life depends on the capability of his crew.
This is true. As he saw it, you don't rely on a horse to be able to run fast, never having put it through its paces. The inhuman part wasn't that he was torturing fellow humans, but that he considered them as draft animals. Plus, he was evaluating Judah's spirit, with both of them staring at each other the entire time.
i know what you are saying but, "crew".... lol.
Galley convicts were worth less than slaves. They were not part of the crew. They were part of the galley. Like ropes, the anchor or the rigging. If something broke, it was simply replaced and tested for functionality. Ancient Rome was a tough place, not a Hollywood romance.
Fantastic scene! Geesh, they REALLY don't make movies like this anymore. This is one of the movies I have on my Hard drive.
Half true. He was evaluating Judah - he purposely overworked the crew, knowing that a number of them would fail, waiting to see if he could break Judah. And btw, it really doesn't matter, as Ben-Hur was a fictional character anyway.
One of the greatest epic films ever made
Brilliant film--my all-time favorite. What I especially love about it is the script, which is so literate and ennobling. How can one not be impressed with lines like, "The stone that fell from this roof so long ago is still falling."
I found it oddly affecting watching it (well, parts of it) with someone who'd never seen it before. As a male I rarely shed tears, but your innocent enjoyment did bring one or two to my eyes.
The chariot race is one of those "Great Scenes in Cinema History".
My friend Juliet's father did the music for this film. It won him an Oscar. Was great watching it with you. I shed a few.
Your second post today - I read the "Spellbound" post too!! Two Oscar winning scores back to back. But then there's also "The Lost Weekend" and so many others.
The original score is from Miklós Rózsa, who was born in Budapest, Hungary.
Miklos Rozsa was her father?! What a legacy!
I love King of Kings soundtrack -did a great job
Amazing 👌
Best online review I have ever seen. I am in my late 60s and have seen this movie no less than 10 times and it still moves me. You are real. God bless.
Powerful in all parts,but the sound track perfectly placed to the scenes makes it even more impactful.Gripping to say the least.As a 10 year old watching on the big screen in 1959 to now on the small screen.It never disappoints.One of the 10 masterpieces in cinema history.
A little bit of trivia I remember reading somewhere: During the moment in the chariot race where Judah's horses leap over the broken carriage (27:14), the stunt man was supposed to stay in the chariot, but he was catapulted out and through sheer athletic skill managed to hang on and climb back into the chariot. That accidental stunt looked so great that they shot a closer matching shot of Charlton Heston climbing back into the chariot.
The man that was run over by the chariot was actually killed.
@@GosokuRyuYodan that’s just an urban legend, no one was seriously hurt during the filming
@@michaelceraso1977 I knew the stunt in Raiders of the Lost Ark was inspired by Yakima Canutt's work, but I never knew that the stunt chariot driver was his son. I don't know why I find details like that fun but I do. From one movie trivia guy to another - thanks.
@@GosokuRyuYodan If you look closely, it’s actually a dummy figure that gets hit…..but yes, when I was younger I thought it was a real guy!
,, also, isn't there s'posed to be an extra seen wearing a modern watch,, or is that in Spartacus 🤔⁉️
'Chicken Messala' had me on the floor! That's our Cassie. I loved your little sighing episode with Judah and Esther's reunion kiss too. This was the first seriously adult movie I ever saw, at the drive-in way back in !963, and I persevered with Lew Wallace's sprawling epic within the year. It broke records for Oscars and the number of extras, though I didn't know it then. As others have said, the chariot race still holds up as one of cinema's greatest sequences. Great performances all round, including the director, William Wyler and last but not least our precious reactor. Nice way to spend a lonely Saturday night. Thank you, precious Cassie.
one of my favourite films of all time. Cried so much and just so powerful. And Charlton Heston was sooo handsome.
How lucky you are.This movie has some of the most beautiful music ever written for the screen,especially in the nativity scene at the beginning.What a way to discover this winner.
The great epic!! The best scene is Christ staring down the roman soldier. God bless!
My favorite and most moving part as well. The guy who played the Roman did a great job in his reaction to looking into the eyes of Jesus.
Oh wow I never thought Ben Hur would be reacted to thanks soooo much
Waterville is a community just North of and part of Waterbury, Connecticut. In Waterville there was a small movie theater that had fallen on hard times and might not have survived had it not somehow won the bid to have Waterbury's initial screening of "Ben Hur" back in 1959. The film was featured at the Ville Theater for so long that the proceeds financed a complete facelift of the film house and it went on for many years as a successful single screen cinema theater. That's where I saw "Ben Hur" when I was 10 years old. It's an incredible piece of filmmaking.
The only other film I can think of that featured an "Overture," Intermission and Re-Entry music to alert the audience to return to their seats, years before I was around, was "Gone With The Wind."
To answer your philosophical question about "how could people Possibly treat other people so badly" as the conquering Romans treated others they considered inferior to those of their own expanding Empire, we need do nothing more than read legitimate contemporary news accounts of how today's "immigrants from (so-called) shithole countries" around the globe are spoken of and treated by leaders of political parties of the modern era here in the United States of America. Reach into history of the 20th Century to learn about how people of half the globe were tortured and killed in nearly the same ways. Research any century before or since the days of the Roman Empire, in fact, and you'll find accurate historical accounts of man's inhumanity towards other men, women and children. Probably one of the most appalling realizations will be to come to understand that in many such cases, so-called Inferiors have been historically marginalized and yes, killed in the interest of commerce or worse, "in the name of God." Extremists of nearly every persuasion behave this way and they'll threaten to kill if "their beliefs" are opposed. These words of hatred come from their own mouths.
The film "Ben Hur" illustrates simple truths. Those with ears to hear and eyes to see are moved by such simple truths.
This came out in 1959, I was 3, my mom was 23 and had a huge crush on Charleton Heston. I "inherited" that crush. ;) I Love this movie & watch it every time I see it on tv, usually around Easter. Definitely an epic film. They just don't make them like they used to. P.S. My mom got to meet Mr. Heston in her later years and that just made her life mostly complete. I read this book when I was in my 'teens and it was wonderful, very descriptive. A Classic
Wow, you took on a HUGE film, and an important one to boot. This has been a favorite of mine for years (partly because I love any film that deals with the Roman Republic or Empire...one of those time periods that fascinates me!).
2:15 - Nothing was going wrong. Before 'Ben-Hur' was released, there was a concept the studios used of "roadshow" films...movies that would be events, like a roadshow of a Broadway musical. It was a strategy the studios came up with to counteract against audiences staying home to watch the new television sets that were becoming more and more popular. So, as these films would be extra long, they would give them an "Overture" of music from the film while the audience seated. An "Intermission" at the midway point of 10 to 15 minutes was for bathroom breaks and concession stand food purchases with an "Entr'acte" as the music to let everyone know the film was starting again for the second part. After all was said and done, there would be "Exit Music" or "Exeunt" to play as the audience left and the ushers cleaned up. In an effort to preserve the films as they were originally released for the home video market, the studios had all parts of the films retained as part of the videotape, DVD, laser disc, and streaming releases...so 'Gone With The Wind', 'Lawrence of Arabia', and 'Ben-Hur' are all films that have these parts in home videoreleases.
3:15 - This was actually a remake. The original was a silent film in the 1920s. The novel by Lew Wallace was published in 1880 and was so popular that you could compare it's success to that of 'Harry Potter'. There were even outlandish stage productions of the story before films were made. And it's popularity is still around...there was another remake of the story for the big screen in 2016, but I have never seen it.
5:33 - It seems romantic...well, according to one of the screenwriters, the novelist Gore Vidal, it was written as romantically as he could get away with. Vidal was a well-known gay man, who was lauded as a novelist as well as a screenwriter. He saw Messala as a gay man in love with Judah. However, the times being what they were (the late 1950s)...it was a no-go. Charleton Heston (Judah) never saw the story in this way, and Stephen Boyd (Messala) was told by Vidal that he should play it as if Judah and Messala had been lovers as young men before Messala left. Later, when Heston found out about this...he was pissed at Vidal. There was a bit of a feud between them for years over this until Heston passed in 2008. Vidal passed in 2012.
7:18 - Haya Harareet who plays Esther passed away in February 2021. She was the last credited cast member of the film to pass.
This was one of the many "sword and sandal" epics of the 1950s that were extremely popular. This was mainly filmed in Italy (Rome specifically at the legendary Cinecitta Studios), and won a record 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Charleton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith as the Sheik)...a record that stood until 1997 when 'Titanic' tied the amount of Oscar wins...and tied again in 2003 with 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KIng' also winning 11 Oscars.
Other movies you might like that are like 'Ben-Hur'...
- 'Quo Vadis' (1951) with Deborah Kerr and Robert Taylor
- 'Spartacus' (1960) with Kirk Douglas, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, and Laurence Olivier, directed by Stanley Kubrick
- 'The Robe' (1953) with Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, and Victor Mature
Thanks for a great reaction, Cassie!!! Have a good one!
Great info and suggestions.
I hope you've seen HBO's series Rome. Very realistic recreation of the city of Rome as it really was. Not all white marble, but a colorful teeming city full of both patricians and plebs, mansions and tenements. A glorious hodgepodge of a city.
Intermission! Absolutely! You don't get those anymore, as well as those commemorative movie books of epic movies, i.e. "The Story of the Making of Ben-Hur".
I've read here in a few comments that a stunt chariot driver was killed making the movie.
It's an urban legend,NO one was killed.
The guy (in green) who was run over was actually a prop dummy made to look realistic, which obviously had the desired effect on some viewers.
History is written by the winners.
How many people and horses were killed or injured is lost in the mists of spin.
Yep. I had thought for years that the green clad driver was actually killed then I read somewhere that it was a myth. However it certainly looks real!
It was the silent 1925 version where a stuntman was killed, although it wasn't kept in the movie. The scene was first shot in Rome where the death occured, but that and other troubles meant they re-staged the whole thing in Hollywood. There they had a pile-up during the chariot race where 5 horses were killed. I think that is in the film.
Omgosh, I nearly died laughing - @ 10:25, "He's the worst 'friend' in the universe!" LOLOL, oh mogosh!!! hahahahsaaaa 😆
One of the greatest movies of all time, hands down.
The story of Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur, is pretty interesting. Major General in the US Army, New Mexico Territorial Governor during the Lincoln County War (the range war that made Billy the Kid famous), and the US ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
There is some belief that he was do busy writing Ben Hur that he ignored things going on in the territory ie the Lincoln county range war. I'd have to dig out some of my history books to be sure.
He was a general for the Union in the Civil War. His mistake in marching at the Battle of Shiloh ended a lot of his career in the war, writing this book won him a lot of respect back.
@@Fordo007 He was given confused and conflicting orders. He followed the orders as best he understood them, and the troops under his command ended up out of position and arrived late to the battle. When the battle was over he was made the scapegoat for the Union Army almost losing, even though others were probably more at fault. He tried for years to clear his name, even going to then president Grant, but everyone felt the case was closed, and no one would help him.
@@craigplatel813 I’m not sure about that. Wallace was able to meet with The Kid, And even got him to turn himself in and testify in open court regarding the murders of Alexander and Susan McSween in exchange for amnesty. However, an overzealous district attorney refused to honor that amnesty, and as a result The Kid broke out of jail and added more notches on this pistol.
Ben-Hur is the closest any movie in history has come to being a perfect movie. It has everything. Love. Hate. Betrayal. Revenge. The main character put through a harrowing journey. Personal growth of the characters. And then redemption. It is an absolutely perfect movie.
Lawrence of Arabia is considered by many a "Perfect" Film ....And it's pretty accurate History as well!
Your listing reminds me of the grandpa reading off the stuff in The Princess Bride. lol
One of the best movies ever made.
Thankyou for not hesitating to witness to your faith ! Love you girl.
Amen...I hope she does more content like this!
"So. Take. That. Chicken Masala." I'm dying.
This needs to be on a mug...
Oh wow!! Been outta the loop! Did not expect the reach of your channel to feature the EPIC Ben-Hur!
One of the most standout channels with offbeat selections! Hats off!
Also highly recommend epic The Ten Commandments and if you enjoyed Casablanca which you did, you will not be disappointed with the biblical Old Testament narrative’s cinematic character portrayals and scenes, just saying!
I truly love watching your reactions to movies. Your innocence makes watching a pleasure.
Ben Hur to me was one of Charleston Heston’s greatest movies, right up there with the Ten Commandments. I’m glad you chose to watch this one.
This was the favourite film of my youth, and still is in the top on my list now.
Back before they had home videos, movies were essentially events; it was like going to a play or concert. Accordingly, a lot of movies had overtures and intermissions, just like modern plays still do.
Overtures were fairly rare, but almost anything over 2 hours long would have an intermission.
The last movies I saw at the theater that had an overture were "The Black Hole" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
Overtures and Intermissions where usually reserved for the so called "Road Show" screenings. Normal screenings didn't have them.
@@tremorsfan West Side Story had an overture.
I had to dry my eyes thoroughly before I typed this comment! I consider this movie one of the Top Ten movies ever made - it will never get old. The dialogue, casting, acting, direction, cinematography and especially the sets just put it high above most other so-called 'epic' movies. I am thrilled that you have watched Ben Hur, because only the other day I was looking for a movie reaction to this film on TH-cam but was disappointed. Even though Jesus isn't featured much, the story tells you so much about Him. Thank you again, and I'm glad you have been able to experience this beautiful work of art at last. I know this won't be the last time you watch it.
I agree with you .. this movie and also the Ten Commandments changed my life.
Yes The movie is all about Jesus played in a different key but very powerful.
I suggest to everyone who didn’t to watch this masterpiece... God bless you.
Don’t forget the musical score that was created for it
@@johngorham I have it on the USB in my car along with other great movie themes!
@@Doctor_Kissworthy Me as well, I can relive the scenes in my head through the music alone along with other movie themes!! Miklos Roza the genius!!
This could be the greatest movie epic of all time. The book is even better!
Glad to see you picked my all-time favorite movie and to show it still resonates with new viewers who have no prior knowledge of it. You understood what was going on and you emotionally connected to the story line. You really gave it a chance, too (four hours!). I enjoyed it very much. Thank-you, Cass.
This was one of the first true epic movies. I wasn't around when it was made, but as a lover of movies it's always been held as a gold standard. The chariot scene was always so intense. I know CGI and special effects have come a long way, but this is truly the most realistic feeling sort of race there's been in cinema. I remember seeing 'Gladiator' and watching the chariots going around the Colosseum and while it was cool it didn't feel overly immersive. Ben-Hur's scene was a rush and such a great job. I hope you do more movies from that era. If you like this movie I feel you'd like the setting/cinematography of 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
There were loads of epics before the 1959 “Ben-Hur”, not least the wildly successful silent version of which this is a remake. The 1959 one perhaps represents the height of Hollywood epic filmmaking - and I only say perhaps to ward off those who don’t like Charlton Heston now. In the silent movie days a lot of the massive epics came out of Italy but Hollywood made its share.
Thumbs up to watching "Lawrence of Arabia". Huge, epic shots of scenery. Absolutely epic orchestral theme song too. I liked it so much that I made it into a ringtone, using the performance by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. And I really appreciated the writing and acting of the nomadic Bedouin character played by Omar Sharif. Ahead of its time in multiple ways, I think, and based on a true story.
@@SonicImmersion_ Another thumbs up for "Lawrence of Arabia".
During filming Heston was getting frustrated and worried he'd never look realistically like he was driving the chariot. Wyler said to him, 'Don't worry Chuck. You'll win the damn race!'
As a Christian this movie was so impactful as it portrayed the telling of the gospel story from the perspective of a Jew living in Roman times. I really loved the fact that they never showed the face of Christ but that His life was interwoven within that of Ben Hur. Really enjoyed your reaction to this film classic❤️ Looking forward to your next event with Carly🥰
I'm a Muslim and I love this film May Yahweh bless you and your family
Director William Wyler said he wasn't sure who to cast as Christ "What actor could portray the most famous,influential man in history"..
@@65cj55 When you find out you are wrong it will be too late.
@@65cj55 There is NO way to prove that you are not wrong. Think about the first law of thermodynamics. We have the big bang. But how did that tiny piece of matter with infinite density happen? It just decided to form? Kind of weird don't ya think? Then it decided to blow like a motherfucker. Sure. That makes sense. There's just no way GOD created or caused any of this. NO way can YOU be (gasp) wrong. How did it just blow up? SOMETHING OR SOMEONE caused it to blow and the universe to expand. I call this being God. Muslims call him Allah etc etc.
@@theguyver4934 Jesus loves you, He is the Son of God
I cried so much when I watched that movie. Absolutly amazing epic movie. 11 oscars well deserved.
TCM showed Ben Hur again just a few days ago, I ALWAYS watch it, it is shown several times a year on TV, and ALWAYS around Christmas and Easter. Movies did have intermission if they were 4 hours long. I was 12 when BEN-HUR was released in 1959, I can't tell you HOW MANY TIMES I have SEEN this movie since I was 12. I have also seen it any time the theatres brought it back to show it on the big screen, not to mention all the times it has been on TV. I LOVE this movie, it's one of my top 10 classic movies along with THE TEN COMMANDENTS which also stars Charleton Heston who is Ben-Hur here.
Overtures were pretty common with epic movies back in the day, they were meant to set the mood for the film.
Intermissions gave the audience a breather, and provided the theater management an opportunity to entice patrons to the snack bar. Even today, some longer films still sometimes have a break halfway through for the same purposes, but back then there was music from the films' soundtrack playing during that break.
Also, "Chicken Messala" just about killed me! :D
Overtures have nothing to do with "setting a mood", you could have tried looking it up and saved some embarrassment.
In indian movies we still have "intermission". Its the norm here.
Charlton Heston is one of the greatest legendary actor in history and my favorite actor who inspired me from playing Moses in "The Ten Commandments" and Judah Ben-Hur from this timeless EPIC movie. Charlton Heston performance is just so awesome that I'm happy he won the Oscar for Ben-Hur and I highly consider Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, along with the original Planet Of The Apes as my favorite Charlton Heston films, and I would put Ben-Hur with my other most favorite bible movie "The Prince Of Egypt".
Touch of evil is also awesome
@@alexsnower5743 she should react to it.
El Cid is one of my favorite Charlton Heston movies.
"The Agony and the Ecstasy", in which Heston plays Michaelangelo is another must see movie.
"Soylent Green", "Planet of the apes" and "55 days at Peking" are my favorite Charlton Heston movies ... They are a reflection of the state of mind of the time in which they were filmed.
In my personal opinion, Ben Hur with its all star cast is probably the best movie ever made.
Even today, Ben Hur is epic. Such a powerful story.
I knew going in that this was going to be a great reaction. But I'm ashamed to say that I had completely forgotten how good this movie is. And you're also right about the difference between growing up as a Christian and then seeing the stories you've heard all your life, it gives you a whole new perspective. For similar films from the same era, I would recommend "Quo Vadis?" that one's pretty good too.
If you are looking for other classic Silver Age films, I highly recommend Kirk Douglas' "Spartacus"
Spartacus is great - probably the best "Roman Empire" movie ever. Brilliant performances, clever writing, epic action. And it also featured one of my old teachers - Nina Foch!
That ending too! "I am Spartacus!" It's one of the greats!
"The Vikings" was another great Douglas film!
@@rabbitandcrow I love that Film .... And another great performance by Peter Ustinov .... His : "Sun's Over There" crack to the Slave carrying the Sun Shade was an Ad-Lib!
I was born in '66, and i saw this movie when i was 9 years old, and it impacted so much, to this day i am not able to watch it without sheddind a few tears...
I also love how it resonated with the younglady, truly a movie for the ages!
It's on view almost every Easter in the UK and you always sit through an entire afternoon watching it and never feel cheated no matter how many times you have seen it 😀
You should see/react to "The Ten Commandments" with Heston too! One of my all-time favourite films!
I remember that Ben Hur was traditionally played on network television every Easter. They also played The Ten Commandments on Passover. Both were Charlton Heston epics. The chariot races were real and featured some of the best stunt work ever done.
Barabas with Anthony Quinn, great actor.
In Europe the traditional Easter movie is 'Monty Python’s Life of Brian'. It's guaranteed to play on at least one TV station every year, usually rather several. I'd love to watch Cassie see it, preferably around Easter time.
I highly recommend Lawrence of Arabia if you haven't seen it already. It stands alongside Ben-Hur as one of the great epic Hollywood masterpieces. It also has amazing acting, direction, writing, and music, like this film does.
One of the greatest movies of all time..
Okay so to explain films of this era going to the movies was an event as a nearly all day thing. So with epics like this and musicals of the 50’s and 60’s they would have an overture which plays music themes which will be heard later on to get people ready as they come into the theater and an intermission to give people to stretch and go visit the candy counter or bathroom. Then the Entr’acte was to signal the beginning of the second half of the film and give people a chance to get back into their seats.
And sometimes there was "Exit Music" which played as everyone got up and left. Sort of like today but without the marathon end titles.
@@porflepopnecker4376 Yes that as well.
@@porflepopnecker4376 Could you imagine what the end titles of this would have been like if they followed today's standards? They would have been longer than the movie...
Thanks James Moyner, I knew it was good to check the comments to see if someone covered it. Well done.
I've seen this movie many times but never without crying buckets of tears by the end. It was often the case back in the day that a long movie would have an intermission. 2001 A Space Odyssey had one, for example.
Same with My Fair Lady! Gives you enough time to top up the snacks😀
Apocalypse Now had one as well, though it was sometimes not played.
@@katrinaleebaldwin4660 More to get rid of the large soda, methinks... ;-)
Movies as different as Les Enfants du Paradis, Seven Samurai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail all have intermissions. And yes, one of these films has the interval purely for humorous reasons.
The Sound of Music had one too. My mother loved that movie and we saw it as a family in the theater at least 3 times (they re-released it annually for a while). I never stayed awake to the end until we got it on VCR many years later!
I'm so glad you watched this!! You're so right in describing it as "epic". It truly is. It's such a powerful movie.
I hope you will give the 10 Commandments a try too. Charleston Heston is good in that one as well.
Winner of 11 Academy Awards. Contrary to popular belief, there were no deaths in filming the great chariot race. Charlton Heston said he quit smoking in honor of making this film.