(1959) Directed by William Wyler Starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya HarareetRating: ******
6/6
Ben-Hur ‘59 Is hard on the eyes. I believe that the screen is A little too wide. Just a sliver is seen On your TV screen, No matter how big, how wide, Or how lean. It tends to detract, And even distract From his epic film That’s action-packed. They went all out On this biblical bout, Stopping at nothing To bring it about. They knew that to rise Above Ben-Hur ’25, The production would need to Double in size. Firstly, some colour. I kid you not, brother. They went all out with Technicolor. Then sound design, Absent last time, To bring out the vocals So, they’d have no need to mime. Then an epic score Designed to floor Everyone watching, Jaws to the floor. Widescreen was next. Normal widescreen was nixed. Two-point seven five Was the image they fixed. The Ben-Hur role, The very lead role, Went to Charlton Heston In perhaps his best role. He plays a Roman who, While roamin’, Becomes a slave on the ship Made for rowin’. This galley slave Though sick of the waves, Is determined to row Till the end of his days,
Till a sea battle comes, And his ship becomes crumbs, Floating adrift with no Heat from the sun. He goes on adventures, Not getting too injured, And returns to Rome As his current venture. A lifetime’s Grace Leads him back to this place So he can have A chariot race. The silent one Was very well done. Would they be able To top that one? This is the spot Where widescreen got To really shine In the movie we got. The race was well filmed, So very well filmed, That it’s the most memorable sequence From that film. It’s remembered by All who happened by And watched the movie Instead of the sky. It’s reason enough To see this stuff, Though out of context, Is it really enough? The story is engaging, The performances unaging, The direction top-notch, And the nitrate worth saving. It’s an excellent pick, Quite full of tricks. I’m rating this film A well-deserved six.
