Customer Reviews

BEN-HUR : A Tale of the Christ (1925) [Import] UNCUT FULL LENGTH as Originally Released

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In 1925, Fred Niblo (and other directors) created several moments in BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST that were reference points for William Wyler's '59 remake.

An action sequence that couldn't be duplicated or exceeded was the naval battle. In this silent version, a real boat rams the trireme that Judah is imprisoned on. Its hull collapses, water rushes in and more than one Italian extra nearly drowns in the resulting chaos.

One impressive technique was using Technicolor for any scenes related to Jesus. In Wyler's picture all cinematography is color. The dramatic contrast between the presence or influence of Christ and his b&w absence is lost. Never showing his face IS retained, though.

Studio execs concerned with a snail's pace shoot and major expenses in Italy brought the partly completed movie back to Hollywood. The famous chariot race was shot in California, which is why so many actors, directors and other celebrity spectators are listed at imdb as uncredited extras. An undercranked camera makes this sequence unusually speedy and spoils its impact, IMO.


As for this Korean import of the silent "Hur," it's transferred from less-than-perfect stock that reveals damage in spots (thus my 2 star rating).

A beautiful dub of the '25 epic is a bonus offering on WARNER's BEN-HUR Four Disc Collector's Edition.

As the Romans say: Caveat emptor!

Silent black and white films has to rely on costumes and strong acting to survive and this one has both. There is the great chariots race in this version, and its as good if not better then Charlton heston's race. The film has some terrible spots in it where it needs to be digitized and I hope saved for future generations.