8mm Forum: BEN HUR REVIEW

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Posted by Laksmi Breathwaite (Member # 2320) on December 14, 2011, 03:52 PM:

This a review of the 400 digest version . Which I think is very good and the trailer which I have spliced on the front showing Jesus on the cross. Which it is not depicted in the MGM digest version . Color is good and a special thanks to Osi!

Director William Wyler's film was a remake of the spectacular silent film of the same name (director Fred Niblo's and MGM's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)). Wyler had been an 'extras' director on the set of DeMille's original film in the silent era. MGM's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), featuring a cast of 125,000, cost about $4 million to make after shooting began on location in Italy, in 1923, and starred silent screen idols Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman. This figure is equivalent to $33 million today - it was the most expensive silent film ever made. Both films were adapted from the novel (first published in 1880) by former Civil War General Lew Wallace.This remake was inspired by the fact that three years earlier, Cecil B. DeMille and Paramount had remade the 1925 version of his film as a successful 50's epoch Biblical tale titled The Ten Commandments (1956). The heroic figure of Charlton Heston (an iconic and righteous Moses figure) would again be commissioned to play the lead role in this film of a Jewish nobleman (the Prince of Judea) - after the role was turned down by Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson and Paul Newman. In the plot, prince Judah Ben-Hur was enslaved by a Roman tribunal friend , but then returned years later to seek revenge in the film's centerpiece, a chariot race. Ultimately, he would find redemption and forgiveness in the inspiring and enlightening finale.The colorful 1959 version was the most expensive film ever made up to its time, and the most expensive film of the 50s decade. At $15 million and shot on a grand scale, it was a tremendous make-or-break risk for MGM Studios - and ultimately saved the studio from bankruptcy. It took six years to prepare for the film shoot, and over a half year of on-location work in Italy, with thousands of extras. It featured more crew and extras than any other film before it - 15,000 extras alone for the chariot race sequence.Ben-Hur proved to be an intelligent, exciting, and dramatic piece of film-making unlike so many other Biblical pageants with Hollywood actors and actresses. Its depiction of the Jesus Christ figure was also extremely subtle and solely as a cameo - it never showed Christ's face but only the reactions of other characters to him.The chariot race sequence in the Circus Maximus (an amazing replica of the one in Rome) is one of the most thrilling and famous in film history. [Homage was paid to it with George Lucas' pod-race in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).] The site of the race, the Circus Maximus in Jerusalem (Judea), was constructed on over 18 acres of backlot space at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome, and the filming of the sequence took about five weeks. Except for two of the most spectacular stunts, both Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd did all their own chariot driving in the carefully-choreographed sequence. There are contradictory reports about the fatality of a stuntman during the dangerous scene in the film, yet no published discussions of the film mention the accident, and Charlton Heston's 1995 autobiography In the Arena specifically stated that no one was seriously injured during the filming of the scene. The film story is as follows.
Anno Domini - In the year of our Lord, Judea for nearly a century had lain under the mastery of Rome. In the seventh year of the reign of Augustus Caesar, an imperial decree ordered every Judean each to return to his place of birth to be counted and taxed. Converging ways of many of them led to the gates of their capital city Jerusalem, the troubled heart of their land...Even while they obeyed the will of Caesar, the people clung proudly to their ancient heritage always remembering the promise of their prophets that one day there would be born among them a Redeemer to bring them salvation and perfect freedom.

Joseph of Nazareth, of the family of David of Bethlehem, is seen being questioned and counted by Roman officials. As originally shown, the film opened with a series of tableaux of the birth of Christ Nativity sequence and the coming of the Magi.
I love the part at the start of the credits that shows a shepherd steps out of the manger in Bethlehem. And blows this horn to start the music to the credits and to this day it sends shivers up and down my spine.

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on December 14, 2011, 04:00 PM:

Great review Laksmi, I want this digest because of it! Yours looks like the color is still good -- blue in the sky is there.

I recently started screening the 1925 version and I'm really enjoying every minute of it. I'll screen all six reels again on Xmas eve.

Posted by Chris Fries (Member # 2719) on December 14, 2011, 06:57 PM:

An excellent review. Great screen shots.

I had this version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJc__2ANkH8

It was an ex-library copy. I sold it because I want the 3x400 version. Turns out that is not easy to find. I did see the complete S8 film not too long ago on eBay but it was 'Scope (don't have a lens for that) and way out of my price range.

I would love the have the 1925 version on film. I've watched the DVD and thought it was just as good as the 1959 version.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on December 15, 2011, 01:16 PM:

Are some of those shots taken from that print I just sold ya?

If so, I'm glad that it already arrived! Media usually takes FOREVER during the holiday season!

Posted by Laksmi Breathwaite (Member # 2320) on December 16, 2011, 01:03 AM:

Oh yes Osi and from a trailer I have thank you very much Merry Christmas!

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on December 16, 2011, 03:21 PM:

Chris-You should try and get a setup for scope, either free standing or the attachment, if you have an Elmo. And try and get the Kempski scope print. It is much better than Derann's even though it is the same negative. Had a Derann print but the picture was half normal and half yellow. I think Osi has half normal and half blue. However, the 3x400 is excellent.

Posted by Chris Fries (Member # 2719) on December 16, 2011, 07:27 PM:

Larry,

I have a Chinon SS-1200. In fact, I asked if there is a 'scope lens for it on another thread.

http://8mmforum.film-tech.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006692

I would love to do 'scope but apparently it takes a very special lens.

One like this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350513357554?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Now, I know a projector lens is not cheap but this seems astronomically high.

If it is the only lens I can use, I think I will look for it somewhere else.

Anyone know where I can find one that doesn't cost $900?

As for the 3x400 "BEN-HUR", I would love to have a copy but no one seems to want to sell it.

Someday...

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on December 16, 2011, 09:57 PM:

Chris-That lens is the wrong kind of lens. It squeezes 1.5 not 2x. There are plenty of scope lenses at reasonable prices and you should use a stand instead of an attachment.

Here's one with a short barrel:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KOWA-CAMERA-LENS-PROMINA-ANAMORPHIC-8-Z-41444-W71-/260915271486?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3cbfc3173e

And here's one, but it is long and you would have to keep your projected picture smaller to prevent vignetting, but it's cheap:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRONT-FILTER-RING-4-SANKOR-SINGER-16D-ANAMORPHIC-LENS-/300548516286?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item45fa1669be

Stand, would like to get one for my 16mm projector:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ffr-film.de%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3Danamorphotenhalter%26language%3Dde

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on December 17, 2011, 06:22 PM:

Yep, Perfect color on the left, slightly blue on the right. Mystifying.

If you find a 3X400ft Chris, make sure that it still has decent color, as the strange thing is that while the Cineavision scope 1X400ft has held up rather well color wise, the 3X400ft has always been found (these days) to be badly faded.

But who knows, I bought my print of the scope Ben Hur feature for 200.00 dollars, so you might luck out on a decent price.

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