When people say "They don't make film like this any more", this is what they are talking about. An absolute labor of love and one of the greatest films ever made.
Trivia tip: Charlton Heston says "They don't make movies like this anymore" in the remake of "last man on earth" i.e. the second version of "I am legend".
My grandmother told me that her father went out for a walk one evening and didn't return for supper, and by 11pm they were worried something awful had happened to him as he wasn't the sort to go out without letting people know where he was going, and they were about to call the authorities to see if there was some sort of missing person's news (it was a different time back then 1959). He came back sometime after midnight to their relief. Turned out during his walk he passed a movie theatre and thought he'd take in a picture on a whim. That picture was Ben-Hur. Having no idea that it would take over 4 hours for the movie to end. Including the intermission during which time they would stop the film for 15-20 mins so people could use the restroom, stretch their legs, and buy more food and drinks. Right up until my grandmother passed on, Ben-Hur was the only movie she would watch during Christmas
Watching Simone's eyes through the most touching scenes of the movie is what makes watching these reactions SO much more than they are. George's excitement and enthusiasm for what's going on is also yet another reason I enjoy watching your first time reactions to movies like this. The movies either touch and excite you, or they don't...most people cannot FAKE reactions that are genuine.
yea I can imagine her reactions at the end scnes, and IF they read these comments HOllywood had learned their lesson on abusing animals ( 1939 film of horse going off a cliff) and NO Horse was killed and the Double for HESTON almost was badly injured in that FLIP scne in chariot race = GEORGE It was all real exc for dummies trampled
Yeah man my dad saw the premiere of this and loved the experience. I'd love to g oto a movie theatre of fans of a movie then break half-way, preferably pass a joint around & discuss it for 20mins. He said they served coffee but it still would have been fun.
Never showing Jezus's face makes those scenes even more epic in my opinion. Also, this classic movie holds the record for the most Oscars for a single film, in a three-way tie with "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King".
@@SleepingGiant77 They alter one of the so called Commandments to "Honour thy father & mother" vs "Thou shall make no graven images of the Abrahamic deity"(the other deities are allowed).
You'll likely not see this comment, Simone and George, but you just brought joy to me to see/hear your reaction. Ben-Hur has been my favorite movie since first saw it as a young boy in 1959. I watch it every Easter, and sometimes other times, too. It never fails to amaze me. Beyond all the praise you offered, the acting was sublimely great, and Miklos Rozsa's brilliant score is the match for any in cinema history. Cheers, my friends, for just watching a great, great film and showing proper reverence.
One of the all-time great film scores, IMO. The Christ theme/Alleluia is magnificent, but there are so many absolutely perfect pieces throughout the score. The last of his 3 Oscar wins for best original score.
The novel “Ben Hur” was written by Lew Wallace, who was a Union General in the Civil War, governor of New Mexico and ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He was a fascinating man.
And served on the trails for the conspiracy members of the Lincoln assassination and presided over Confederate Commandant of the Andersonville Prison camp, Henry Wirz.
As mentioned in a classic QI clip (it's an old one, so no worries to George not remembering it despite his tattoo) th-cam.com/video/c5l2Nu4v23E/w-d-xo.html
I just dropped my drink. I saw the thumbnail and was truly excited to see your reaction. This is one of my all time favs, it was already a classic when I was a kid.
Finally, someone sits down and watches one of the Greatest Films of All Times! I have loved this Film, all my Life. And even as an Athiest, I find it moving. Tears are prevalent during several scenes. Especially at the end with the reuniting.
Back in 1991 I was a student at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, and one night I was about to go to bed when I turned on "Late Great Movies on CITY-TV" out of Toronto at 1am to watch until I got tired enough to sleep. The 'late great' movie was "Ben Hur", which I had never seen. With commercials, it was some 5 hours long.... and the sun was just coming up when I went to bed after watching the whole thing. I've loved this movie ever since.
Loved the reactions from Simone and George to this superb version of Ben-Hur. When Hollywood got it right, it REALLY got it right. And what a powerful performance from Charlton Heston.
Jack Hawkins was the best actor in this. Miklos Rozsa's score was fantastic. As was cinematography, set design and costume. Hollywood's golden era forever past.
Australian actor Frank Thring, who played Pilate, was in several of these epics - He even starred alongside Tina Turner in MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME in 1985.
Heston spent three months learning to drive the chariot. He drove the chariot through most of the race. No horses were injured in the filming of this film. Ben Hur was written by the Civil War General Lew Wallace. You should read the book. And film was filmed in color and in Italy. Seeing it on the big screen in 1960 was amazing.
This was filmed in full color, 1959 was well into "color-time". Ben-Hur is a fictional character, the novel has been made into films multiple times, but this one is the pinnacle. You´re basically seeing "Gladiator 1959".
Also, i believe when colorizing b&w films, the professionals would refer to on set color photos as reference. Today, we have the tech to read the greys as their correct colors from the original footage
Closer to Gladiator in literal terms is The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), as it deals with the fall-out of the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, and ends with the hero killing Commodus. Unfortunately it's a very dull movie. The best Biblical epics from the 1950s-60s would include The Robe and Quo Vadis (which started the trend). The Ten Commandments is flawed but impressive. I'm also fond of Barabbas.
It's not on the same scale as "Ben-Hur" (what is?) but it's another good watch with great art direction and an epic story. This time based on a national legend of Spain rather than a novel.
Thank you for noticing the dialogue. It’s seems like a lost art. The reason a lot of people went to the movies was to escape their everyday lives & enjoy the poetry of good dialogue for a couple hours.
The chariot drivers and actors on the track were not just “extras” but were highly trained, experienced professional stuntmen, who appeared in numerous films with horses such as westerns, and in war films, films featuring fights, in period films with ancient or pirate or medieval battles. Stuntmen were hired for their specific expertise in certain situations. In the early years, stuntmen and women had been circus performers or from rodeos, and were skilled acrobats or gymnasts. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that an official association (similar to the other unions in Hollywood) was formed for stunt performers or coordinators. This film hired the most well-known and influential stunt performers at that time.
For the chariot race, I think that stuntmen were used whenever necessary but also whenever possible, as in when we can't easily tell them apart from the actors. Obviously the actors, namely Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd, did their own stunt work when we could see their faces or otherwise recognize them, while stuntmen were used for the most difficult/dangerous stunts (with the camera not on their faces) as well as other shots when it didn't make much of a difference who it was. This was to minimize the danger to the actors, of course, who weren't as expert and who couldn't be replaced if injured.
Truly, one of the greatest movies ever made and so glad you guys reacted to it! Please please please also do the 10 Commandments with Charlton Heston!! Another gem
This movie always gets referenced for the chariot race, but the scenes between Stephen Boyd and Charlton Heston are just as electrifying. Also: made me laugh to hear George describe Lew Wallace's epic as 'fan fic', but I guess he's not wrong.
Many of us consider the "kissing scene" between Judah and Ester, is considered one of the most Romantic Love scenes of all times. To me, that is an Epic Love Scene.
@@lordhoot1 In the sense that Hur is a word/name going back thousands of years, yeah. (It has a few meanings, but can mean "pure" or "noble". So Hurwitz can be translated as "Pure witted" which sounds complimentary.) In the Old Testament, one of Moses's companions is named Hur, and, IIRC there's a Jewish governor named Hur as well in there somewhere. Wallace chose "Ben-Hur" because it had a Biblical connection, and apparently because it was short, catchy, and easy to pronounce. And maybe it could be construed as a comment on Judah's character, I don't know.
Ben Hur is a classic that U. S. Network/Cable TV would show once a year, usually around Easter. It's cool watching a younger generation discovering and appreciating it.
A channel here in Canada used to show Ben-hur, The Ten Commandments, AND The Prince of Egypt almost marathon-style around then. Sometimes you'd even get a showing of Quo Vadis or The Robe in there. Good stuff!
There is no music during the Chariot Race. All you hear is the pounding hoofs of the horses, the chariots crashing, and the roar of the crowd. It gave the full impact of being there. This movie won 11 Oscars. On the Big Screen, it was Glorious to see this movie.
Very old Roman galley joke. Slavedriver to the galley slaves: I have good news, and bad news. The good news is that we're not going into battle today. The bad news is that Caesar wants to go water skiing.
*INTERMISSION* means they stop the film in the movie theaters for 15 minutes, they turn on the lights, and the audience members can go and buy food items or use the restrooms before the film screening continues. 😃
@@rcrawford42 It’s not accurate, although there was a very successful slave rebellion led by the historical figure, Spartacus. It is a romanticized version as is Moses in The 10 Commandments. Both are epic motion pictures like Ben-Hur.
A lot if people have recommended Spartacus which is a great film (directed by Stanley Kubrick) but I would also recommend Quo Vadis. It’s not mentioned now as much as the other epics but was a massive success in its day. In fact it’s credited with single-handedly saving MGM from bankruptcy in 1952. It’s my personal favourite of the great sword and sandal epics of the time.
@@alfredthegreat9543 I should have given more clarity. The look and practical effects still look amazing. I do understand the point on the dialogue but that is tough. I agree from any script of any cinema it will be a product of it's time.
I love that foreshadowing with the chariot wheels getting tangled up. It's just establishing the idea that this could happen for the audience, so that it doesn't look like it came out of nowhere later when it happened between Judah and Messala.
Fun fact. The novel was written by a Union general, LEW Wallace, from the US Civil War who was badly disgraced after he made a mistake marching and arrived late to the crucial Battle of Shiloh. The Union won but it was hard fought and Ulysses S Grant, the commanding general, never forgave Wallace and Ben-Hur’s struggles are influenced by Wallace’s personal struggles to his reputation after Shiloh.
Wallace commanded Union troops at the Battle of Monocacy, which delayed Confederates marching on Washington in 1864 enough for reinforcements to arrive and defend the city. Abraham Lincoln himself visited the subsequent battle at Ft. Stevens.
Grant could’ve used Buell’s army of the Ohio to pursue the broken rebel army. Grant is just making excuses for his and Sherman’s failure to safeguard their camp at Shiloh. Sherman crudely disregarded warnings by his officers about an impending confederate attack as the wild imaginations of militia officers.
@@evanboyd1541 Yeah there were practically no defenses setup at Shiloh. I often wonder if when LEW Wallace ended up marching and reaching the rear of the Confederate Army if it would’ve been military more advantageous for him to attack from there and hit the Confederates in the rear, or if his force was too small to pull off such an attack and would’ve been surrounded and cut off.
“The shooting of the chariot race scenes took five weeks. In order to follow the horses closely, cameras were placed on top of Italian cars. The horses seen in the movie were mostly Andalusian and Lipizzans, and were brought from Yugoslavia and Sicilia. The whole film featured around 2,500 horses.” “The chariot race scenes required 15,000 extras.”
This is such a classic, the inspiration for pod racing in Star Wars, the vanquished killing the oppressor like Gladiator. Christ story woven throughout is fantastic and inspirational.
I guess this is just random trivia, but Yakima Canutt was the 2nd Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator that choreographed and shot the chariot race. He's not really that well known, but to those that know, he's legendary as a former rodeo star turned stuntman. Early in his career before he really became a star, a young John Wayne worked with Yakima Canutt for a while, and together they developed the techniques for shooting a fight scene, that are still more or less used today, and when asked how he developed the style he was known for, John Wayne said that he used to just watch Yakima Canutt, and copy whatever he did.
It was Canutt's son who doubled for Heston during the chariot race, and it was because he didn't clip himself to a ring at the front of the chariot that he was almost thrown out.
Yakima gets a name check in the documentary "inventing the Indian" - a superb and very entertains documentary that is available in its entirety on TH-cam.
@@charlieeckert4321 He managed to save himself by doing a one-armed handstand on the yoke that connected the chariot to the horses. He then sprang back off from the handstand back into the chariot.
This film was shot in EastmanColor widescreen which was rivaling Technicolor at that time and is still considered one of the greatest color film stocks. Digitally “colorized” films which began in the 1970’s mostly had pale, pastel tones, often with a fuzzy look, with a lot of purplish-gray and greenish-grays compared with actual color stock which had intense reds, vibrant greens, deep blues and strong contrasts of light and dark hues. “Ben-Hur” is one of the most prestigious films with no expenses spared for film, costuming, set design and other production aspects. Interestingly, there is a 1925 black & white version (all are based on the 1880 novel) which had some sequences that were hand-tinted and some shot in an early version of Technicolor (which was handled by a young William Wyler who went on to direct this 1959 version.) For many years these Technicolor scenes were lost until they were found in the 1980’s in Czechoslovakia and restored, so that the 1925 version available today includes all the original footage of black & white, hand-tints and Technicolor.
11 Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Charlton Heston, whose acting in this movie is stunning. But, that death scene of Masala's was incredible, and the lighting and makeup impeccable, just stunning. One of my favorite movies, ever. ❤✌
I am watching your video with tears flowing from my eyes from the trial till the end, and am so surprised Simone was fighting it so hard, but finally you could not contain it anymore. I have been watching this movie since I was a young boy, it use to be played every year around Christmas time. To this day, 60 some years later, I still bawl watching this movie.
Actually, George was right. The guy just wanted a screen full of sweaty guys. The 1950s 'Swords and Sandals' movies were intentionally aimed at the gay market. Adding a bit of Jesus made sure they made it past the censor
@@Foxtrot369 Not necessarily. As a medical student working in the clinics, I disapproved and bitched about certain rules and practices that I later saw as necessary when I became a full fledged physician taking responsibility for everything. Also, they're just looking at him funny because they're jealous that he gets to water ski but the rest of the crew doesn't.
This was a spectacular production...nothing comes close to this, even to this day. To think that it was filmed in 1959...brilliant. William Wyler was the director. Yakima Canutt was in charge of the racing production. This epic motion picture was awarded 11 Acadamy Awards.
@@YvonneSanders-hv2gc I don't remember if Ben-Hur actually had intro and outro music played at the theaters, but Gone With the Wind did, often with a live band in places that had them, and intermission was literally when bathroom breaks were taken and concessions sold.
There's something to be said for an Epic that keeps you immersed, takes its time showing you the world and telling the story but also does not bore you. Very few films have achieved this status, but this is definitely one of them.
For a film made 1959 it’s still mind blowing how they were able to film the chariot race. It’s good because it’s real and not CGI. Of course safety for the people and animals weren’t high on the list back then, but man is it cool.
@HerbSparks ...and to add...a stuntman did die during the filming of the chariot race and they left in in to honor the man. When I saw this as a kid...that always stayed with me.
@@Soliloquy66 An oft-cited fact, which is completely false. There was a person killed during filming of that scene (when they originally filmed it in Rome) but it wasn't left in the film.
I was just reading up on the film, and apparently every single horse had its own personal trainer, and the horses were only permitted 8 laps around the field per day to protect them from the considerable heat in Rome. For a movie of the time, the animals were shockingly well cared for. It was still dangerous to film, but the only injuries were superficial cuts, bruises, and sun burns. Well, except for one producer who died of a heart attack mid-way through filming.
@@HerbSparks "mind blowing" is the right word. We say words like "unreal" or "unbelievable" all the time and yet when watching this scene, it truly does seem impossible that it was crafted over 65 years ago.
Great reaction George and Simone! I love watching you and hearing your intelligent and honest comments. Your reactions to classic movies like Ben-Hur, Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life and 12 Angry Men are great! Keep it up.
@@jrr2480 ……yes, but those two films’ didn’t win any Acting Oscars’. ‘Ben-Hur’ won two, Best Actor in Charlton HESTON, & Best Supporting Actor in Hugh GRIFFITH. Acting will always be a higher AMPAS Category to CGI………
I believe the use of "ben" in ancient Israel means "son of". as in: Judah Ben-Hur; Judah, son of Hur. like the old in Scottish use of "Mc". if someone knows this and I have it wrong, please correct me so that I would know for sure.
Entirely correct, hence the Aramaic Jewish name of the claimed christian messiah being "Ioshua Ben Ioseph" vs the Greek translation & title adding "Jesus(Jesua) Christ".
@@rubyrichesChrist is simply a transliteration of Hebrew term Anointed One or Messiah. So Christ was not his surname as I think many believe it to be, but as you seem to be suggesting to the end of your comment it's a Title. "Jesus The Christ", "Jesus the Anointed One" or "Jesus The Messiah". BarJoseph would be more what we think of a surname or his earthly Father's name.
@@clairealderwood1928 I understand that, as there is no J in n the Hebrew Alphabet. The focus of my comment was not talking about His first name Jesus or the Hebrew Yeshua or even Yehoshua (Joshua), but talking about "The Christ" part. I'm aware of the language things but my main reason in commenting was to simply highlight that "Christ" part was not used as a surname the way many modern readers will often think of it but was part of the transliteration of The Messiah (Mashiach, Anointed one)
The music was by legendary Hollywood composer Miklos Rozsa who composed scores for over 100 films. Besides Roman epics, he also worked on several Film Noir films. His final film score was for the 1982 film noir "spoof" "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" from the minds of Carl Reiner and Steve Martin (one of my favorite movies!)
When I was a kid I remember long movies at the theater would have an intermission to change film reels and so people could get goodies from the concessions stand.
It is not true that the intermission was needed to change film reels. Reels would be changed regularly throughout the film. Each 65mm reel ran for about 9 minutes. When you watch old films you may occasionally see a circle appear in the corner of the frame. These "cigarette burns" were to let the projectionist know that the reel was about to end.
The Entr'acte refers to the music which plays when you see the title. It's the post-intermission equivalent to an Overture, which this film also has. Essentially, it's a way to lure back the patrons chain smoking in the lobby, or using the toilets, so they don't miss any of the story.
I'm so glad you guys watched this! And glad that you were totally invested. I've watched it a few times and it always makes me tear up by the end. His mom and sister in the leper's colony, their heartache and love, the healing in the storm, Judah's slow realizations about Jesus and so on...and especially that line "His voice took the sword from my hand." Man, that hits hard. That line makes me think of times I've been so angry that it was indeed as if I was waving a sword about, and how I need someone loving to gently take that sword from me. This movie really earns all of its emotional moments. It portrays a man's spiritual transformation in a very intimate way. And it manages to show a lot of ugliness while ultimately being hopeful. And just fantastic, fantastic entertainment. This is one to see on the big screen, if you can. Check your local theaters, because a lot of theaters bring back old classics for a day or so. I know Fathom Events does it. There are a lot of great old epics from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Ben-Hur" is probably the best, but "Spartacus" comes close. "The Vikings" is also excellent. "Quo Vadis" isn't quite as good but has some great set pieces and performances, and also deals with the early Christian church under Rome. And another one called "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) is interesting for Ridley Scott ripping it off for "Gladiator" -- admittedly to more fun.
This film, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia are grand epic filmmaking that you hardly ever see anymore. Only experienced directors like Ridley Scott even attempt to film scenes of this scale these days. A mesmerizing film. Great reaction guys!
An old time director was asked how long a film should be. He answered, "How long is good?" This film is long because it takes that long to tell the story. This is why it doesn't lag. There is no wasted time. No fat; just muscle.
Made for state-of-the-art exhibition in the best movie theaters of the day, filmed in MGMCamera65, using 70mm film stock versus 35mm for widescreen presentation, multi-channel stereophonic sound, overture and entr'acte music, souvenir movie programs, truly an experience for the moviegoer of that time! There were some large budget film projects from that era which received similar treatment. Ben-Hur (1959) sits on the bubble at #100 on AFI's Top 100 films. An All-Time Film Classic with broad, yet deeply individual appeal, kudos to Simone and George for their generational and fully satisfying reaction! Great Job! :)
Now that you’ve seen this, you should watch “Hail Caesar!” The Cohen Bros. love letter to this age in Hollywood cinema. It pays great homage to this film and other iconic films of the 50s
Even after all these decades, Ben-Hur is still one of the greatest movies ever. It's timeless, and still brings me to tears at the ending. I think less than 1% of the human race is even susceptible to getting leprosy, and I think now there's a medical cure for leprosy. Ben in Hebrew is kind of like Von in German, or Van in Dutch. The main character would be Judah Of Hur.
Yup! Expanding a bit: purple dye was extremely expensive. The only source at the time was from dried and powdered sea snail shells which were time-consuming to find and process, making the dye prohibitively expensive. The Emperors made a show of wearing it to display their wealth, but anyone with enough money could buy purple clothes / dye.
The amount was limited, though. A purple stripe for senators, and owning a purple cloak was illegal unless you were emperor. Didn't stop everyone who declared themself emperor from having one on hand, though.
@@CancerMage The problem with absolute answers when the Ancient Rome has a history of about a millennia, more if you add the Byzantine Empire. Times change.
@@Dreamfox-df6bg Around when this was set , circa 50-60 AD, the book of Acts recounts Paul and others meeting Lydia, who sold purple cloth in Philippi. So some people in the Balkans were wearing purple at the time.
Probably one of the greatest films that will ever be made. Greatest love story ever told. I absolutely love you guys for viewing this grandest of all epic films.
This movie is so powerful. Not only viewing it as a Christian but as a regular viewer. You can feel the cinematic power in this movie. Show you that some films will forever stay classics
@@HombreGermany Visually stunning does not make a movie good. It makes it visually stunning. Technical achievement over writing, drama and excellence, is not particularly interesting to those who expect more. Titanic is a visual achievement....much like Avatar....and nothing more.
Charleton Heston did much of the chariot racing himself for maximum Tom Cruise-style realism. The shots in which we see him from behind were done with a stunt double to minimize how much racing Heston had to do, but when you see him racing (his face), he's really racing.
Crucifixion is always presented as kind of "just hanging there". But it was much more grotesque. They would nail the spikes between the two bones in your wrist which would pinch the ulnar nerve against the bone. The same nerve that runs down your elbow and gives that "funny bone" feeling when you hit it. So, you basically were feeling that pain in both arms until you died. Also, because you were hanging by your wrists, your body weight would pull you down making it difficult to breathe. In order to take a breath, you would have to push your body up with your feet which had been nailed to a small block of wood. The Roman's really knew how to torture people.
I believe leprosy was seen as an illness born from moral failing. Which is why the story of Jesus healing lepers was such a big deal. He wasn't just curing the sick, he was forgiving their sins.
@@incogneato790 That was the fear, it wasn't quite accurate: you have to live a long time in the right conditions for the bacteria to properly colonize you.
Indeed; there are pages and pages of the Old Testament dedicated just to the meaning of leprosy (personal sins, the sins of the family, why to cast out lepers, the rites lepers have to make to ask for divine intervention, even the rites lepers have to make to prove they have been cured to be accepted back in the community). One of the morals in the Gospels, also, was that the perceived sins of lepers may be lesser than the sins of prideful righteous people, who insisted in discriminating them (or measure their perfection compared to those whose skin was "branded"); healing leprosy was not only the concept of forgiving their individual sins, it made the point that lepers (the so perceived doomed sinners) had even more faith in divinity than the priests and pure and honorable people keeping them out of the community.
As we see more recently with *Lord of the Rings* and *Dune,* this is what may result when a movie company knows a story so well that it cares very much about ensuring their product will do it honor and justice. The original novel surpassed _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ as the best-selling American novel of its century - so popular that in the late 1890's it was actually made into a _stage play_ on Broadway, with treadmills for the chariot race. Walking backstage, marveling at the number and complexity of the sets and props, the old General Wallace is believed to have murmured, "Did I really set all this in motion?!" As an amusing aside, one of those who played Messala in the stage version was William S. Hart, who later became an iconic star of silent Westerns. The story goes that, when MGM was filming the silent epic version, Francis X. Bushman, who had been tapped to play Messala, was not sure he should be associated with such a treacherous character (he had been a popular romantic idol up till then). He went to see Hart, and asked him, "Bill - do you think I should play this filthy Roman?" And Hart replied, "I tell ya, Frank, that's the best goddam role in the story. One year they got me to play Ben Hur, and it nearly made me sick. I couldn't wait to be Messala again." And the rest is screening. 😊
Based on things George said during the reation, I am going to suggest Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead as a classic example of two background characters in a famous piece of fiction becoming the main characters of their own film.😊
@@ThreadBomb Wholeheartedly agree! There's certain references one won't quite get if you watch R&GAD ahead. I'm partial to Gamlet (1964), but Branagh's from 1996 is a close second. 😁
So gratified to see how much you guys enjoyed this movie. Wonderful reaction. Thank you both. I mean really, I'd give it a thumbs up for "Heal the leopard" and "Horse Violence" alone!
Omigosh...no way. Simone & George watching one of my favorite films ever! This is absolutely one of the top five epics! The message is beautiful & unfortunately I feel we don't get such today in cinema. Beautifully done, excellent casting, fantastic sets & the score is magnificent. The story though....is so gripping to me, the redemption of the heart.
Stephen boyd, masala, is such an underrated actor, he was amazing as the bad guy in this film. And his performances just top tier. You believed he was an anguish as he Lay Dying
I'm sorry, I'm commenting again. * Yes, model ships were used for the sea battle in this film, but, in the 1925 silent version, real galley ships full of extras were used in creating the battle. * Several of the shots of the chariot race were recreated from shots filmed for the 1925 version. * This version of Ben-Hur was filmed in color. The 1925 version was filmed in black and white except for the few scenes that included Christ. These scenes were filmed in 2-tone Technicolor. It was an early form of Technicolor. * Martha Scott, the actress who played Miriam, Judah's mother, three years earlier in 1956, played Yochabel, the mother of Moses (Charlton Heston.) Martha Scott played Charlton Heston's mother in both of these films.
This is a remake of a 1925 silent film , which in turn was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 (fiction) novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. For a movie made in 1959 it had a serious budget just over $15 million dollars this was a gamble to save the studio from bankruptcy, it payed off. The chariot race had a 263-to-1 cutting ratio (263 feet of film for every one foot used), one of the highest used for a 65mm sequence ever filmed.
The silent version of Ben Hur was the biggest and most spectacular movie made up to that time, and is still impressive today. It's also notorious for the number of people who died making it.
The composited images during the chariot race were done using rear projection, not mattes or blue/green screen tech. That’s why there aren’t any matte lines around Heston.
The movie was based on the book 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' written by Lew Wallace. It was published in 1880 and became a record setting best selling book for the rest of the 19th century. Lew Wallace was a soldier in the Union army during the civil war and was involved in some of the major battles of the war. He went on to become a diplomat. In between the war and his time as representative to the court of the Ottoman Empire, he was appointed governor of the territory of New Mexico. In one of life's little ironies, Billy The Kid was offered amnesty for his crimes if he would turn States Evidence against other members of his gang. The amnesty was sent to to the governor for approval but Governor Wallace was busy finishing up the manuscript of 'Ben-Hur' at the time and couldn't be bothered. Billy The Kid returned to his life of crime and was later killed by Pat Garrett. So, the story of Ben-Hur is indirectly responsible for his death.
Er, no. Wallace actually went out to meet Billy under a flag of truce but was unable to persuade him to give himself up. It's been described as one of the strangest episodes in American history that a Governor would go out into the countryside to meet with a criminal.
i am sooooo happy that a reaction channel is taking the time to give these amazing Golden Era films a try. these classics made me realize how much i love cinema. cgi and all is great, but i wanna feel your emotions, and with this era, you really had no choice
This is one of my favorite reactions of all time. You guys absolutely nailed it when it came to understanding what parts of the movie were important. Jesus' face not being shown was an artistic choice. It works so well in this film. There was an epic-style film from that era about Jesus that did show his face, starring Max von Sydow, so it wasnt sacrilege per se. One of the best things about this movie is that it doesn't sugarcoat the Roman occupation. And the alliance of Jews and Arabs against the West (romans) was an extremely bold choice considering the Middle East political climate after WW2. And the chariot race. Hard to say anything that many others haven't already said. Its realism is enthralling and even after 65 years IT LOOKS SO GOOD. For me, it's the most remarkable movie making achievement of all time, from a visual effects standpoint. At the very least its on mount Rushmore with Star Wars and The Matrix. Thanks so much for watching this movie. Yall should watch Adventures of Robin Hood, the 1939 film with Errol Flynn. It captures a lot of that same magical, storybook feeling. Though of course on a much smaller scale.
This was a book of fiction Written by a Union general some years after the civil war It was the most popular book in the country after the Bible for decades It was made into plays Merchandise Again for decades Hollywood had already made an epic but was during the silent era This was considered th e biggest of big epic movies
The speechlessness after it ended sums up just how epic and moving this movie is! Especially for the time ❤ This is one of my favorite historical movies, right up there with Gladiator and Troy. Loved the reaction!
When people say "They don't make film like this any more", this is what they are talking about. An absolute labor of love and one of the greatest films ever made.
Trivia tip: Charlton Heston says "They don't make movies like this anymore" in the remake of "last man on earth" i.e. the second version of "I am legend".
@@ElOroDelTigre The Charlton Heston version is "The Omega Man".
when i say that i mean waterloo
so many Extras , so many animals.
It's one of the greatest films ever made, right up until the end of the chariot race. Then it descends into very boring mediocrity.
My grandmother told me that her father went out for a walk one evening and didn't return for supper, and by 11pm they were worried something awful had happened to him as he wasn't the sort to go out without letting people know where he was going, and they were about to call the authorities to see if there was some sort of missing person's news (it was a different time back then 1959). He came back sometime after midnight to their relief. Turned out during his walk he passed a movie theatre and thought he'd take in a picture on a whim. That picture was Ben-Hur. Having no idea that it would take over 4 hours for the movie to end. Including the intermission during which time they would stop the film for 15-20 mins so people could use the restroom, stretch their legs, and buy more food and drinks. Right up until my grandmother passed on, Ben-Hur was the only movie she would watch during Christmas
Thank you for sharing such a personal memory. Wish you and those close to you nothing but the best.
I thought you were going to say he got run over by a chariot while out walking.
When I see this movie, I hate myself for not being a believer
@@robyfiorili Give yourself to Jesus, and you won't hate yourself any longer.
That’s quite a story.
Watching Simone's eyes through the most touching scenes of the movie is what makes watching these reactions SO much more than they are. George's excitement and enthusiasm for what's going on is also yet another reason I enjoy watching your first time reactions to movies like this. The movies either touch and excite you, or they don't...most people cannot FAKE reactions that are genuine.
Simone's face is like if a Pixar character was a real person.
Yep. Thought the same thing during most of the Casablanca reaction.
George comes off as a snobby know-it-all with his tone. Very pretentious
Her eyes at 33:13 looking at what?!
yea I can imagine her reactions at the end scnes, and IF they read these comments HOllywood had learned their lesson on abusing animals ( 1939 film of horse going off a cliff) and NO Horse was killed and the Double for HESTON almost was badly injured in that FLIP scne in chariot race = GEORGE It was all real exc for dummies trampled
A good movie can't be too long and a bad movie can't be short enough.
Yeah man my dad saw the premiere of this and loved the experience. I'd love to g oto a movie theatre of fans of a movie then break half-way, preferably pass a joint around & discuss it for 20mins. He said they served coffee but it still would have been fun.
Never showing Jezus's face makes those scenes even more epic in my opinion.
Also, this classic movie holds the record for the most Oscars for a single film, in a three-way tie with "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King".
Lew Wallace felt that showing Jesus would count as graven images. When the book was turned into a play, Jesus was shown as a point of light.
@@tremorsfan Catholics make and venerate images of Jesus. The crucifix, for instance.
@@SleepingGiant77 fixed.
@@SleepingGiant77 They alter one of the so called Commandments to "Honour thy father & mother" vs "Thou shall make no graven images of the Abrahamic deity"(the other deities are allowed).
@@rubyriches take your misinformation and agenda elsewhere.
You'll likely not see this comment, Simone and George, but you just brought joy to me to see/hear your reaction. Ben-Hur has been my favorite movie since first saw it as a young boy in 1959. I watch it every Easter, and sometimes other times, too. It never fails to amaze me.
Beyond all the praise you offered, the acting was sublimely great, and Miklos Rozsa's brilliant score is the match for any in cinema history. Cheers, my friends, for just watching a great, great film and showing proper reverence.
Miklos Rosza wrote EVERY note of music of film (overtures, intermission, fanfares, incidental dance music, full score). Took 18 months.
"Rózsa
I have this score in my playlist.😊
One of the all-time great film scores, IMO. The Christ theme/Alleluia is magnificent, but there are so many absolutely perfect pieces throughout the score. The last of his 3 Oscar wins for best original score.
The novel “Ben Hur” was written by Lew Wallace, who was a Union General in the Civil War, governor of New Mexico and ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He was a fascinating man.
And alleged pardoner of William H Bonnie aka Billy the Kid
And served on the trails for the conspiracy members of the Lincoln assassination and presided over Confederate Commandant of the Andersonville Prison camp, Henry Wirz.
As mentioned in a classic QI clip (it's an old one, so no worries to George not remembering it despite his tattoo)
th-cam.com/video/c5l2Nu4v23E/w-d-xo.html
He was also an about atheist who wanted to prove the Bible was a lie and couldn't. after he converted he wrote Ben-Hur
And fought near where I live, at the Battle of Shiloh.
I just dropped my drink. I saw the thumbnail and was truly excited to see your reaction. This is one of my all time favs, it was already a classic when I was a kid.
Finally, someone sits down and watches one of the Greatest Films of All Times!
I have loved this Film, all my Life. And even as an Athiest, I find it moving. Tears are prevalent during several scenes. Especially at the end with the reuniting.
"Is there a speed above attack speed?" Ludicrous speed!
This comment wins.
I had the same thought.
RAMMING SPEED! Now reverse!
Glad I'm not the only one who thought that, haha. Although I do like the comment "Retreat speed!"
"Water-skiing" speed!
Back in 1991 I was a student at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, and one night I was about to go to bed when I turned on "Late Great Movies on CITY-TV" out of Toronto at 1am to watch until I got tired enough to sleep. The 'late great' movie was "Ben Hur", which I had never seen. With commercials, it was some 5 hours long.... and the sun was just coming up when I went to bed after watching the whole thing. I've loved this movie ever since.
City-TV.... Everywhere! I miss 1990s City TV.
Torontonian here. I totally grew up watching the Late Great Movies on CityTV. And also Saturday Night at the Movies with Elwy Yost.
Loved the reactions from Simone and George to this superb version of Ben-Hur.
When Hollywood got it right, it REALLY got it right.
And what a powerful performance from Charlton Heston.
Jack Hawkins was the best actor in this. Miklos Rozsa's score was fantastic. As was cinematography, set design and costume. Hollywood's golden era forever past.
@@Squarecubez Why are you so bitter? They used to do better movies back then than they do today.
@@Squarecubez I'd ask you to do better but I'm sure that both of us would consider that conversation to be a waste of time.
@@aimmethod He was good, but not as good as CH and SB. Their dialogue, especially the second time, was Epic!
Australian actor Frank Thring, who played Pilate, was in several of these epics - He even starred alongside Tina Turner in MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME in 1985.
Heston spent three months learning to drive the chariot. He drove the chariot through most of the race. No horses were injured in the filming of this film. Ben Hur was written by the Civil War General Lew Wallace. You should read the book. And film was filmed in color and in Italy. Seeing it on the big screen in 1960 was amazing.
"Trample him! Stompy-stomp!" is now my favorite Simone line...
Ben Hur is probably in the top 10 best movies ever made. Labor of love right there. Literally.
This was filmed in full color, 1959 was well into "color-time". Ben-Hur is a fictional character, the novel has been made into films multiple times, but this one is the pinnacle. You´re basically seeing "Gladiator 1959".
Also, i believe when colorizing b&w films, the professionals would refer to on set color photos as reference. Today, we have the tech to read the greys as their correct colors from the original footage
"You´re basically seeing "Gladiator 1959"."
Gladiator was a very good movie, and I won't fight you if you want to call it great. But it doesn't hold a candle to Ben-Hur 1959.
Closer to Gladiator in literal terms is The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), as it deals with the fall-out of the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, and ends with the hero killing Commodus. Unfortunately it's a very dull movie. The best Biblical epics from the 1950s-60s would include The Robe and Quo Vadis (which started the trend). The Ten Commandments is flawed but impressive. I'm also fond of Barabbas.
@@ThreadBomb It's a shame they don't seem to have a good film source for Barabbas. Even on Bluray the picture quality is pretty poor.
54:00 - EL CID - Two years after the release of Ben-Hur, Charlton Heston would portray Don Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid. Another epic worth watching.
“El Cid” is a fascinating and visually stunning movie.
It's not on the same scale as "Ben-Hur" (what is?) but it's another good watch with great art direction and an epic story. This time based on a national legend of Spain rather than a novel.
Thank you for noticing the dialogue. It’s seems like a lost art. The reason a lot of people went to the movies was to escape their everyday lives & enjoy the poetry of good dialogue for a couple hours.
Absofukinlutely
So true. Very well said !
These days movies have action scenes instead of dialogue. "Ben-Hur" is proof that one can have both.
The chariot drivers and actors on the track were not just “extras” but were highly trained, experienced professional stuntmen, who appeared in numerous films with horses such as westerns, and in war films, films featuring fights, in period films with ancient or pirate or medieval battles. Stuntmen were hired for their specific expertise in certain situations. In the early years, stuntmen and women had been circus performers or from rodeos, and were skilled acrobats or gymnasts. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that an official association (similar to the other unions in Hollywood) was formed for stunt performers or coordinators.
This film hired the most well-known and influential stunt performers at that time.
For the chariot race, I think that stuntmen were used whenever necessary but also whenever possible, as in when we can't easily tell them apart from the actors. Obviously the actors, namely Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd, did their own stunt work when we could see their faces or otherwise recognize them, while stuntmen were used for the most difficult/dangerous stunts (with the camera not on their faces) as well as other shots when it didn't make much of a difference who it was. This was to minimize the danger to the actors, of course, who weren't as expert and who couldn't be replaced if injured.
@@rbrtck………read Mr Heston’s autobiography, as he details about the filming of the chariot race. It’s very interesting! Book title, ‘In the Arena’………
Truly, one of the greatest movies ever made and so glad you guys reacted to it! Please please please also do the 10 Commandments with Charlton Heston!! Another gem
And take a drink whenever someone says the name Moses
And The Greatest Show on Earth!
@@trentmacdonald6283 haha yes!
This movie always gets referenced for the chariot race, but the scenes between Stephen Boyd and Charlton Heston are just as electrifying. Also: made me laugh to hear George describe Lew Wallace's epic as 'fan fic', but I guess he's not wrong.
You know that Charlton Heston has been Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy? It's about him painting the Sistine Chapel; a great movie.
Another great film with Heston.
Many of us consider the "kissing scene" between Judah and Ester, is considered one of the most Romantic Love scenes of all times. To me, that is an Epic Love Scene.
Been waiting for this one. Delightful reaction. Now please do Spartacus.
"I'm Spartacus."
@@DomIstKrieg "I am Spartacus!"
Seconded. 👍
Yes, Spartacus.
I'm Spartacus!
One of the assistants-directors of Ben-Hur was no other than Sergio Leone.
That’s wonderful to know.
"Ben" indicates a son, so Ben-Hur is his patronymic and his full name is Judah, Son of Hur.
JUst like how most Nordic names are Ragnarson- Son of Ragnar.
Could be said that people called Johnson are Sons of John ;p
@@Mugthraka That of course is where the name Johnson originated.
Connected with the modern Jewish name Hurwitz?
@@lordhoot1 In the sense that Hur is a word/name going back thousands of years, yeah. (It has a few meanings, but can mean "pure" or "noble". So Hurwitz can be translated as "Pure witted" which sounds complimentary.) In the Old Testament, one of Moses's companions is named Hur, and, IIRC there's a Jewish governor named Hur as well in there somewhere. Wallace chose "Ben-Hur" because it had a Biblical connection, and apparently because it was short, catchy, and easy to pronounce. And maybe it could be construed as a comment on Judah's character, I don't know.
Thank you for pointing this out.
Ben Hur is a classic that U. S. Network/Cable TV would show once a year, usually around Easter. It's cool watching a younger generation discovering and appreciating it.
A channel here in Canada used to show Ben-hur, The Ten Commandments, AND The Prince of Egypt almost marathon-style around then. Sometimes you'd even get a showing of Quo Vadis or The Robe in there. Good stuff!
Ben Hur is one of the greatest Epics ever put on screen
There is no music during the Chariot Race. All you hear is the pounding hoofs of the horses, the chariots crashing, and the roar of the crowd. It gave the full impact of being there. This movie won 11 Oscars. On the Big Screen, it was Glorious to see this movie.
Very old Roman galley joke.
Slavedriver to the galley slaves: I have good news, and bad news.
The good news is that we're not going into battle today.
The bad news is that Caesar wants to go water skiing.
That’s funny.
*INTERMISSION* means they stop the film in the movie theaters for 15 minutes, they turn on the lights, and the audience members can go and buy food items or use the restrooms before the film screening continues. 😃
For film buffs, in story structure the Intermission also nicely marked the movie's "midpoint."
Guess you need to watch Kubrick's Spartacus and Charlton Heston as Moses in The 10 Commandments now.
Heston was an amazing actor
Spartacus is considered the most literate Epic!
@@jamesalexander5623 Historically it's... not good.
@@rcrawford42 It’s not accurate, although there was a very successful slave rebellion led by the historical figure, Spartacus. It is a romanticized version as is Moses in The 10 Commandments. Both are epic motion pictures like Ben-Hur.
A lot if people have recommended Spartacus which is a great film (directed by Stanley Kubrick) but I would also recommend Quo Vadis.
It’s not mentioned now as much as the other epics but was a massive success in its day.
In fact it’s credited with single-handedly saving MGM from bankruptcy in 1952.
It’s my personal favourite of the great sword and sandal epics of the time.
(23:00) Judah is not only free, but he is officially adopted, so he's Roman (and a very rich one).
This movie holds up INSANELY for how old it is. Why CGI will never top these classics.
Except for the stilted dialogue of course.
@@alfredthegreat9543 I should have given more clarity. The look and practical effects still look amazing. I do understand the point on the dialogue but that is tough. I agree from any script of any cinema it will be a product of it's time.
I love that foreshadowing with the chariot wheels getting tangled up. It's just establishing the idea that this could happen for the audience, so that it doesn't look like it came out of nowhere later when it happened between Judah and Messala.
Fun fact. The novel was written by a Union general, LEW Wallace, from the US Civil War who was badly disgraced after he made a mistake marching and arrived late to the crucial Battle of Shiloh. The Union won but it was hard fought and Ulysses S Grant, the commanding general, never forgave Wallace and Ben-Hur’s struggles are influenced by Wallace’s personal struggles to his reputation after Shiloh.
He also became governor and promised to pardon Billy the kid for his testimony.
Wallace commanded Union troops at the Battle of Monocacy, which delayed Confederates marching on Washington in 1864 enough for reinforcements to arrive and defend the city. Abraham Lincoln himself visited the subsequent battle at Ft. Stevens.
Grant wound up reading the book in one day.
Grant could’ve used Buell’s army of the Ohio to pursue the broken rebel army. Grant is just making excuses for his and Sherman’s failure to safeguard their camp at Shiloh. Sherman crudely disregarded warnings by his officers about an impending confederate attack as the wild imaginations of militia officers.
@@evanboyd1541 Yeah there were practically no defenses setup at Shiloh. I often wonder if when LEW Wallace ended up marching and reaching the rear of the Confederate Army if it would’ve been military more advantageous for him to attack from there and hit the Confederates in the rear, or if his force was too small to pull off such an attack and would’ve been surrounded and cut off.
Thank you for watching this magnificent film. Still one of the greatest films ever made.
We knew how to make movies back then.
With compeling characters, intense storylines and actors bringing their A game
And then, for contrast, I recently watched Alien Romulus 😅
Hollywood has gotten stupid and lazy as of late
“The shooting of the chariot race scenes took five weeks. In order to follow the horses closely, cameras were placed on top of Italian cars.
The horses seen in the movie were mostly Andalusian and Lipizzans, and were brought from Yugoslavia and Sicilia. The whole film featured around 2,500 horses.”
“The chariot race scenes required 15,000 extras.”
This movie seriously contends as the greatest achievement in art in the history of mankind
Agreed
You've clearly never seen The Room.
You needa see Rabbit Test it's so much better than this film.
Well, that's certainly an opinion you're entirely free to hold and express :).
@@thomasgriffiths6758 lol yes.
This is such a classic, the inspiration for pod racing in Star Wars, the vanquished killing the oppressor like Gladiator. Christ story woven throughout is fantastic and inspirational.
I guess this is just random trivia, but Yakima Canutt was the 2nd Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator that choreographed and shot the chariot race. He's not really that well known, but to those that know, he's legendary as a former rodeo star turned stuntman. Early in his career before he really became a star, a young John Wayne worked with Yakima Canutt for a while, and together they developed the techniques for shooting a fight scene, that are still more or less used today, and when asked how he developed the style he was known for, John Wayne said that he used to just watch Yakima Canutt, and copy whatever he did.
It was Canutt's son who doubled for Heston during the chariot race, and it was because he didn't clip himself to a ring at the front of the chariot that he was almost thrown out.
Yakima gets a name check in the documentary "inventing the Indian" - a superb and very entertains documentary that is available in its entirety on TH-cam.
Yakima was amazing. He is talked about in both John Wayne’s and Heston Autobiographies
@@charlieeckert4321 IIRC his dad did tell him to use the safety harness. Would have saved him some stitches!
@@charlieeckert4321 He managed to save himself by doing a one-armed handstand on the yoke that connected the chariot to the horses. He then sprang back off from the handstand back into the chariot.
This film was shot in EastmanColor widescreen which was rivaling Technicolor at that time and is still considered one of the greatest color film stocks. Digitally “colorized” films which began in the 1970’s mostly had pale, pastel tones, often with a fuzzy look, with a lot of purplish-gray and greenish-grays compared with actual color stock which had intense reds, vibrant greens, deep blues and strong contrasts of light and dark hues. “Ben-Hur” is one of the most prestigious films with no expenses spared for film, costuming, set design and other production aspects. Interestingly, there is a 1925 black & white version (all are based on the 1880 novel) which had some sequences that were hand-tinted and some shot in an early version of Technicolor (which was handled by a young William Wyler who went on to direct this 1959 version.) For many years these Technicolor scenes were lost until they were found in the 1980’s in Czechoslovakia and restored, so that the 1925 version available today includes all the original footage of black & white, hand-tints and Technicolor.
………’Ben-Hur’ was filmed using 6 Camera 65, an innovative film-width in 1959………
11 Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Charlton Heston, whose acting in this movie is stunning. But, that death scene of Masala's was incredible, and the lighting and makeup impeccable, just stunning. One of my favorite movies, ever. ❤✌
I am watching your video with tears flowing from my eyes from the trial till the end, and am so surprised Simone was fighting it so hard, but finally you could not contain it anymore. I have been watching this movie since I was a young boy, it use to be played every year around Christmas time. To this day, 60 some years later, I still bawl watching this movie.
When Arrius has his oarmen row faster and faster, it is not out of sadism, but rather to test and know the capabilities of his crew before battle.
Sure, but if even the rest of his crew were looking at him funny, you know he went a bit overboard... if you'll pardon the pun.
Actually, George was right. The guy just wanted a screen full of sweaty guys. The 1950s 'Swords and Sandals' movies were intentionally aimed at the gay market. Adding a bit of Jesus made sure they made it past the censor
He may have wanted to water ski.
@@Foxtrot369 Not necessarily. As a medical student working in the clinics, I disapproved and bitched about certain rules and practices that I later saw as necessary when I became a full fledged physician taking responsibility for everything. Also, they're just looking at him funny because they're jealous that he gets to water ski but the rest of the crew doesn't.
It was both
This was a spectacular production...nothing comes close to this, even to this day. To think that it was filmed in 1959...brilliant. William Wyler was the director. Yakima Canutt was in charge of the racing production. This epic motion picture was awarded 11 Acadamy Awards.
Obviously it was easier to get people in 1959 to watch a 3.5 hour movie, but this one earns every minute and doesn't drag at all.
One reason they started doing longer, and more epic films in the 50s was to compete with television. Something worth leaving your living room to see.
Hence an intermission
@@YvonneSanders-hv2gc I don't remember if Ben-Hur actually had intro and outro music played at the theaters, but Gone With the Wind did, often with a live band in places that had them, and intermission was literally when bathroom breaks were taken and concessions sold.
There's something to be said for an Epic that keeps you immersed, takes its time showing you the world and telling the story but also does not bore you. Very few films have achieved this status, but this is definitely one of them.
I think towards the end it definitely dragged for Messala.
Ben-Hur is the epitome of a Hollywood "EPIC". Nothing today can compare to the acting, production or presentation.
For a film made 1959 it’s still mind blowing how they were able to film the chariot race. It’s good because it’s real and not CGI. Of course safety for the people and animals weren’t high on the list back then, but man is it cool.
@HerbSparks ...and to add...a stuntman did die during the filming of the chariot race and they left in in to honor the man. When I saw this as a kid...that always stayed with me.
@@Soliloquy66 An oft-cited fact, which is completely false. There was a person killed during filming of that scene (when they originally filmed it in Rome) but it wasn't left in the film.
I was just reading up on the film, and apparently every single horse had its own personal trainer, and the horses were only permitted 8 laps around the field per day to protect them from the considerable heat in Rome.
For a movie of the time, the animals were shockingly well cared for. It was still dangerous to film, but the only injuries were superficial cuts, bruises, and sun burns. Well, except for one producer who died of a heart attack mid-way through filming.
@@HerbSparks "mind blowing" is the right word. We say words like "unreal" or "unbelievable" all the time and yet when watching this scene, it truly does seem impossible that it was crafted over 65 years ago.
I agree!! I think it's the most exciting, well edited, most awesome action scene ever filmed.
The quality you put in your videos is better every time. Thanks.
Great reaction George and Simone! I love watching you and hearing your intelligent and honest comments. Your reactions to classic movies like Ben-Hur, Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life and 12 Angry Men are great! Keep it up.
The water giving scenes... Man, those were powerful. You could see the kindness in the hands, great actors. Amazing, and Epic race scene.
The intermission is the entire space between acts, the entr’acte is the music that lets the audience know it’s starting soon.
Fun Facts: This movie was the first movie to win 11 Oscars. Also, this movie is a remake of a 1920s silent film.
Eleven Oscars?!That’s a truly insane number of Oscars for a movie to win.
@@BarryHart-xo1oy true, and only 2 other movies 🎥 has just as many: James Cameron's Titanic, and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
@@jrr2480 ……yes, but those two films’ didn’t win any Acting Oscars’. ‘Ben-Hur’ won two, Best Actor in Charlton HESTON, & Best Supporting Actor in Hugh GRIFFITH. Acting will always be a higher AMPAS Category to CGI………
@@elizabethroberts6215 very true
I believe the use of "ben" in ancient Israel means "son of". as in: Judah Ben-Hur; Judah, son of Hur. like the old in Scottish use of "Mc".
if someone knows this and I have it wrong, please correct me so that I would know for sure.
Entirely correct, hence the Aramaic Jewish name of the claimed christian messiah being "Ioshua Ben Ioseph" vs the Greek translation & title adding "Jesus(Jesua) Christ".
@@rubyrichesChrist is simply a transliteration of Hebrew term Anointed One or Messiah. So Christ was not his surname as I think many believe it to be, but as you seem to be suggesting to the end of your comment it's a Title. "Jesus The Christ", "Jesus the Anointed One" or "Jesus The Messiah". BarJoseph would be more what we think of a surname or his earthly Father's name.
@rubyriches I love that Jesus' name would be Joshua ben Joseph making him a JoJo.
@@Loulizabeth Jesus’s name is Joshua as there is no Hebrew name ‘Jesus’.
@@clairealderwood1928 I understand that, as there is no J in n the Hebrew Alphabet. The focus of my comment was not talking about His first name Jesus or the Hebrew Yeshua or even Yehoshua (Joshua), but talking about "The Christ" part. I'm aware of the language things but my main reason in commenting was to simply highlight that "Christ" part was not used as a surname the way many modern readers will often think of it but was part of the transliteration of The Messiah (Mashiach, Anointed one)
The music was by legendary Hollywood composer Miklos Rozsa who composed scores for over 100 films. Besides Roman epics, he also worked on several Film Noir films. His final film score was for the 1982 film noir "spoof" "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" from the minds of Carl Reiner and Steve Martin (one of my favorite movies!)
When I was a kid I remember long movies at the theater would have an intermission to change film reels and so people could get goodies from the concessions stand.
🎶 Let's all go out to the lobby... to get ourselves a treat 🎶
And of course, go to the restroom!
They did that for a showing of the extended LOTR trilogy at a local moviehouse; we should bring that back, tbh.
@@seanrosenau2088is it wrong I am hearing Mr Burns singing that ditty
It is not true that the intermission was needed to change film reels. Reels would be changed regularly throughout the film. Each 65mm reel ran for about 9 minutes. When you watch old films you may occasionally see a circle appear in the corner of the frame. These "cigarette burns" were to let the projectionist know that the reel was about to end.
The Entr'acte refers to the music which plays when you see the title. It's the post-intermission equivalent to an Overture, which this film also has. Essentially, it's a way to lure back the patrons chain smoking in the lobby, or using the toilets, so they don't miss any of the story.
No horses were injured in this movie.
Unlike the 1920s silent version where more than you would believe died.
I think that version killed a bunch of extra human actors too.
I'm so glad you guys watched this! And glad that you were totally invested. I've watched it a few times and it always makes me tear up by the end. His mom and sister in the leper's colony, their heartache and love, the healing in the storm, Judah's slow realizations about Jesus and so on...and especially that line "His voice took the sword from my hand." Man, that hits hard. That line makes me think of times I've been so angry that it was indeed as if I was waving a sword about, and how I need someone loving to gently take that sword from me. This movie really earns all of its emotional moments. It portrays a man's spiritual transformation in a very intimate way. And it manages to show a lot of ugliness while ultimately being hopeful.
And just fantastic, fantastic entertainment. This is one to see on the big screen, if you can. Check your local theaters, because a lot of theaters bring back old classics for a day or so. I know Fathom Events does it.
There are a lot of great old epics from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Ben-Hur" is probably the best, but "Spartacus" comes close. "The Vikings" is also excellent. "Quo Vadis" isn't quite as good but has some great set pieces and performances, and also deals with the early Christian church under Rome. And another one called "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) is interesting for Ridley Scott ripping it off for "Gladiator" -- admittedly to more fun.
This film, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia are grand epic filmmaking that you hardly ever see anymore. Only experienced directors like Ridley Scott even attempt to film scenes of this scale these days.
A mesmerizing film. Great reaction guys!
You left The Ten Commandments off the list.
Also a Charlton Heston flick
They might try another epic film" Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor
An old time director was asked how long a film should be. He answered, "How long is good?" This film is long because it takes that long to tell the story. This is why it doesn't lag. There is no wasted time. No fat; just muscle.
Alot of people avoid these classic epics nowadays because seeing them feels like work, but they're actually some of the most watchable movies ever.
@@jculver1674 .............. People's attention spans have taken a hit.
Made for state-of-the-art exhibition in the best movie theaters of the day, filmed in MGMCamera65, using 70mm film stock versus 35mm for widescreen presentation, multi-channel stereophonic sound, overture and entr'acte music, souvenir movie programs, truly an experience for the moviegoer of that time! There were some large budget film projects from that era which received similar treatment. Ben-Hur (1959) sits on the bubble at #100 on AFI's Top 100 films. An All-Time Film Classic with broad, yet deeply individual appeal, kudos to Simone and George for their generational and fully satisfying reaction! Great Job! :)
Now that you’ve seen this, you should watch “Hail Caesar!” The Cohen Bros. love letter to this age in Hollywood cinema. It pays great homage to this film and other iconic films of the 50s
Even after all these decades, Ben-Hur is still one of the greatest movies ever. It's timeless, and still brings me to tears at the ending.
I think less than 1% of the human race is even susceptible to getting leprosy, and I think now there's a medical cure for leprosy.
Ben in Hebrew is kind of like Von in German, or Van in Dutch. The main character would be Judah Of Hur.
Yes: antibiotics can easily control/cure Hanson's disease( leprosy)
11:39 - No, purple was worn by the nobility and the senate class Not just the Emperor.
Yup! Expanding a bit: purple dye was extremely expensive. The only source at the time was from dried and powdered sea snail shells which were time-consuming to find and process, making the dye prohibitively expensive. The Emperors made a show of wearing it to display their wealth, but anyone with enough money could buy purple clothes / dye.
The amount was limited, though. A purple stripe for senators, and owning a purple cloak was illegal unless you were emperor.
Didn't stop everyone who declared themself emperor from having one on hand, though.
@@CancerMage It could be faked, though, by dying cloth red and then blue (or the reverse), but it created an inferior product.
@@CancerMage The problem with absolute answers when the Ancient Rome has a history of about a millennia, more if you add the Byzantine Empire.
Times change.
@@Dreamfox-df6bg Around when this was set , circa 50-60 AD, the book of Acts recounts Paul and others meeting Lydia, who sold purple cloth in Philippi. So some people in the Balkans were wearing purple at the time.
I always cry like a baby at the end of this movie, even though I’ve seen it a dozen times.
Probably one of the greatest films that will ever be made. Greatest love story ever told.
I absolutely love you guys for viewing this grandest of all epic films.
This movie is so powerful. Not only viewing it as a Christian but as a regular viewer. You can feel the cinematic power in this movie. Show you that some films will forever stay classics
i find it funny that i'm an Atheist and i was born a jew
and this film makes me feel as if i belong to a religion
that is how Epic this movie is
Titanic, Ben Hur and Lord of the Rings - Return of the King all share the most amounts of Oscars and they all deserve them for their own reasons.
Well, 2 of them do for sure.
Gone With the Wind
Yeah titanic blows @MrPicklerwoof
@@MrPicklerwoof If you look past the love story of Leo and Kate, Titanic is actually a visually stunning masterpiece of a movie.
@@HombreGermany
Visually stunning does not make a movie good. It makes it visually stunning.
Technical achievement over writing, drama and excellence, is not particularly interesting
to those who expect more.
Titanic is a visual achievement....much like Avatar....and nothing more.
Charleton Heston did much of the chariot racing himself for maximum Tom Cruise-style realism. The shots in which we see him from behind were done with a stunt double to minimize how much racing Heston had to do, but when you see him racing (his face), he's really racing.
……yep, it certainly was………
What an epic movie. I hope you also do The Ten Commandments
I agree! It's flawed, certainly not as great as Ben Hur, but definitely iconic and an epic. Plus another magnetic performance from Chuck Heston.
Crucifixion is always presented as kind of "just hanging there". But it was much more grotesque. They would nail the spikes between the two bones in your wrist which would pinch the ulnar nerve against the bone. The same nerve that runs down your elbow and gives that "funny bone" feeling when you hit it. So, you basically were feeling that pain in both arms until you died. Also, because you were hanging by your wrists, your body weight would pull you down making it difficult to breathe. In order to take a breath, you would have to push your body up with your feet which had been nailed to a small block of wood. The Roman's really knew how to torture people.
……death was by slow suffocation………
I believe leprosy was seen as an illness born from moral failing.
Which is why the story of Jesus healing lepers was such a big deal. He wasn't just curing the sick, he was forgiving their sins.
Leprosy was easily transmitted by touch, which is why lepers were outcasts
@@incogneato790 That was the fear, it wasn't quite accurate: you have to live a long time in the right conditions for the bacteria to properly colonize you.
Indeed; there are pages and pages of the Old Testament dedicated just to the meaning of leprosy (personal sins, the sins of the family, why to cast out lepers, the rites lepers have to make to ask for divine intervention, even the rites lepers have to make to prove they have been cured to be accepted back in the community).
One of the morals in the Gospels, also, was that the perceived sins of lepers may be lesser than the sins of prideful righteous people, who insisted in discriminating them (or measure their perfection compared to those whose skin was "branded"); healing leprosy was not only the concept of forgiving their individual sins, it made the point that lepers (the so perceived doomed sinners) had even more faith in divinity than the priests and pure and honorable people keeping them out of the community.
I love how Messala's whip has that stereotypical *crack* sound as he very gently swings it around. 😄
Spartacus, Giant, Cleopatra, Dr. Zhivago, Patton, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and How the West Was Won are all epic films well worth watching, too
As we see more recently with *Lord of the Rings* and *Dune,* this is what may result when a movie company knows a story so well that it cares very much about ensuring their product will do it honor and justice. The original novel surpassed _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ as the best-selling American novel of its century - so popular that in the late 1890's it was actually made into a _stage play_ on Broadway, with treadmills for the chariot race. Walking backstage, marveling at the number and complexity of the sets and props, the old General Wallace is believed to have murmured, "Did I really set all this in motion?!"
As an amusing aside, one of those who played Messala in the stage version was William S. Hart, who later became an iconic star of silent Westerns. The story goes that, when MGM was filming the silent epic version, Francis X. Bushman, who had been tapped to play Messala, was not sure he should be associated with such a treacherous character (he had been a popular romantic idol up till then). He went to see Hart, and asked him, "Bill - do you think I should play this filthy Roman?" And Hart replied, "I tell ya, Frank, that's the best goddam role in the story. One year they got me to play Ben Hur, and it nearly made me sick. I couldn't wait to be Messala again." And the rest is screening. 😊
Glad this caught you both in the feels. Wonderful film
Based on things George said during the reation, I am going to suggest Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead as a classic example of two background characters in a famous piece of fiction becoming the main characters of their own film.😊
Excellent play and movie!
Great performances by Gary Oldman and Tim Roth!
@@ThistleAndSea True, but George and Simone should probably watch a movie of Hamlet before watching the "side-quel".
@@ThreadBomb Wholeheartedly agree! There's certain references one won't quite get if you watch R&GAD ahead. I'm partial to Gamlet (1964), but Branagh's from 1996 is a close second. 😁
@@ThreadBomb Agreed!
So gratified to see how much you guys enjoyed this movie.
Wonderful reaction. Thank you both.
I mean really, I'd give it a thumbs up for "Heal the leopard" and "Horse Violence" alone!
Great job editing this one.
Thank you again for covering this. To me Stephen Boyd’s Massela is on the Mt Rushmore of despised bad guys
Ben-Hur won 11 Academy Awards including best pictures of the year since Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
The competition was almost nonexistent compared to modern day films.
……but those other two did not win any Acting Oscars’. ‘Ben-Hur’ won two…………Acting is a higher AMPAS Category than CGI………
Omigosh...no way. Simone & George watching one of my favorite films ever! This is absolutely one of the top five epics! The message is beautiful & unfortunately I feel we don't get such today in cinema. Beautifully done, excellent casting, fantastic sets & the score is magnificent. The story though....is so gripping to me, the redemption of the heart.
"What ever happened to the popular front?"
"Oh, He's over there"
"Splitter !!"
Stephen boyd, masala, is such an underrated actor, he was amazing as the bad guy in this film. And his performances just top tier. You believed he was an anguish as he Lay Dying
Never expected this one from you guys. Epic movie.
I'm sorry, I'm commenting again.
* Yes, model ships were used for the sea battle in this film, but, in the 1925 silent version, real galley ships full of extras were used in creating the battle.
* Several of the shots of the chariot race were recreated from shots filmed for the 1925 version.
* This version of Ben-Hur was filmed in color. The 1925 version was filmed in black and white except for the few scenes that included Christ. These scenes were filmed in 2-tone Technicolor. It was an early form of Technicolor.
* Martha Scott, the actress who played Miriam, Judah's mother, three years earlier in 1956, played Yochabel, the mother of Moses (Charlton Heston.) Martha Scott played Charlton Heston's mother in both of these films.
This is a remake of a 1925 silent film , which in turn was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 (fiction) novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. For a movie made in 1959 it had a serious budget just over $15 million dollars this was a gamble to save the studio from bankruptcy, it payed off. The chariot race had a 263-to-1 cutting ratio (263 feet of film for every one foot used), one of the highest used for a 65mm sequence ever filmed.
Before the 1925 version, there was a 15 minute version made in 1907.
The silent version of Ben Hur was the biggest and most spectacular movie made up to that time, and is still impressive today. It's also notorious for the number of people who died making it.
They killed a stuntman filming the 1925 chariot race
There was also a Broadway stage version done at the turn of the century. Lord knows how they did the chariot race.
@@rabbitandcrow Basically real horses running on a treadmill on a rotating set: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben-Hur_(play)#Spectacle
The composited images during the chariot race were done using rear projection, not mattes or blue/green screen tech. That’s why there aren’t any matte lines around Heston.
The movie was based on the book 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' written by Lew Wallace. It was published in 1880 and became a record setting best selling book for the rest of the 19th century. Lew Wallace was a soldier in the Union army during the civil war and was involved in some of the major battles of the war. He went on to become a diplomat. In between the war and his time as representative to the court of the Ottoman Empire, he was appointed governor of the territory of New Mexico.
In one of life's little ironies, Billy The Kid was offered amnesty for his crimes if he would turn States Evidence against other members of his gang. The amnesty was sent to to the governor for approval but Governor Wallace was busy finishing up the manuscript of 'Ben-Hur' at the time and couldn't be bothered. Billy The Kid returned to his life of crime and was later killed by Pat Garrett. So, the story of Ben-Hur is indirectly responsible for his death.
Er, no. Wallace actually went out to meet Billy under a flag of truce but was unable to persuade him to give himself up. It's been described as one of the strangest episodes in American history that a Governor would go out into the countryside to meet with a criminal.
i am sooooo happy that a reaction channel is taking the time to give these amazing Golden Era films a try. these classics made me realize how much i love cinema. cgi and all is great, but i wanna feel your emotions, and with this era, you really had no choice
"The Longest Day" is another epic about WW2 that is definitely worth checking out. Basically every notable star of the time was in it.
This is one of my favorite reactions of all time. You guys absolutely nailed it when it came to understanding what parts of the movie were important.
Jesus' face not being shown was an artistic choice. It works so well in this film. There was an epic-style film from that era about Jesus that did show his face, starring Max von Sydow, so it wasnt sacrilege per se.
One of the best things about this movie is that it doesn't sugarcoat the Roman occupation. And the alliance of Jews and Arabs against the West (romans) was an extremely bold choice considering the Middle East political climate after WW2.
And the chariot race. Hard to say anything that many others haven't already said. Its realism is enthralling and even after 65 years IT LOOKS SO GOOD. For me, it's the most remarkable movie making achievement of all time, from a visual effects standpoint. At the very least its on mount Rushmore with Star Wars and The Matrix.
Thanks so much for watching this movie. Yall should watch Adventures of Robin Hood, the 1939 film with Errol Flynn. It captures a lot of that same magical, storybook feeling. Though of course on a much smaller scale.
This was a book of fiction
Written by a Union general some years after the civil war
It was the most popular book in the country after the Bible for decades
It was made into plays
Merchandise
Again for decades
Hollywood had already made an epic but was during the silent era
This was considered th e biggest of big epic movies
The speechlessness after it ended sums up just how epic and moving this movie is! Especially for the time ❤ This is one of my favorite historical movies, right up there with Gladiator and Troy. Loved the reaction!
It’s a good this the captain of the ship didn’t tell them to go to ludicrous speed 🤣🤣
i love how simone´s cat is trying to take care of her, while she is crying... I love your cat Simone! ;) thanks for your great content you guys.
For big set spectaculars with thousands of extras from the era, you should watch Spartacus.