Warner Brothers Ben-Hur (50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

This film has long been a favourite of mine. While this is epic moviemaking on the grand scale, it has some wonderful intimate moments that help to make it all the more memorable. Director William Wyler knew exactly what he wanted from his cast. Charlton Heston was never better as the eponymous hero and Stephen Boyd is equally compelling as the villain, Messala. The script is near-perfect and only stumbles occasionally it's hard to believe that a condemned galley slave would be allowed to enter a Roman General's bedroom unaccompanied )but the dialogue for the most part is excellent.For a film that is over 50 years old, the special effects hold up very well and the action sequences - especially the famous chariot race - are more realistic than anything you can see in today's clinical digital age.This new, magnificently-restored Blu-ray presentation ensures that the film is now seen at its very best making the viewing pleasure greater than ever. But be sure to view it on a large screen where you can fully appreciate the excellence of this newly restored master.In its de-luxe version, this three-disc set is nicely-packaged in a sturdy box containing two hardback books. One devoted to the press coverage of the film and the second a reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal day-to-day diary of the many months he spent making Ben-Hur. The main feature is spread across two discs - to ensure an optimum bitrate for maximum visual and audio clarity. I think you'll agree that "Ben-Hur" has never looked or sounded as good as it does here.Special Features include two documentaries, one new - "Charlton Heston's Journey through Ben-Hur" introduced and narrated by his son, Fraser C. Heston and illustrated by original 16 mm home movies shot by Mrs. Charlton Heston. The second is the previously-released "Ben-Hur. The Epic That Changed Cinema." Alongside these are various screen tests and excerpts from the 1960 Academy Awards plus the 1925 silent version with an excellent music score from Carl Davis which may not be as grand as the monumental 1959 Miklos Rosza score - but it's pretty good all the same.All of these "extras" except for the first documentary were featured on the previous 4-disc DVD edition of "Ben-Hur"and this brings me to my one disappointment with this release. The absence of the wonderful 58-minute "The Making of Ben-Hur" narrated by Christopher Plummer that was such a highlight of the previous edition. Clearly, this would have called for a fourth disc - but if Paramount can do a six-disc Blu-ray of Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" which has much better packaging than this release ), why couldn't Warners have gone the extra mile and given us the whole enchilada ?This package,however, is still worth adding to any collection. But if, like me, you treasure "The Making of Ben-Hur" you'd better hang on to your old DVD issue as an adjunct to this package.

You get the same 3 disc as the 50th Anniversary including the making of featurette but this box set being 1 of 125,000 released copies is a must have for any fans of Charlton Heston or simply Ben Hur. It comes with a beautiful hard back photo book with wonderful colour pictures taken from the set of Ben Hur and promo pictures and its actors. Plus a replica copy of Heston's personal diary he kept during the filming of the Ben Hur including copy of the movie tickets. All presented in a beautiful box with embossed Roman figures. Very pleased with this purchase.

I am reviewing the September 2011 Blu-Ray edition of Ben-Hur.In a word, it is spectacular! Initially scheduled to come out two years ago on its 50th anniversary of the original theatrical release, it was delayed so that the high-definition on this old-school film could be achieved properly. Trust me --- it was worth the wait. The video is magnificent. Details are clearly visible. The HD has added the perception of depth to this two-dimensional feature. I was amazed by the detail, such as the leaves of the trees blowing in the breeze. Those who watch this primarily for the chariot race are not likely to be disappointed either. The rich color and depth add life to this film which has always been fun to watch but often showed its age. The sea battle scenes, which I always thought looked fake on the smaller screens of television, look so much more realistic in this edition. I cannot say enough about the high-definition video.The audio is also fantastic. I could not detect a single audio artifact in the entire soundtrack. The digitized recording is clear and free of hum and hiss. Rozsa's score is amazing and so much more enjoyable in this remastered format.I was reluctant (because of the extra cost) to purchase the Ultimate Collector's Edition. I debated both before I went to the store and at the store whether I should buy this edition or the basic Blu-Ray. I am more than happy with my purchase of the Collector's Edition. It comes with a 64-page Production Art book and a 128-page reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal diary of the film. And, of course, there are quite a few video features (including the 1925 silent version) on Disc 3 of the Blu-Ray set, most of which I have yet to watch.There are two things that bothered me. The one major thing that disappointed me was that the face of Jesus in the scene before Pilate was deliberately blacked out. I think the intention was to make it look like a shadow. Instead it looks like someone went into Microsoft Paint and used an airbrush to black out his face. For a very brief second, you can see his face when he begins to bend down to pick up his cross. I imagine that the actor who portrayed Jesus had something in his contract about his face not being seen, or maybe it was a personal preference of William Wyler's. With the higher definition now available with Blu-Ray and on the bigger high-definition TV screens, the face of Jesus would have certainly been clearer in this format. Personally, I wish they would have left it alone and allowed his face to be shown for that one brief scene. The "shadow" looks ugly.The other thing that bothered me is more minor but noticable. Perhaps the problem exists in previous versions and I just never noticed it. In the scene where the slaves are being marched through Nazareth and Jesus gives Ben-Hur water, if you watch towards the end of that scene, you will notice that the audio sync is off. When the Roman shouts something along the lines of "Back to your places!" the audio is clearly out of sync with the Roman soldier's lips.Other than those two things, I am amazed by this Blu-Ray edition of "Ben-Hur" and will watch it again in the very near future. It is a beautiful upgrade from DVD and I agree whole-heartedly with Blu-Ray.com's assessment that Ben-Hur is the gold standard of what can be accomplished with high-definition Blu-Ray.

I haven't seen Ben-Hur in ages, and one day I'm lying on the couch watching TV and it hits me: I want to see Ben-Hur. So, I went to Amazon.com and found this great box set. It comes with a lovely photo album of stills from the movie and casual shots of Charlton Heston with his family on the set. I really enjoyed seeing the human side of a great American film star in the classic mold. Combined with Heston's personal diary which he kept on the set of The Ten Commandments, you learn a lot about the man himself. I've seen comments disparaging the film as too long (one reviewer complains bitterly about having to listen to the ten-minute musical introduction), as being boring (another reviewer said three of four viewers fell asleep during the movie), and as being a ridiculously cornball Sunday School story (this reviewer also complained that Messala's friendship with Judah had homosexual overtones). It seems to me that these reviewers must be younger viewers who never lived the wonder of a great movie house showing this film. The ten-minute opening music gave latecomers a chance to find their seats and patrons a chance to get their popcorn, candy, and drinks at the snack bar without missing the first part of the movie. The intermission music gave patrons a chance to stretch their legs, take a bathroom break, and get a drink at the water fountain. This film is the product of a movie-going culture that the reviewers I've mentioned seem to know nothing about. I'm sad they missed it; it was a wonderful time to go to the movies. Unlike contemporary action films with nonstop car chases and fast cuts from scene to scene, this movie takes its time to develop character, to establish the old friendship before Messala's betrayal of Judah and his family, to show what Judah suffers and make us, the viewers, want revenge as badly as Judah does. Romantic interest is a must, even in modern film, so the relationship between Judah and Esther is simply part of the history of film right from the very beginning of the art form. And yes, the story is ultimately religious, depicting one family's conversion to Christianity and the miracles that Jesus promised to believers, in this case, healing Judah's mother and sister of leprosy (the New Testament reports Jesus curing lepers during his ministry) and healing Judah's heart of hate and revenge. It may seem strange to younger people in our present society, but people in 1959 took religion and the Bible much more seriously than they do today. There was nothing odd about going to see a movie that included biblical themes. From 1949 to 1965 Hollywood made The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Samson and Delilah, Quo Vadis, The Robe, The Big Fisherman, King of Kings, Barabbas, The Shoes of the Fisherman, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. People went to watch them, and some of them won Oscars for best picture: Quo Vadis, The Ten Commandments, The Robe, and Ben Hur, which won 11 that year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Charlton Heston). As for the supposed "homosexual overtones," it saddens me to see how modern culture has tainted people's perceptions of this classic film and it's "good triumphs over evil" message. Frankly, in 1959, few, if any, children knew what homosexuality was, and polite society didn't talk about it or tolerate it much in their movies. What a contrast between generations!

Most reviews on Amazon for this product either are an appraisal of the movie or critique of the price without understanding or appraisal of the product offering. So I would like to make a review that speaks to both. The Film Ben-Hur is not just a classic as in it is an old film good for its time but one of the truly great films of American and world cinema.It is an original blockbuster and a grand theatrical production on a scale never seen and maybe never truly surpassed. As known from just the product description it is tied for the most Academy Awards.To my informed opinion it is in another category than the films that share the same number of awards. This film won best producer, actor including supporting, director, cinematography,and set designs and film score. In other words in every significant way it was the best film that year in a year of truly great films. It is not just that but that this film represents some of the best work done that is the zenith project of some of the great creative minds in cinematic history. This film was done with great love and fear(for the stakes)making it meticulous and ambitious. This is the great of the "greatest story told" and the best produced of the Biblical epics in a time when epics were really big.It is not just the themes of revenge,love,redemption that make it"larger than life" but subtle undertones, and messages of a truly personal story. A film full of understated political and social commentary and carefully subdued but nearly "mystical" spirituality. Yes the film is hokey, over the top melodrama but it is Hollywood theater at its best. For those who love the novel the film could have followed the book more closely in ways that would have made this film a even better film with a more compelling story but Wyler made this version a original vision with a script that although very literate was problematic and awkward. As for Warner's offering: It is fit and comprehensive Ultimate collectors edition. Some complain of price after having issued a Collector's edition just a few years back. I think considering the offering this is a moderate price. This simply is the closest one will come to watching this production as it was seen. This is the highest most pristine resolution that this presentation will be given for a long time. The DVD packaging is superior quality and highly collectible. Considering the number of copies being made and that it includes some beautiful extras.The Heston notebook with what seems like leather bounding and the production book is more elegant and extravagant than the last offering. That and the production book over time may alone be worth as much as the 45 dollar price. If one is a collector and a serious movie lover this is the one to get if not even the dvd versionat lesser 35$ is a well worth bargain. Consider that this offering has everything the last one did and more with the HD documentary with Heston's son Warner has outdone itself and Ben Hur has never looked better. Down Venus! Up Mars!