I think this movie is tremendous! What a film for 1926! I have read posts where some have said it is boring, and, if not in the mood for a silent film, I can understand that criticism. I, however, being a film nut, just loved it. I have not seen many silent movies from start to finish, but this movie is a classic in any era.
shareI just watched it tonight and was very pleasantly surpised. I haven't seen many silent films either, but this definitely makes me want to make the extra effort.
"The deepest friendship often comes through a chance meeting."
People have forgotten that Silent Film audiences didn't see the scratchy, jerky, patched-together films that have come down to us - the films they saw were new prints, projected at the proper speed. A restored print of BEN-HUR is a great example.
"I don't use a pen: I write with a goose quill dipped in venom!"---W. Lydecker
Agreed, but the restored version's chariot race is much too fast. If this is anywhere close to how it was shown in 1925 then it lives up to our modern stereotype of hyper-speed silent film movements.
share...Ah, well, tommy, the movie already ran for nearly 2-1/2 hours, as it was. It's likely that much more footage of the race had been filmed, but corners had to be cut SOMEWHERE, I'm sure the director and film editors must have reasoned; it's still a vast improvement over the chariot race sequence of the 1907 version (which, btw, you can find on YouTube, with William S. Hart co-starring as Messala!)...
shareI set my DVD play speed to slow to make the race more realistic and enjoyable. I still loved this film, pleasantly surprised, the Romans meaner, a beautiful nativity scene.
shareSlowing the play speed, that's one way of doing it if the hyper-speed sequences bother you. Since I last posted in this thread I've read up more on the issue of why silent films featured faster than normal life action and one explanation was it was simply the fashion back then to intentionally speed up action and/or comic sequences to make them more frenetic and/or funny to the audiences- as a way to differentiate normal drama scenes in a film from comic or action ones; in the same way silent actors "over-acted" to the camera to help communicate to the audience by their body language and gestures what they couldn't do verbally without a soundtrack. Also, there wasn't yet a standard industry film projection rate or way to set a projector's cranking speed automatically to a standard rate- the speed was determined by each cameraman's hand-cranking speed and that varied from person to person, although technically before the industry-standard rate of 24 fps came about in the late 20s/end of the silent era silents were shot at variable speeds ranging from 12-26 fps.
shareThe bit about speed depending upon the hand-speed of the camera man's speed makes sense. I was actually getting more complicated and wondering if the jumpiness that the speed caused was because the horses speed was too fast for the film speed.
shareTECHNICALLY WRONG. Yes the camera was handcranked, but every movie came with instructions to set the speed to XX frames per second (usually 16 to 20), so the projectionist would play the movie per the director's wishes.
The reason modern DVD versions look fast (24fps) is because the DVD engineer is ignoring the provided instructions left by the director. Similar to other DVD or TV engineers that stretch 4:3 movies/shows to the new 16:9 screen shape. Basically a bad engineer.
Agreed. I have seen (plus own several on DVD - this being one of them) dozens of Silent films, and "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" definitely is a cream-of-the-crop champ that totally holds up, never gets old, and that I believe people not already accustomed to Silent films, as well as, of course, any lover of old movies, would be highly impressed by, find themselves entirely engrossed in, and thoroughly enjoy. I think this is a perfect "gateway" Silent movie for turning newcomers on to the wonders of Silent cinema. It most definitely is neither boring or at all stodgy. For those who love edge-of-your-seat action, the stunning sea battle and chariot race sequences are not to be missed!
shareI'm watching this silent film for the very first time ever on TCM tonight and it's quite excellent too . IMPO This is just as awesome as the other silent film I saw a couple of weeks ago called - " The King of Kings " from 1927 ( extremely beautiful and moving ) . I do highly recommend TKoK if you liked this movie BH:ATotC . Thanks FRANKDRAFTING for your subject post . Also to everyone here a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too .
shareI recorded a recent TCM showing on the DVR and watched it again. This version of Ben Hur is spectacular. I give it a 10/10. I like it a little better than the stellar silent "King of Kings" but less than "Intolerance" (which contains a storyline concerning the crucifixion). I also like the Charleton Heston version. However, the sound version of "The Ten Commandments" (10/10) is my favorite biblical epic (better than also classic silent version).
shareI prefer it over the 1959 version. The sets were great.
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