BEN-HUR: A WELL LOVED STORY RE-TOLD IN TRUE STYLE.

 

Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel has spawned epic films in the past and this new one has ground-breaking excitement and awe-inspiring scenes hardly imaginable unless actually seen.  Jack Huston stars as Judah Ben-Hur and Toby Kebbell as Messala, Morgan Freeman brings gravitas, aged wisdom, and a very well-known face, and all the actors have been cast with dedication to their abilities to play their parts with authenticity including Rodrigo Santoro as Jesus whose part incorporates a crucifixion scene.  Screenwriter John Ridley was the top scribe who penned the script.  He has previously written for “12 Years a Slave” amongst other screen stories.  Rivalry between siblings is a strong theme but at the same time, there is mutual respect, love, and admiration.  Ben-Hur has to undergo slavery before he meets Iderim (Freeman) after he is shipwrecked on a slave ship and is the only one to survive.  Director Timur Bekmambetov achieves gasp-inspiring scenes on the ships as the galley slaves use muscle-power alone to propel vast galleons in warfare.  Ben-Hur is given solace and sustenance before a wager is put to the Romans about the chariot race being won by him via Iderim.

There is no point in divulging the intricacies of the story as it would be a spoiler for viewers, but suffice it to say the chariot scenes are mesmerising with an excellent sound system and huge attention to costumes giving gravitas to viewers.  Many stories which come from Biblical times have a high level of conflict in them and Ben-Hur is no exception.

The Romans are depicted as ruling with tyranny, violence and fearful arrogance in the area.  They broke up the love and trust of two brothers who eventually come back together as close family at the end of the film.

Iderim understands all this and it is his carefully engineered plot which achieves this.  Christ’s kindness is also strongly alluded to as the story unfolds.  Enjoy.

Penny Nair Price.