Ben-Hur

The 1959 film of Ben-Hur wasn't the first, nor the last version of General Lew Wallace's novel, but it's the most famous. One of the biggest film spectacles ever, it won Charlton Heston his only Oscar and put him in the most famous chariot race in movie history. It broke budget, box office and Oscar records for a reason. That's a lot to live up to for director Timur Bekmambetov's take on the story.

Fortunately, this film stands on its own legs just fine.

Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) is a Jewish prince with an adopted Roman brother, Messala (Toby Kebbell). Messala feels overshadowed by his adoptive family, so he joins the army and rises in the ranks. Meanwhile, Judah weds Esther (Nazanin Boniadi) and encounters a certain carpenter from Nazareth (Rodrigo Santoro).

One day, the Ben-Hur house watch a military parade pass by, where a Zealot tries to kill Prefect Pontius Pilate (Pilou Asbæk). Messala forces a confession out of Judah and throws him to the Galleys. Judah spends five years in chains until he escapes during a nasty naval battle. Judah is found by the Shiek Ilderim (Morgan Freeman), a man who knows chariot racing. Judah also likes chariot racing, so he trains under Ilderim to one day race Messala.

And they do...

Screenwriters John Ridley and Keith Clarke do a lot to trim the story down. The 1959 film runs 212 minutes while this one runs 123. The results are acceptable, but not perfect. The pacing for the first 40 minutes or so is sluggish. It improves just in time for the climactic chariot race. The overall story and character relationships are at least coherent, even if a few details are lost in the circus. The point of the classic story is present in this version. 

One name not lost in the circus is Jesus Himself. Santoro plays Him as a humble man who can stop a crowd by being there. He demonstrates it so well when He gives Judah water. His presence maybe brief, but you won't forget it.

It took three editors, including Dodi Dorn, to construct the story. They prove that the PG-13 rating isn't a detriment to movie violence. The wartime violence is brutal as are the racing accidents. Some of the violence provides some unintentional humor; I'm thinking of the Galley foreman who commands the slaves to keep rowing when he's covered in flaming oil. The pacing could've been handled better, but I've seen worse. The chariot race made it all worth it.

Ben-Hur is a decent redo of a cinematic milestone. You'll get your money's worth if you're in it for the action and adventure. Look elsewhere if you want a well-developed Tale of the Christ. While some might find this film pointless, it's at least a good incentive to check out a previous version. It just goes to show you can't fight a movie idea.