Posted on 08/20/2016 2:47:55 PM PDT by Kaslin
The 1959 movie was 3 1/2 hours and the new one is only 2 hours and 5 minutes. So they must have left a lot of scenes out.
Both the 1925 and the 1959 movies had excellent chariot races! No CGIs!
The 1925 version was great, the 1959 version was great the first time, but when seen again and again it was way-y-y too long! Kind of like watching THE ALAMO (1959) for the tenth time and wanting to just see the last hour, so I watch THE LAST COMMAND instead.
I got both on DVD so I can fast forward through them to the naval battle and the chariot scene.
Kind of like watching WAR AND PEACE, the Russian Version, in which soldiers in the background are armed with bolt action rifles.
The original was 2:23 so maybe 1959 was with added scenes.
By the way My friend and his parents took me to the Egyptian in Hollywood to see Ben Hur 1959. It was unbelievable. I was 12.
I’m still waiting for the other LEW WALLACE book THE FAIR GOD to be made! It was promised in 1963 from Warner Bros (SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!)
Still waiting!
It is the story of Cortez’s conquest of Mexico.
I am so tired of re-makes.
(Remake of post#7)
LOL. My third grade teacher did exactly that. Miss Moulton adopted a stray kitten and named it Benjamin. When Benjamin presented her with a litter, she renamed her Ben-Her.
Don't laugh! In 1960 or so the GARY MOORE SHOW did a spoof on Ben Hur with Derwood Kirby as BEN HIM! When Kirby turned around in his wig and getup the audience went wild with laughter! Kirby was actually embarrassed on the screen.
That my friend is a good analysis.
I saw it today, with my two daughters, and the review is pretty much spot on. I didn’t like the dark lighting through much of the film, but maybe it was the 3d glasses.
I came away thinking what a great actor C. Heston was, to carry a three hour epic. I think the story developed better in the 1959 version.
My wife and I saw Ben Hur last night. I thought is was splendid! More spiritual than the original. We intend to see it again which is our measure of a worthwhile film. Not many of those lately! I didn’t care for either of the leads, that notwithstanding, the message of forgiveness and redemption is powerful! I loved the original, however, I found this better in many ways. Great reminder about the power of good women to influence and touch the lives of others if we’ll just get out of the way. Jesus is well cast, very touching and realistic performance. “King of Kings,” indeed!
It was eight times as good as the Alan Brady Show...
Yes, one big difference was Ben-Hur’s rescue from the shipwreck. In ‘59 he saved the general and prevented him from committing suicide. The general thought they had lost the sea battle, but found out they (the Romans) had won. So he adopted Ben-hur and there was a great deal of development leading to the chariot race.
In ‘16 version, BH, by himself, washes ashore right where the arabs are training for the races. So the sequence from slave ship rower to chariot racer was greatly reduced.
I am definitely going to carve out some time this weekend to watch the original - I only recall seeing bits and pieces of it. I really need to buy the novel as well to see what artistic licenses were taken with the different films.
I remember the 59 movie as I was 11 at the time. I thought the music score was fantastic. There was an actual overture before the film began. Heston was utterly outstanding. The movie was so long it had an intermission. I remember looking at the back of the theatre and seeing a whole row of nuns in full habit.
More proof that Hollywood cannot make a good movie today.
Ben Hur was a perfectly good movie that needed no remake. Hollywood is so inept they can’t think of a good story without having to go back and make unnecessary remakes like this.
There is such a deep body of literature in the world, and all of it now known at finger’s reach on the internet, there is just no excuse for remaking a classic movie that cannot possibly be improved upon?
What’s next? Remake Casablanca for millenials? Who are you going to cast to top the original? How can you possibly top it?
Hollywood sucks. It jumped the shark decades ago. Every ones in a while a gem sneaks out but mostly it is pure crap today. Pure. Crap.
I agree with you 100 percent. Or the remake of Quo Vadis with Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, and Peter Ustinov as Nero
There was an animated version in 2003. The mini-series aired on ABC in 2010, and I don’t think the musical in 2009 ever managed to leave England. Classics get revisited, it’s part of being a classic.
ping
The Romans loved their baths, and had laundries and dry cleaners.
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