BEN HUR

US, 1925, 143 minutes, Black and white, tinted, colour.
Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman, May Mc Avoy, Betty Bronson.
Directed by Fred Niblo.

In 1925 the newly-formed MGM Studios released The Big Parade, its World War One epic with John Gilbert, directed by King Vidor, which was an enormous success. It had had Ben Hur in production during 1924, a change of leading man, accidents on location which was in Anzio and in Rome. However, this version of Ben Hur still remains a most interesting and entertaining film.

Ramon Novarro, who had appeared in The Prisoner of Zenda and was becoming a silent star, was the substitute actor for Ben Hur. However, his later career was in minor films and on television. Something the same happened with Francis X. Bushman, a very strong Messala here. Betty Bronson appears as the Virgin Mary. May Mc Avoy is Esther.

Audiences familiar with the 1959 version will have no problem with the outline of the plot here. It remains very much the same, although commentators say that it is closer to General Lew Wallace’s novel.

The film intercuts scenes of the Romans’ occupation of Judaea with the birth of Jesus. This offers the opportunity for the episode of Ben Hur and the tile falling on the Roman and his imprisonment. There are many similar scenes of the encounters with Ben Hur and Jesus in this film. There is also a very strong presentation of the naval battles, the defeat of Arrius and the discovery that he was a victor, his adoption of Ben Hur. There are not so many scenes in Rome except a coloured spectacular entry into the city for Arrius and Ben Hur. However, the action shifts to Antioch, the build-up to the chariot race and the conflict between Messala and Ben Hur, formerly childhood friends.

The chariot race is expertly filmed, with fixed cameras, yet well edited and giving a sense of the pace of the race and its dangers, very similar to the techniques used for the 1959 version.

The film takes seriously General Lew Wallace’s subtitle for his story, A Tale of the Christ, by making this something of a Jesus film as well as the story of Ben Hur.

The director was Fred Niblo, a prolific director in silent films from 1916, less successful during the sound era.

Ben Hur, both versions, stand as very strong examples of expert film-making.

1. The silent era, filming in the mid-20s? The contrast with thirty-four years later? Silent film and spectacle, narrative and plot? The religious dimensions?

2. The use of black and white photography, some sequences tinted? The two strip Technicolor sequences, especially for episodes with Jesus? Carl Davis and his re-creation of a score and its impact during the film?

3. The camerawork, the fixed camera, the scenes of intimacy and close-up, the spectacle scenes, the framing of scenes to have effective crowds? Varying perspectives, editing, variety and pace? The battles, the chariot race?

4. The title, A Tale of the Christ? The Jesus story pervading the film? The opening with Judaea and the Roman occupation? The subservience of the Jews – with the stealing of the apple by the soldier in the marketplace? The intercutting with Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem? The birth of the Saviour, the shepherds, the angels? The kings and their reappearance? Joseph and his age, as a carpenter, in Nazareth, with the saw, the water? Jesus and his work as a carpenter, the scenes of his work at Nazareth, the water to Ben Hur, the glimpses of him preaching, healing, the discussions about him at Siloam? His reputation? The entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper da Vinci style, Judas obscuring the face of Jesus? Jesus carrying the cross, the confrontation with Ben Hur and his urging him to put up his sword? The child healed, Ben Hur’s mother and sister healed, the pierced hand close-up, the soldiers dicing at the foot of the cross? The darkness, the quakes, the collapse of the buildings? The words about the risen Jesus and his living in the hearts of people? How effective as an early Jesus movie, prior to King of Kings?

5. Audience familiarity with the plot, the setting of Jerusalem, the Romans, their domination, the rebels? Messala and Judah and their encounter, the old friendship, the nationalism, Messala and his arrogance, snobbery? Meeting Judah’s family again, the clashes? Gratus, the procession, the tile falling, the battering of the door, the arrest of Ben Hur, his giving himself instead of his mother and sister, the imprisonment, the torture, Messala and the humiliation? The march through the desert, parched, the centurion refusing the water, Jesus and his giving the water to Ben Hur? Life in the galleys, the detailed look at the rows of oarsmen, the man in charge beating the drum, the naked man being punished? Arrius and his seeing Ben Hur, interested in him? Liking his will to live? The attack of the pirates, the battles with the pirates, Arrius and his making Ben Hur loose? Ben Hur saving Arrius from killing himself, their drifting in the water? The news of the triumph? Arrius and his adoption of Judah? Making people respect him? The triumphant entry into Rome? Judah as a gladiator, his reputation, the passing of the years? His search for his mother and sister? His hearing about Simonides? His having seen Simonides before, with Esther? Going to Antioch, the chariot race, the horse dealer, persuading Ben Hur to ride the chariot? Hearing that Messala was in Antioch? Messala and the chariot race? The bet? His injuries during the race? Judah going back, sleeping outside his house, the way to Calvary? The healing and meeting his mother?

6. Ramon Novarro as Judah Ben Hur? Brisk performance, the antagonism with Messala, the result of the falling of the tile, his love for his family, the prison experience, Jesus and the water, in the galleys, the consistent work, the pirates, Arrius, his freedom, his saving Arrius’s honour? The search for the family? Seeing Esther? Simonides and the estate? His hopes? The new Messiah? Encountering Jesus and changing his perspective?

7. Arrius as commander, the fleet, the pirates, his attitude towards Judah, freeing him, his despair, the victory, the adoption? Allowing Judah to go to Antioch?

8. Messala and his arrogance, the friendship in the past, his snobbery, the tile, his lying? The later encounter with Ben Hur, his friend and getting her to find out about the unknown chariot driver? The bet, his losing? The race, the whip, the crash, the money?

9. Ben Hur’s mother and sister, their imprisonment, the years passing, leprosy? Esther coming to find them? Pilate freeing the prisoners, their going to the Valley of the Lepers? Esther persuading them to go to Jesus, the healing on the way to Calvary? Their seeing Ben Hur sleeping but not wanting to touch him or infect him? The happy reunion?

10. Simonides, administrator of the money, living in Antioch, his being interrogated and tortured, living off the money, thinking Ben Hur was dead? His faithfulness to the family? Esther, the Arab horse-owner? The race?

11. The Arab, the horses, Simonides and the race?

12. A popular story of Rome, the Roman empire? A Gospel story?