AFI 122: Ben Hur

Sorry for the long wait on this one, but it took a little longer than I originally anticipated to get around to seeing this one. Don't worry, because I won't keep you waiting for the next film as long as I did on this one. Getting to Ben Hur, I probably could've watched it many years ago, but decided not to out of pure stubbornness. Truth be told, I had no idea what I was headed in for when I sat down last night, but a stroke of dismay hit when I saw the words "A Tale of the Christ". Suddenly I was worried that I was about to see a film that's purely about Jesus, and I've seen that sort of thing before in an irritating half-hour animated special. Suddenly several questions came to mind, such as why there would be a chariot race in a film about Jesus. Fortunately, the "Tale of the Christ" part is fused rather well into the main story of Judah Ben Hur.

The film really focuses on a wealthy and honorable Jew named Judah Ben Hur, and his rough relationship with childhood friend Messala. Messala is a harsh Roman military tribune who is focused on keeping the Jewish population of Judea in order. So when Judah refuses to betray the people of his own faith, the two are separated as rivals, and Messala throw Judah into slavery in the galleys. Judah's family is condemned to a life in prison, and Judah sets out on an epic journey of revenge. It's a film steeped in deep moral themes of vengeance, betrayal, good, and evil.

The central conflict of good and evil is an intriguing one. The film makes a strong point that nobody is evil in their own eyes, and if you get to know who someone truly is, they can surprise you. Take the character of Arrius, a colonel for the Roman empire, who we meet on the slave ship Judah is bound to. We see him as at the height of his power and the depths of his desperation, and we can't really say that he is a truly evil person. Judah himself has a rather gradual grapple with good and evil, and which one lies most with him. He goes from a peaceful man of his people, to man driven by hate, anger, and vengeance for the destruction of his family.

And then there's the "Tale of the Christ", which I actually found quite moving, if only because this is a film. Obviously there was no actual man in existence named Judah Ben Hur, and though Jesus did exist, the interpretations of his existence vary. Much like a storyteller makes up his own interpretation of events, this can be seen as one interpretation. It's rather emotional and tragic, and it blends semi-perfectly into the story. It does feel a bit like the story is only there for the sake of Jesus, but It doesn't just fall in by happenstance and stick out like a sore thumb. True, there may be a bit of a suspension of belief for those who don't actively believe in miracles, but how come it's more difficult to suspend belief here than in a film like Harry Potter?

The acting was pretty great considering the time the film was made, with Charlton Heston being the main standout of the group and carrying the transformation of the main character through to the end. However, while watching the film I kept returning to Hugh Griffith's character of Sheik Ilderim, because he worked as a bit of comic relief and a worthy aid to the protagonist. The music in film is properly epic, but only when it is in use. There are scenes that are played without music entirely, the most apparent being the famous chariot race scene played as the film's climax. Something that I like to do - and I know that this may be an instance of changing a classic film from the way it was originally created, but I don't care - is begin playing the "War" theme from Avatar at the precise start of the race, and see how it makes the scene play out in so much more epic fashion. Don't take this to mean that I've set aside my problems with James Cameron's science-fiction film. The music just fits into place with that particular action sequence, and in some ways, Avatar and Ben Hur are similar. I'm just more willing to forgive Ben Hur a little more because of how dated it is.

The film does drag a bit on occasion, and that's to be expected of a nearly four hour film. However, the intermission in the middle finds itself at a near perfect spot. I can't help but draw parallels to the recently released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and see how Ben Hur could've easily been made into two films. Ultimately, this film finds its place at the bottom of AFI's list of the greatest films of all time, but it was also the first film to hold the record for most Academy Awards. It's definitely not to be forgotten by history, and makes me eagerly anticipate the rest of the films that await me in this list. It may be more than a little cliche, but it was made before it was considered cliche, so it's forgiven.

A-

The next film on the list is Yankee Doodle Dandy. I'm not sure how much I should dread it based on the title.