Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic historical drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. A remake of the 1925 silent film with the same name, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tun berg but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry.

Ben-Hur had the largest budget ($15.175 million) as well as the largest sets built of any film produced at the time. Costume designer Elizabeth Haffenden oversaw a staff of 100 wardrobe fabricators to make the costumes, and a workshop employing 200 artists and workmen provided the hundreds of friezes and statues needed in the film. Filming commenced on May 18, 1958 and wrapped on January 7, 1959, with shooting lasting for 12 to 14 hours a day, six days a week. Pre-production began at Cinecittà around October 1957, and post-production took six months. Under cinematographer Robert L. Surtees, MGM executives made the decision to film the picture in a widescreen format, which Wyler strongly disliked. More than 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used in the shooting of the film, with some 10,000 extras. The sea battle was filmed using miniatures in a huge tank on the back lot at the MGM Studios in Culver City, California. The nine-minute chariot race has become one of cinema's most famous sequences, and the film score, composed and conducted by Miklós Rózsa, is the longest ever composed for a film and was highly influential on cinema for more than 15 years.

Following a $14.7 million marketing effort, Ben-Hur premiered at Loew's State Theatre in New York City on November 18, 1959. It was the fastest-grossing as well as the highest grossing film of 1959, in the process becoming the second-highest grossing film in history at the time after Gone with the Wind. It won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Griffith), and Best Cinematography – Color (Surtees), an accomplishment that was not equaled until Titanic in 1997 and then again by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. Ben-Hur also won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Stephen Boyd. Today, Ben-Hur is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, and in 1998 the American Film Institute ranked it the 72nd best American film and the 2nd best American epic film in the AFI's 10 Top 10. In 2004, the National Film Preservation Board selected Ben-Hur for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for being a "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" motion picture.

Directed by William Wyler

Produced by Sam Zimbalist

Screenplay by Karl Tunberg

Narrated by Finlay Currie

Music by Miklós Rózsa

Cinematography Robert L. Surtees

Distributed by Loew's, Inc.

Release dates November 18, 1959

Running time  212 minutes

Country United States

Language English

Budget $15.2 million

Box office $146.9 million (initial release)

Based on Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace

Starring Charlton Heston,Jack Hawkins,Haya Harareet,Stephen Boyd,Hugh Griffith

Edited by John D. Dunning Ralph E. Winters

Production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The Rest of the Story (Ben Hur)

If you were born after 1950, you may not learn this report connected with Tom Hur. That typical ebook written by some sort of Municipal Struggle normal, Lew Wallace, with 1899, seemed to be became some sort of flick starring Charleton Heston, which often picked up this Academy Give intended for very best flick with 1959. This can be a towering report connected with appreciate, connected with hurting, on the challenge connected with beneficial next to unpleasant, and then connected with succeed. Judah Tom Hur, this story’s idol, grows up in reference to his boyhood pal, Messala. There're early, Mideastern He Sawyer in addition to Huck Finn. Judah is usually, certainly, some sort of Jew, in addition to Messala, some sort of Gentile. Judah would be the heir of any incredibly good in addition to well-off household with Jerusalem. Messala is usually a ensuring armed forces male exactly who trained in Italian capital to be a knight, subsequently go back to help Jerusalem for the reason that boss on the Roman work aids.

On a parade, some sort of tile declines on the roof structure connected with Judah Tom Hur’s household in addition to punches the revolutionary Roman concept. Judah is usually falsely charged in addition to shipped to row to be a slave within a Roman armed forces send. Messala believed ıt had been a mishap and may even include eliminated Judah’s public court, although on account of his or her lust intended for electric power, didn’t. Also, Judah’s mum in addition to sis usually are imprisoned with Jerusalem.

Judah detests Messala, in addition to whilst in the abdominal on the armed forces send, giving the facility intended for naval emulation, he / she vows that she will probably dwell, get back to Jerusalem in addition to cost-free his or her mum in addition to sis. Slaves in such lines not often were located intended for regarding green season. Judah were being rowing intended for four years as soon as, from the warm of any naval challenge, his or her send seemed to be sunk. He / she ended up saving this commander on the send, and since a reward, was handed his or her overall flexibility in addition to acquired because of the commander, who has been the highest naval specialist from the Roman fast, an exceptionally strong in addition to well-off male.

He / she profits to help Jerusalem considering the money in addition to electric power connected with his or her completely new individuality, in addition to confronts this stunned Messala, exactly who believed he had also been expended for some time. Tom Hur ordered to provide of which Messala uncover in addition to generate by dejecting prison his or her mum in addition to sis. Messala confirms these individuals with dejecting prison, they include leprosy, and so he / she whisks these individuals absent towards leper colony external Jerusalem to live on available some sort of pitiful everyday living. Tom Hur is usually explained to likely expended. His or her can't stand intended for Messala evolves, in addition to within a chariot battle during which Messala in addition to Judah Tom Hur are classified as the key results, Messala is usually mortally wounded. In reference to his succumbing breath of air, Messala, outside of revenge.

Judah’s can't stand at this point not has a target to pay attention to. He / she generalizes his or her hatred in addition to gets to be some sort of nasty cover connected with his or her ex- self applied. Eventually, with paralyzing effect he / she goes toward this leper colony for getting his or her mum in addition to sis for taking those to Jesus, that good preacher who have also been accomplishing wonderful things. Whenever they are able to Jerusalem where by many people imagine they're going to uncover Them, many people see that They have simply just also been crucified. At this point, many trust is dead, in addition to lose faith forms in excess of these individuals. Even so, from the time in addition to earthquakes rocked metropolis, Judah’s mum in addition to sis usually are treated on the leprosy, in addition to Judah’s cardiovascular system, along with his mother’s in addition to sister’s, is usually taken on Jesus. The hope, the health and the day-to-day lives usually are repaired.

This can be a towering report, far going, in addition to superb portrayal on the electric power, acceptance in addition to appreciate connected with Jesus. The reason performed . As a result useful disregard. Seeing that John Harvey could claim, it is “the other countries in the report. ” As soon as Lew Wallace attempted to review everything connected with Christ, he / she hasn't been some sort of Roscoe. In truth, publishing a tale like Tom Hur seemed to be this furthermost matter by his or her intellect. Wallace seemed to be antagonistic when it comes to Christianity, in addition to motivated yet review everything connected with Christ and so totally, then generate and so convincingly, that she could get rid of this report connected with Christ. He / she needed to verify of which Jesus, in the event He had were located, hasn't been Goodness, although only one male, that she never ever went up on the expended, and this Christianity seemed to be some sort of joke.

And so he / she learnt. That good in addition to substantial theme came them additionally and further in his or her exploration till the research stressed them. He / she lowered to help his or her knees in addition to cried available to help Jesus for being his or her Messiah in addition to The almighty. Subsequently, rather then publishing some sort of ebook to help encourage the earth of which Jesus hasn't been Goodness, he / she had written Tom Hur, in order to encourage the earth of which Jesus seemed to be Goodness.