Ben Hur (50th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Today the news told of the death of Charlton Heston. I have owned this set for some time and have waited for the right opportunity to watch the main feature - today seemed to be that day. In tribute I watched the 1959 version of Ben-Hur that is on this DVD set.The 1959 version we all know is spread over two discs, and is presented in a 2.76 aspect ratio which is very wide. Visually it is mostly excellent, with great clarity and vibrancy lending an intimacy and opulence (or oppression) to scenes that compels the viewer. Colour, light and shadow are used to great effect and most scenes have a detail and depth to them that is rare, especially so for a film nearly 50 years old. As I understand it from the extras disc, the camera system used was brand new at the time, utilising a 65mm film that was about four times the size of conventional film. Alas there are some flaws, although they can be forgiven when so much is so good. The most glaring flaw is I believe a product of the DVD encoding process, where solid reds such as the Roman cloaks are jaggedly framed against high contrast backgrounds and the body of red colour is rendered unsightly. This is evident mostly in medium and close shots and at times it is so artificial looking that the cloaks appear as if they are CGI additions. Fortunately the film is so detailed and intricate it is no burden to look elsewhere to avoid occasional visual offence. I've seen this in other discs also (the bar scene in Glengarry Glen Ross with the solid red background comes to mind). That or my DVD player is showing its age. The audio is in Dolby 5.1 and is excellent throughout. The surround channels even get a bit of a workout in some scenes, adding further to the film.The 1925 version is included on it's own disc. I watched this a few weeks ago and found it a reasonably compelling film. The story is the same, but details differ. This is apparent in the slightly different trajectory of the characters' developments, which seems to take the momentum out of some scenes. I was surprised to see the sea battle and the chariot race in there, and I was even more surprised at how good they were. Particular mention goes to the use of primitive monochrome colours used in some scenes. The sound accompaniment was a little overwhelming for me, as it never lets up. I prefer the 1959 version in every way, but it still stands up as a good film and a great extra in this set. The remaining disc is full of extras, which will probably tell you everything you might ever want to know about the two films. I found the screen tests most interesting. I must mention that there is a commentary for the 1959 version by Charlton Heston and T. G. Hatcher (film historian) that I look forward to listening to in the future.If I've learnt anything from Charlton Heston, it is to never break a stare and never blink, just let the look convey the scene. He does that a lot as Ben-Hur. Charlton Heston is gone now, but we can hold the stare and let the eyes glaze. That is enough to convey the loss. This is most definitely one of the greatest films made and this DVD set is superb. Aside from a few forgivable flaws the film as presented here is excellent and most highly recommended.

Brilliant film, acting and music fabulous as is the story. You can see why it was the only film to have won 11 Oscar’s for decades.

Great film

Though I've seen Ben Hur, one of the Hollywood classics, many times before, it was certainly worth watching again. A great story with wholly believable characters and some great acting. 5/5.

Amazing film! Cinematography, message, acting, great film

This film has long been a favourite of mine. While this is epic moviemaking on the grand scale, it has some wonderful intimate moments that help to make it all the more memorable. Director William Wyler knew exactly what he wanted from his cast. Charlton Heston was never better as the eponymous hero and Stephen Boyd is equally compelling as the villain, Messala. The script is near-perfect and only stumbles occasionally it's hard to believe that a condemned galley slave would be allowed to enter a Roman General's bedroom unaccompanied )but the dialogue for the most part is excellent.For a film that is over 50 years old, the special effects hold up very well and the action sequences - especially the famous chariot race - are more realistic than anything you can see in today's clinical digital age.This new, magnificently-restored Blu-ray presentation ensures that the film is now seen at its very best making the viewing pleasure greater than ever. But be sure to view it on a large screen where you can fully appreciate the excellence of this newly restored master.In its de-luxe version, this three-disc set is nicely-packaged in a sturdy box containing two hardback books. One devoted to the press coverage of the film and the second a reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal day-to-day diary of the many months he spent making Ben-Hur. The main feature is spread across two discs - to ensure an optimum bitrate for maximum visual and audio clarity. I think you'll agree that "Ben-Hur" has never looked or sounded as good as it does here.Special Features include two documentaries, one new - "Charlton Heston's Journey through Ben-Hur" introduced and narrated by his son, Fraser C. Heston and illustrated by original 16 mm home movies shot by Mrs. Charlton Heston. The second is the previously-released "Ben-Hur. The Epic That Changed Cinema." Alongside these are various screen tests and excerpts from the 1960 Academy Awards plus the 1925 silent version with an excellent music score from Carl Davis which may not be as grand as the monumental 1959 Miklos Rosza score - but it's pretty good all the same.All of these "extras" except for the first documentary were featured on the previous 4-disc DVD edition of "Ben-Hur"and this brings me to my one disappointment with this release. The absence of the wonderful 58-minute "The Making of Ben-Hur" narrated by Christopher Plummer that was such a highlight of the previous edition. Clearly, this would have called for a fourth disc - but if Paramount can do a six-disc Blu-ray of Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" which has much better packaging than this release ), why couldn't Warners have gone the extra mile and given us the whole enchilada ?This package,however, is still worth adding to any collection. But if, like me, you treasure "The Making of Ben-Hur" you'd better hang on to your old DVD issue as an adjunct to this package.

Great Movie

This still holds up after so many years. An epic in the true sense of the word. Fabulous story, sumptuously filmed, littered with stars of the day, and sterling performances by Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd as protagonists. They really don't make them like this anymore (except for Gladiator and Braveheart). Totally recommended.