Ben-Hur (1959) 4K UHD Review

Christianity-based or not, the core of Ben-Hur is rooted in basic morality. It’s an epic about how ruthless humanity can be on its quest for power, how dehumanization allows for cultural assimilation, and what happens when it’s decided a class of people are branded as less than human. That message, no matter its origin, has never lost relevance.

Produced in 1959, there are numerous allusions to then-recent Nazism from the arrogant and wicked Roman ruling class, persecuting and conquering for nothing other than their own gain. The parable is how easy it is to turn people on one another, the central conflict between lifelong friends Ben-Hur (Charleston Heston) and Messala (Stephen Boyd), the latter of whom sees nothing wrong with a nationalist takeover of the Jewish land for the sake of his home country. Then, ultimately, Ben-Hur captivates with its tale of forgiveness, and the rewards that come with putting down one’s metaphorical sword. How prescient Ben-Hur remains today.

Ben-Hur is arguably the greatest production MGM’s library

Ben-Hur is arguably the greatest production MGM’s library, miraculous in its scope, with rival studios attempting to follow with their own copycat epics with sometimes disastrous results (see: Cleopatra). It’s an unfathomably scaled film today, with some 15,000 extras, tremendously precise craftsmanship visible in costumes and sets, along with a majestic score that elevates the enormity of this film.

Winning 11 Oscars and earning all of them, focus is easily paid to Ben-Hur’s potent music, Heston’s emotional performance, or the dazzling visual effects. But it’s the editing that keeps Ben-Hur moving over 200-minutes without any lag or loss of momentum. By the time of the unforgettable chariot race, the editing becomes a character of its own, stitching together five days of unbelievable cinematography into a cohesive, smooth, and emotionally stirring action scene that remains among the best ever photographed.

Much as this comes off as, “old man yells at cloud,” movies like Ben-Hur are no longer made because there’s no onus to do so. The advent of TV forced movies to broaden their scope, to feel worthy of a patron’s money. Studios don’t care anymore; a TV show looks identical to most bland, flatly lit cinema. The craftsman who built Ben-Hur’s sets by hand are no longer employed by studios in any comparable number. The creative thrill now happens digitally without the same scope or power. And certainly, the scripts struggle to achieve the same simple-yet-enthralling “obvious good versus obvious evil” tug-of-war that drew viewers into these stories. We lost the message, we lost the need to come together, and we lost the cinematic purity given to us by the likes of Ben-Hur.

Unbelievable clarity and sharpness result from this marvelous 65mm presentation. The pristine print contains unreal levels of texture, whether landscapes, city sights, or facial definition. Light and almost imperceptible grain brings a final touch of perfection. Challenging Lawrence of Arabia for the best, purest looking catalog disc on the format, Ben-Hur nudges right next to that Sony effort at the top of the list.

Color is outstanding. The red capes of the Roman legion produce a purity unlike much else on this format. Brilliant primaries resolve dazzling greenery, sand, and slate gray. The sheer density in the palette is unreal.

Warner goes for Dolby Vision, an intensity added to the imagery as studio lights bounce from glistening armor, torches glow, and natural sunlight energizes the already faultless contrast. And this doesn’t even consider the black levels, conveying the sense of dim, flame-lit interiors with dominating shadows that enrich Ben-Hur’s striking depth. Dimensionality is bold, with a convincing 3D-esque purity. Any enthusiast who doesn’t sound like a raving lunatic regarding the image quality doesn’t appreciate this enough.

Remastered in Dolby Atmos, Ben-Hur is aural magic. It’s absurd – truly absurd – how sensational this sounds. From the opening overture, the score bleeds outward with tremendous clarity, range, and fidelity. Nothing here sounds aged. The purity of the orchestration is otherworldly, producing treble that can compete with any modern production, and bass providing depth. Drums have tremendous weight within the score. Boats ramming into one another generate a grand jolt that appropriately sells the enormity of the moment.

Sound doesn’t often move outward from the center (with exceptions), but what’s in the center mirrors the rest in terms of clarity and boldness. Nothing here sounds from 1959. Atmos has effects inside creaking ships, the wood groaning in the heights, rears, and stereos with convincing placement. The chariot race captures the roaring crow filling the soundstage, while horse hooves produce a deep, satisfying rumble.

Split between two discs, the 4K presentation includes an isolated score and an older commentary with T. Gene Hatcher and Charlton Heston. On an additional Blu-ray, two new featurettes are so short they barely count, but they are slickly produced. A lengthy one hour making of is older but meaty and a 78-minute focuses on Heston’s Ben-Hur legacy. Screen tests and stills finish things out.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 65 full resolution, uncompressed 4K screen shots ripped directly from the UHD: