Ben-hur

(amazon.co.uk)

It's that time of the year!!  Spring has sprung and Easter is right around the corner. Time for some classic movies which stood the test of time and that includes the wonderfully made film, Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston. Ben-Hur was created in 1959 by MGM Studios.  It was based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel of the same name and it was even a remake of an earlier film in 1925 during the silent film era (Wikipedia).  The movie follows the life of prince Ben-Hur who was betrayed and framed by his former friend, Messala.  Ben-Hur was sent to the gallows as a result and desires revenge.  He learns a lot of life lessons along the way including redemption and forgiveness.  

(hollywoodreporter.com)

Like, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur is shown every Easter when I was growing up and I looked forward to watching it every year.  Also, like The Ten Commandments, the film was way ahead of its time in regards to overall production including location, technology, costume design and the score, oh my goodness!  The musical score, created by Miklos Rozsa was so good, that it gave me goosebumps!!!  I have to admit though, the movie was very long with 3 hours and 42 minutes run time and that includes an intermission!  The casting of the movie was excellent especially with Charlton Heston as the lead actor with his wonderful portrayal of Ben-Hur.  Stephen Boyd played a character that everyone loved to hate, Messala a corrupt Roman nobleman.  Haya Harareet played Esther, Ben-Hur's love interest.  Hugh Griffith played an Arab tradesman Sheik Ilderim which in itself would be problematic today.  Griffith did a very good job with his character but that blackface he did, meh it was cringeworthy.  Well, it was the 50's and I supposed actors of color were few far in between which allowed majority white actors to do stuff such as blacken their faces to portray a person of color or the horrendous yellowface.  By now,  Hollywood should know better but every now and again, incidents like these keep popping up.  

(hollywoodreporter.com)

My favorite scene in the film was the chariot race.  It is a gruesome race for sure and I really feel for the stuntmen, who had to deal with the grueling training that comes with the chariot race.  I also felt bad for the horses, all that running around in circles.  It was also my favorite because Messala got the taste of his own medicine after he threw Ben-Hur under the bus.  In the movie, Messala succumbs to his injuries after he falls off his chariot compared to Wallace's novel in which he was still alive and still plotting for Ben-Hur's demise.  

It is a great film and to say it is epic would be an understatement.  So epic that it won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Director (William Wyler) and Best Picture among others.  It was one of the highest-grossing at that time and it was regarded as one the greatest film of all time (Wikipedia).  It is a film about friendship, betrayal, revenge and forgiveness, at a time where Jesus Christ was gaining new followers, including Ben-Hur.  Naturally, there were remakes including the 2016 version but unfortunately, it fell flat.  Some classics should be left alone.  Like I said, this film had stood the test of time and I'm sure it will still be relevant well into the 22nd century!!  

The Ten Commandments!!!

(Amazon.com)

(wikipedia.com)

Hello, my lovelies!!! Spring is finally here!! I must admit that winter has gotten me down as of late.  The damn cold and the darkness can put a damper on your mood.  It's still a little chilly outside, apparently, the weather couldn't make up its mind if it wants to be warm or cold.  But it's getting warmer and the days are getting longer.  It's also Easter and if you're Jewish, Passover and there are preparations for those days.  Unlike other countries, Easter is not a public holiday in the States,  something that I can't wrap my head around and it calls itself a "Christian" country.  It's also time for the movie which stood the test of time, The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Ramses.  It's a movie based on the Old Testaments' events concerning the Prophet Moses and the exodus of the ancient Israelites to the promised land, after slavery in Egypt.  

This movie was directed and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille in 1956 and it was one of the highest-grossing films of its time and it was even nominated for 7 Academy Awards in 1957, winning for Best Visual Effects.  It was also an expensive film but it was a good thing that it was successful, grossing approximately $122.7 million in the box office, so it really paid off.  I didn't even know DeMille made an earlier version in 1923 during the silent film era.  My guess was that he wanted to take advantage of the Technicolor technology at the time and the results were tremendous (Wikipedia).  In my younger years in Trinidad, I always looked forward to seeing the movie.  From the time you heard that theme song, it was on.  But I had to admit, it was a long movie and it was definitely edited for a time but it was an enjoyable experience.  The scenery and the musical score really add to the memorable experience in regards to the film.  DeMille and others really took the time to do research for the film including the locations such as Egypt, Mount Sinai and the Sinai Peninsular to give the movie an authentic feel.  

Charlton Heston as Moses and Anne Baxter as Nefretiri and Yul Brynner as Rames II

(overthinkingit.com)

King Rameses II and Queen Nefertari

(archaelogyillustrated.com) 

However, even with its meticulous research and authenticity, it has many inaccuracies.  When I was younger, I didn't even notice, all I cared about was the action and the beautiful costumes.  Let's start with race.  We all know by now and I'm sure they knew then, Egyptians and even the Israelites, Moses included were not white.  Ancient Egyptians were definitely black and the Israelites were perhaps Middle Eastern.  Even the Pharoah Ramses was black, not as white as portrayed.  But I got to admit, Yul Brynner was a sexy Ramses though!!  Even Queen Nefretiri didn't exist but the Queen Nefertari did though.  Back in the 50s, it would be unthinkable to cast black actors as Egyptians and even the Israelites, the whites would be foaming in the mouth.  However, I did notice in one scene where Ramses and his soldiers were chasing after the Israelites, in a monument, there was a pharaoh who was black.  Maybe DeMille was trying to tell us something, in a sneaky way.  

Naturally, you can't have a movie without some sort of romance where Nefretiri can't get over Moses even though he moved on and Ramses, well he got the hots for her even though they hated each other guts.

Overall, it's a great film, enjoyed by everyone regardless of religion or lack thereof.  It's a story of sibling rivalry, jealousy, romance,  redemption and freedom. And it's still relevant today, particularly for those who are currently oppressed.  There are also various films concerning The Ten Commandments such as cartoon version, The Prince of Egypt, which depicted its characters in a more realistic manner where skin color is concerned.  Also, the horrible and tone-deaf, Exodus: Gods and Kings, which again portrayed characters as white and Moses looked he just came out of Gladiator.  The Ten Commandments is one of those movies which definitely stood the test of time. It was way ahead of the curve its heyday and even transcended into the 21st century.  In fact, according to the Guinness Book of Records, it was the seventh most successful film of all time.  It's one of those movies you have to see again and again.