Ben-Hur Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review

• 23rd Sep 2011

The first Blu-ray disc I ever watched was Iron Man. After revelling in its shiny, shiny colours and absurd skin detail, not to mention the positively invasive sound quality, I turned to my better half with a look of hope and serenity on my face and said “I can’t wait for the day they release Ben-Hur on blu.” That was over a year ago now, but finally the long awaited day has arrived…

When the editor told me I was getting the disc to cover, I all but promised him my review would go along the lines of this: BEN-HUR ON BLU-RAY AAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH!!!!!!!! CHARLTON HESTON’S FOREHEAD WRINKLES IN HD AAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH… and so on and so forth. Slotting my most beloved of films into the blu ray player was such an exciting moment I can genuinely say I was shaking ever so slightly and giggling nervously with anticipation – would it be a transfer of suitably high quality for this record breaking film? Will the extra extras be all I’ve hoped for? Will Charlton Heston’s forehead wrinkles be as dramatic as I’ve seen in my dreams?! Well, fellow Hest-Festers, you can take it from me that the answer to all these questions is a resounding yes. Here’s why…

I’m sure everybody knows the story of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, first penned by General Lew Wallace some one hundred and forty years ago in 1880. The plot follows well-to-do Jew Judah Ben Hur who puts his faith ahead of his friendship with his vindictive and homoerotic Messala. Consumed with rage and spite, Messala does all that he can to see Judah and his family stricken from the record, locking his beloved mother and sister in the slammer and sentencing him to an eternity on the dreaded galley boats. A chance invasion by the Spanish sees Ben Hur rescuing an important naval official and before you know it he’s back on top of the world, pursuing his foe with every ounce of his strength, determined to run him into the ground. The opportune moment arises in the grand Circus (no, not the clown kind) when the two foes’ chariots lock in battle, Ben Hur’s whites against Messala’s blacks… only one man will emerge victorious and that man is Judah. After that most people fall into a port induced slumber (well you can’t blame them, this film’s only ever on at Christmas) and have vague memories of something to do with Jesus and lepers and so on. Well, with this bad boy leaping off the screen in high definition glory, I have no doubts that there’ll be no chance of falling asleep through what has oft been cited as the best film ever made (at least by me) as for the first time ever we watch the adventure unfold as though we have the 20:20 vision of the Messiah himself.

The transfer is quite simply flawless. I got extremely emotional just looking at the pristinely defined colours and shapes, a far cry away from the gritty, fuzzy cinny-reel style I’ve been watching the film in for so many years and the sound is crystal clear. Finally I can cherish every deep, guttural proclamation of Judah and the soundtrack is quite simply divine. The sinister bassy tones of the Messala tune reverberate with real presence even on my rubbish non-surround sound (sigh) speakers and the Messiah theme really does seem to be floating on a cloud from heaven. It’s a masterpiece! The folk behind this transfer have showed it all the love it so sorely deserves and my only regret is that William Wyler is not around to watch this most seminal of films presented in such perfection. I’ve only had the chance to take in the highlights but I know it’ll take many a watching before I fully appreciate the overall transformation of this film for the work of art that it is.

The real gem of the Blu-ray release is the only new extra (not to be found on the previously released 50^th Anniversary 3 Disc DVD), called ‘Charlton Heston: A Personal Journey’. This truly is the king of kings of extras, and just what we Heston devotees have been waiting for: 78 minutes of Heston family home videos, interviews with his children, wife, grandchildren, close friends and anyone with any bearing on the film’s creation. In terms of trivia about Ben-Hur it’s about on a par with the 2005 documentary ‘The Epic That Changed Cinema’ (also included with this edition), it’s much more about paying tribute to the great man himself with all the love, affection and respect which is so sorely due. I challenge even the most ardent fan of Michael Moore (shudder at the thought) to come away from this documentary untouched by a man who simply loved his country and his family with no strings attached. His son, Fraser Heston (also a film-maker) affectionately reads passages from ‘Chuck’s’ personal diary which detail his dependency on his family and wife of over sixty years, his initial excitement at being cast as Judah Ben-Hur and his respect and awe for the great William Wyler.  ‘A Personal Journey’ is a film in itself and an absolute joy to behold as someone who has always admired Charlton Heston’s obvious passion and commitment for the arts and his diligence in fighting for what he believes to be true no matter how ‘unfashionable’ it may make him.

Other features worth delving into are the vintage news reels, an admittedly kitsch but thoroughly delightful trip down memory (or history) lane, including news broadcasts of the film’s opening around the US and in far flung Japan and clips of Charlton Heston being awarded the Best Actor Oscar in 1960. For anyone who doubts Heston’s earnest dedication to film making, this last clip is a must; after his name is announced, Heston positively leaps to the stage almost tripping over the stairs with excitement and it would take the most sceptical of people to doubt his enthusiasm and disbelief as anything but the sincere display of emotion akin to a child on Christmas Day (perhaps as the Overture to Ben-Hur is striking up on Channel 5…).

As stated above, Ben-Hur has been my favourite film since I was about five. My brother and I used to re-enact the galley scene with cushions from my grandparents’ sofa to while away a Sunday afternoon and I spent the majority of my RE lessons at school comparing my teachers’ retelling of biblical stories to the film. It has been with me since some of my earliest memories and now, to see it brought up to the 21^st century with such consideration and great efforts is just a dream come true. Much of my review you may pass off as the insane ramblings of a young woman who needs to get with the programme (a bit) but as far as I’m concerned the fact that Ben-Hur, a film made over fifty years ago, is still treated with such reverence and received with such enjoyment by people all over the world is a mark of integrity and respect for what’s truly good in life which no amount of Michael Bay box office hits can take away.

Dani Singer