Ben-Hur - Review
Two stars out of four. Rated PG-13. 124 minutes.
Remaking a film that won 11 Academy Awards invites inevitable comparison, but the latest adaptation of Ben-Hur distinguishes itself from William Wylers 1959 epic by retooling key character and story elements. Its still a big, biblical-era tale of power, loyalty and vengeance, only refocused through rose-colored lenses with an eye toward appealing to the lucrative faith-based audience.
Produced by the power couple behind The Bible miniseries, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, this Ben Hur is like an abbreviated, more Christ-centered take on Wylers film. It boasts similar sweeping desert landscapes, well-dressed Roman armies and heart-pounding equestrian action. Some shots pay clear homage to the Oscar-winning classic. The violence here is far more graphic, thanks to modern special effects (and sensibilities). This film is also an hour and 40 minutes shorter than Wylers epic (thank goodness).
But where Wylers version is ultimately about family and unrequited romance, director Timur Bekmambetov is more interested in redemption and the words of Jesus Christ. Jesus was silent and his face unseen in Wylers film. Played handsomely by Rodrigo Santoro, Jesus has a lot to say here.
Screenwriters Keith Clarke and Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) start with the premise and characters from the original 1880 novel. Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) and Messala (Toby Kebbell) are like brothers until Messala becomes a Roman officer who falsely accuses Judah of betrayal. Messala condemns Judah to slavery and jails his innocent motheRodrigo Santoro who portrays Jesus, left, and director Timur Bekmambetov on the set of Ben-Hur.r and sister. After years of captivity and an unlikely escape, Judah befriends a horseman who insists he exact vengeance against Messala during the celebrated Roman chariot race.
The action of that horse race is just as thrilling and exquisitely choreographed as any present-day movie car chase. Its as intense as Wylers, though more visceral. Advances in filmmaking and animal training mean the falls are more dramatic and the injuries more gruesome and vivid.
The sprawling sets of Roman amphitheaters and hillside villages are as sumptuous here in as Wylers film, but somehow less magnificent. In the age of the Hunger Games and ever-present CGI, massive scale just doesnt have the impact it once did.
Beyond that basic framework, the writers have taken many creative liberties with the source material. Theres no yearning romance between Judah and Esther (Nazanin Boniadi) as in the original story or even between Judah and Messala, as in the 1959 film. Judah and Esther are married early in the first act of this Ben-Hur, and theres none of the homoerotic hinting Charlton Hestons Judah and Steven Boyds Messala shared in Wylers film. Here, the mens brotherly bond trumps romance.
The role of Sheik Ilderim, which won Hugh Griffith a supporting actor Oscar, was expanded here for Morgan Freeman. Unfortunately, the characters humor was removed in the process. A welcome addition to any cast, Freeman is out of place in this flatly drawn part, and not just because hes the only one who doesnt use a British accent. Why do characters in biblical dramas speak with British accents, anyway?
Speaking of creative liberties, Messala follows an unexpected trajectory here that exists neither in the original novel or Wyler adaptation. To say more would be a spoiler.
The music that plays such a significant role as to be a character itself (and an Academy Award winner) in Wylers Ben-Hur fades into the background here, save for Andra Days original song The Only Way Out, which plays over the closing credits.
This film bests other recent biblical dramas with more inclusive casting. Besides Freeman and Santoro, there are several actors of color, though Judah and Messala are both played by white Britons. Ridley Scotts 2014 biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, which similarly pits brother against brother, was widely criticized for its overwhelmingly white cast.
The message here, though, is a good and timely one, coming straight from Jesus: Lay down your arms and love your enemy.
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/19/ben-hur-movie-review/
