Cinemazlowski 'Ben-Hur' remake aims high, but falls short of its 1959 predecessor

Aug 19, 2016

In 1960, the biblical epic "Ben-Hur" became the all-time Oscar-winning film, with 11 of the gold statuettes going to the tale of a Jewish prince who is betrayed and forced into slavery by a Roman friend, then regains his freedom and seeks revenge. The movie was also a huge box-office success, featuring one of Hollywood's most iconic performances by Charlton Heston in the title role.        

It seemed "Ben-Hur" was considered sacrosanct, a film that would not be subjected to modern Hollywood's obsession with remaking every popular film of decades passed. Yet, amazingly, this weekend features the release of a remake of the classic story, now featuring amped-up effects in its climactic chariot race and a more direct message of forgiveness, redemption and the basic principles of Christianity. Only it inevitably lacks much of the charisma and energy that only Heston's innate acting magic could provide. 

Both films are based on the 1880 novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," by Lew Wallace, a Civil War general and governor of the New Mexico territory from 1878 to 1881 who sought to inspire forgiveness and patriotism among citizens after the painful war and difficulties of Reconstruction. He saw parallels between Roman slave owners and those of his own time and hoped that he could use Christ's message of forgiveness to inspire Americans to allow modern slave traders to put their evil actions in the past.

The latest take on "Ben-Hur" stars Jack Huston as the title character Judah Ben-Hur. At the start, he is a prince enjoying a rich existence in occupied Jerusalem with his mother, sister and adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), who was taken in by the House of Hur when he was orphaned as a child. 

But things go awry after Messala becomes a Roman Army officer, one desperate to build a reputation as a strong leader. This thirst for power causes Messala to turn on his adoptive family, making Judah the scapegoat for an act of treason that was actually committed by a young rebel named Gestas (Moises Arias). Messala turns the family over to his superiors, causing them to be separated before being sold as slaves. 

Judah is forced to work as a rower on an enormous galley ship, but becomes free when he washes ashore after a fierce battle sinks the vessel. As he searches for his family, he briefly meets Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro) and becomes a believer. He is ultimately given a chance at revenge against Messala by facing him in a chariot race in Circus Maximus, with charioteer trainer Ilderim (Morgan Freeman, whose character also narrates) secretly on Judah's side. 

The race is an impressive 10-minute sequence that takes strong advantage of modern filmmaking techniques and movie ratings that are highly lenient toward violence. Director Timur Bekmambetov, who previously helmed the Angelina Jolie action flick "Wanted" and the cult classic "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," is no stranger to cinematic violence. He knows how to make a pulse-pounding action sequence and the race is a great deal of fun, certain to induce at least a few gasps in response to bodies bouncing off horses and chariots during the race. 

The problem is that, despite a $100 million budget and impressive sets and costumes, the lack of star power makes this film less compelling than it should be. An argument can be made that picking relative unknowns like Huston and Kebbell for the leads makes them more relatable to the audience, but there's a reason why Hollywood's strongest era of Roman epics featured superstars like Heston and Kirk Douglas of "Spartacus," which was released in 1960: Their star power made viewers sit up and pay attention even during quiet moments. 

This edition is produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, devout Christians behind the epic TV miniseries "The Bible" and "A.D.", and they are trying to make a huge leap forward here with this mega-budget spectacular. Their hearts are in the right place, and there's no sex, nudity or foul language involved.

The violence is mostly limited to the battle between ships and the riveting chariot race, although there are also harrowing glimpses of the suffering brought by crucifixion. This is a film that can easily be seen by teens and adults, and even if it's not as awe-inspiring as the 1959 classic, it's still well worth supporting as solid moral entertainment.

It's important to remember that the 1959 film is itself a remake of a 1925 version of Wallace's work, which was a take on a very short 1907 version. The leads here try hard, and eventually Judah becomes a person viewers can root for. But, unfortunately, this movie ultimately does not possess the electric charge of its immediate predecessor. On the other hand, at 124 minutes for the current version versus 212 minutes for the 1959 edition, the new film might be the only way Wallace's classic story can reach the current generation of moviegoers.