Ben-Hur: William Wyler's Astonishing Epic Makes Its Long-Awaited 4K Debut (4K)

The Film:

Throughout cinematic history, there have been few monumental epics that have achieved the standing of William Wyler's 1959 masterpiece "Ben-Hur." To this day, its sheer size & scope are still marveled at by all who see it, putting to shame films that now have to cheat with CGI to achieve the same scale. At the time of its making, if you wanted to see significant portions of Rome, it had to be built. If you needed to have a scene featuring thousands of people, you had to actually have that many extras on hand. There wasn't much you could do to cut corners, so one can only begin to imagine the staggering amount of work that would have to go into bringing such an incredible epic to life.

Luckily, when all was said and done, all of that hard work ended up paying off as the film was a resounding success, becoming not only a smash hit at the box office, but also garnering an astonishing 11 Oscars, becoming the first film to do so. Naturally, the film has seen many home releases over the decades, but ever since the development of the 4K format, this has been a title that many have been wanting for quite some time. Now, at long last, the wait is finally over as Warner Bros. is giving the film its much-anticipated upgrade, and including a couple of new extras to go along with those included on previous versions, so lets dive into this stunning classic to see how it turned out and also discover why this landmark epic remains one of the most beloved in all of cinema.

After a brief prologue featuring the birth of Jesus, we jump to 26 AD, where we meet Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a Jewish Prince and merchant who lives with his mother Miriam (Martha Scott) and sister Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell) in Jerusalem. When Judah's childhood friend, a Roman soldier named Messala (Stephen Boyd), returns to Jerusalem as a high-ranking official, he attempts to get Judah to reveal the names of supposed rebels in the city. However, he refuses, ultimately ending their friendship. Shortly after, the city's new Governor arrives and has a procession through the streets. While Judah and his sister are watching from their roof, some tiles are accidentally knocked loose, falling near the Governor and throwing him from his horse. Judah tries to explain that it was an accident, but Messala has him condemned to the galleys and the rest of his family imprisoned. However, before he is sent away, Judah swears revenge against his old friend, putting him on a path that will have him facing many dangers as he desperately tries to return home and reunite with his family.

"Ben-Hur" is another one of those cases where you have to ask yourself what else can really be said about it that hasn't been said in the nearly 70 years since its release. Even by today's standards, it remains an incredible marvel to watch. As someone who's seen it at least half a dozen times, it never ceases to amaze me with its sheer size, its spectacle, the gorgeous design of its sets & costumes, and its remarkable elegance. It's more so a film that one experiences than one that you simply watch. There is so much to take in with each breathtaking frame that it becomes endlessly rewatchable just from a production angle, with the viewer picking up more and more detail with each subsequent viewing.

Then, of course, there's the riveting narrative (adapted from Lew Wallace's novel) that unfolds over the course of its epic three and a half hour runtime, a pivotal element without which all of the spectacular design elements would be wasted. The audience's attention is kept glued to the screen as we follow Judah on his unforgettable quest for revenge, all in the hope of making it home to his mother & sister. Along the way he faces the dissolving of a lifelong friendship, perils at sea, and, of course, a chariot race that finally gives him the chance to take his vengeance, which remains one of the most thrilling, jaw-dropping action sequences ever put on film. Again, one is forced to remind themselves that they actually did this. There's no trickery involved, which only serves to make the accomplishment more astonishing.

It comes as no surprise that the film absolute dominated the Oscars that year, taking Best Picture, Director, Actor, and eight additional accolades for its various design, technical, and musical elements. In fact, the only category that it shockingly didn't take was Adapted Screenplay (losing it to "Room at the Top"), though it's highly-speculated that this was due to controversy over who got credit for writing it (which ultimately went to Karl Tunberg, though several other writers also worked on it throughout development, including Gore Vidal). However, it still set the record for 11 wins, which has been tied twice since (by "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"), but has yet to be broken.

It remains an incredible feat that this epic from nearly seven decades ago can easily stand toe-to-toe with all of the massive productions that have been made since. It's a timeless film that will always thrill new generations of viewers, who will be equally stunned that it was made when it was. When it comes right to it, all that really needs to be said is that "Ben-Hur" is simply an unparalleled accomplishment in the history of cinema, one that will forever stand as a landmark for what great wonders can be achieved in such a boundless medium.

Video/Audio:

"Ben-Hur" makes its long-awaited debut on 4K in a 2.76:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of extraordinary quality. This has to be the most gorgeous UHD release I've had the pleasure of seeing thus far, featuring a brilliantly sharp picture throughout its entire epic 222-minute duration, which beautifully captures its multitude of stunning designs. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and Miklós Rózsa's thunderous, Oscar-winning score in tremendous quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has gone above and beyond in both departments to deliver an upgrade that was well-worth the wait.

Special Features:

Discs 1 & 2 (4K):

Commentary by Film Historian T. Gene Hatcher with Charlton Heston

Music-Only Track

Disc 3 (Blu-ray):

Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic (7 Minutes): A featurette that takes a look at the incredible scope of the film.

The Cinematography of Scale (8 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on how the film was shot.

Charlton Heston & Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey (78 Minutes): A featurette that has various people discussing Charlton Heston, including his son Fraser C. Heston.

Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic (58 Minutes): A vintage featurette that goes behind the scenes of the making of the film.

Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures (5 Minutes): A brief montage featuring video & pictures from the film.

Screen Tests (4 Sequences, 9 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Even after nearly 70 years, William Wyler's "Ben-Hur" remains one of the most astonishing accomplishments in the history of cinema, providing not only a riveting tale of revenge & family drama, but also a multitude of dazzling design elements, both of which give this glorious epic endless rewatchability. The long-awaited 4K release is simply stunning, presenting the best UHD transfer this critic has yet seen, making it an absolute must-own for any serious cinephile or collector.

Score: 5/5

Available on 4K starting today.

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