America is Rome, and Jews will always be Jews

Erika 2022-04-22 07:01:04

First of all, the museum once again lived up to expectations and had a projection accident, and half of the speakers tripped. Fortunately, this time it is all digital, so the projectionist can pause and wait. So far this year, I have watched less than one third of the films I watched in the archive without any problems.

Ben-Hur as a Hollywood monumental film, has maintained a Hollywood record: 11 awards. This record was later tied by Titanic and Lord of the Rings 3. In fact, the evaluation of Hollywood is nothing more than seeing the level of the three movies that it has broken records, and you know how much this award is worth. It can be said that the three films are only the main theme movies that cater to the times, fully exploit the potential of technology, mainstream themes, and cater to investors and audiences. In other words, the merit to the film industry is boundless, and the legacy to the film art is infinite.

Ben Hur is essentially, first and foremost, a typical musical movie. The scenes, positions, and composition of the entire movie are basically a musical drama, but it is a drama that is magnified hundreds of times. Shot scheduling and explanation had to succumb to overly grand scenes, using multiple scenes and angles of shots to explain the same scene or even one action of the same character, making this film, which has been slowed down in order to create an epic feel, even more protracted and protracted.

Ben-Hur followed by a Jewish movie. On the other hand, in the post-war America, Jews did not yet control the political and economic lifeline of the entire country as they do today, but it was easy to be a leader in the entertainment industry. The descriptions and exclamations of the fate of the Jews in the film are extremely realistic and sympathetic. Finally, when Judas Ben-Hur was called the true God and went to visit his dying enemy, he had a six-pointed star hanging from his chest.

The essence of Ben-Hur is a movie that flatters the mainstream white American society. In the film, Jesus, as a hidden main line, only appears in a few scenes, such as his birth, the pilgrimage to the Holy Trinity, and feeding Judas Ben-Hur with water. It is about ten minutes of actual writing until he bears the cross until he is crucified. It is a rainstorm that symbolizes death and rebirth. However, this line is an attempt to make a statement that the Jews chose love over revenge based on the influence of Jesus. As mentioned earlier, this choice is a choice after the enemy has completely died. From the protagonist's point of view, although he was deprived of the title of prince by the ruler, he also obtained the right of succession as a consul, the status of a Roman citizen, and the opportunity for revenge by horse racing. This mapping of the status of Jews in the United States is very explicit.

As an old film, the artistic value and technical value of Ben-Hur in general lies in bringing the technical and project management capabilities of the Hollywood industry into full play. Basically, all the scenes and curtains are very well constructed. The makeup and costumes of the characters and animals are also very elegant. The lighting of each shot is also imprinted with the brand of the times.

The only thing worth watching in Ben-Hur is the 15-minute horse racing scene. In contrast to the procrastination of the whole film, this scene has a very sophisticated rhythm, from a close-up shot of the chaotic horses in the preparation stage to express the eagerness of the horses and the excitement of the characters; to a panorama of the solemn and broad racecourse Show more than 10,000 spectators and a spectacular track, and then the ritual sense of the neatly marching horses to suppress the rhythm; at the beginning of the horse racing, it is a very refined interlacing of various close-up close-ups, fast but not chaotic, which will make the whole race The progress is very clear. This scene was filmed and edited while eight four carriages galloped fast. The design and realization of this scene are far more difficult than the martial arts scene of 32 martial arts masters swinging their swords, plus many high-risk high-speed collisions and stampede scenes. , very rare.

Perhaps the biggest flaw in Ben Hur's film is the ubiquitous music. In order to set off the epic sense, Ben-Hur uses an orchestra throughout the film, and there are mostly wind instruments, and it is very old-fashioned to replace lines and actions in long shots to show the inner feelings of the characters. It should be said that this technique can still be used in cartoons. The consequence of using it in movies is that the sense of induction is very serious, and it does not give the audience any room to appreciate and think. And because the Roman court and army also used bronze horns, this kind of narration-like music and scene dubbing were directly connected. This is one of the direct reasons for the extreme kitsch feel of this film.

The classic lines of this movie, I don't think it has anything to do with the love of Jesus, but a sentence that the consul said to Judas Ben-Hur:

Pontius Pilate: Where there is greatness, great government or power, even great feeling or compassion, error also is great. We progress and mature by fault. But Rome has said she is ready to join your life to hers in a great future.

Judah Ben-Hur: There are other voices.

Pontius Pilate: The voice for instance of Arrius, waiting for you in Rome. He would tell you, if I may speak in his place, not to crucify yourself on a shadow such as old resentment or impossible loyalties. Perfect freedom has no existence. A grown man knows the world he lives in, and for the present, the world is Rome. Young Arrius, I am sure, will choose it.

This overwhelming confidence in power is very real, The same goes for values ​​about judging the situation.

View more about Ben-Hur reviews

Extended Reading
  • Marcella 2022-03-23 09:01:24

    Based on Lou Wallace's novel of the same name, the film tells the story of the love-hate relationship between the Jewish Ben-Hur and the Roman commander Marcella, and his struggle against the oppression of the Roman Empire. The most exciting part of the film is the chariot race that will forever carry the history of film. There were 15,000 extras in this scene, 18 tanks were built, and the entire scene took five weeks to shoot, and the unexpected performance of the stuntmen was preserved in the film. The film grossed as much as $70 million at the U.S. box office, saving MGM, which was about to go out of business at the time. The film shows the fusion process of Christianity and Roman culture. The struggle between Ben-Hur and Marcella represents the contest between two cultures. The former symbolizes the trendy Christian culture, while the latter is the defender of the ancient Roman culture. The death of the latter shows that the old will always disappear. . In a deep sense, the film also has some Cold War complexes in American politics.

  • Trisha 2022-04-24 07:01:03

    1. Tyros, the Terrifying Realm of Exile. 2. When you see the suffering of others, you will realize that you should cherish it more. 3. This is a movie made in 1959. I wonder how such a grand and complicated scene of the horse race was achieved?

Ben-Hur quotes

  • [last lines]

    Judah Ben-Hur: Almost at the moment He died, I heard Him say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

    Esther: Even then.

    Judah Ben-Hur: Even then. And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand.

    [Miriam and Tirzah appear at the top of the stairs; Judah goes up to them, sees that they have been miraculously healed; they embrace each other]

  • Esther: Oh, Judah, rest. Sleep. For a few hours of the night, let your mind be at peace.

    Judah Ben-Hur: [bitterly] Peace! Love and peace. Do you think I don't long for them as you do? Where do you see them?

    Esther: If you had heard this man from Nazareth...

    Judah Ben-Hur: Balthasar's word.

    Esther: He is more than Balthasar's word. His voice traveled with such a still purpose... It was more than a voice... a man more than a man! He said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

    Judah Ben-Hur: Children of God? In that dead valley where we left them? I tell you every man in Judea is unclean, and will *stay* unclean, until we've scoured off our bodies the crust and filth of being at the mercy of tyranny. No other life is possible except to wash this land clean!

    Esther: In blood?

    Judah Ben-Hur: Yes, in blood!

    Esther: I know there is a law in life, that blood gets more blood as dog begets dog. Death generates death, as the vulture breeds the vulture! But the voice I heard today on the hill said, "Love your enemy. Do good to those who despitefully use you."

    Judah Ben-Hur: So all who are born in this land hereafter can suffer as we have done!

    Esther: As you make us do now! Are we to bear nothing together? Even love?

    Judah Ben-Hur: I can hardly draw breath without feeling you in my heart. Yet I know that everything I do from this moment will be as great a pain to you as you have ever suffered. It is better not to love me!

    Esther: It was Judah Ben-Hur I loved. What has become of him? You seem to be now the very thing you set out to destroy, giving evil for evil! Hatred is turning you to stone. It is as though you had become Messala!

    [Judah looks at Esther, shocked]

    Esther: [sadly] I've lost you, Judah.