Loaded with a ton of special features, the four-disc DVD Collector’s Edition of Ben Hur is a perfect release for any fan of the classic epic.
Ben Hur is the 1959 Best Picture Academy Award Winner that stars Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, and was directed by William Wyler.
It tells the story of Christ through the fictional tale of Judah Ben-Hur - a prince during the Roman Empire who becomes a slave and then returns as the adopted son of a Roman general.
The movie tells the story of Christ, who only appears from behind in the movie and never says a word, through different times of Ben Hur’s life – such as when Christ gives Ben Hur water as Heston is being taken as a slave.
Although the movie is a story about Christ and Ben Hur’s relationship with Christ towards the end of the movie, the film is most famous for its huge chariot race towards the end – which still holds up against the world of CGI today.
The DVD release of the movie, which takes up the first two discs of the set, includes a new digital transfer from the restored 65MM elements, a music only track that showcases Miklos Rozsa’s score, and commentary from Heston and film historian T. Gene Hatcher.
The set also includes the 1925 silent version of the film. This version has with the Thames Television Restoration with a Sterophonic Orchestral Score by Carl Davis.
Although this version of the film is silent, it is still worth watching and holds its own against the 1959 version of the story. Since it is a silent movie, it might not appeal to everyone, but I enjoyed it.
Ben Hur is most famous for its chariot race
The final disc contains several special features that any fan of the epic will enjoy. The special features include the 2005 documentary Ben Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema; the 1994 documentary Ben Hur: The Making of an Epic; and Ben Hur: A Journey Through Pictures.
The two documentaries feature interviews with Heston and some of the people involved in the production of the epic. It also has interviews with some of today’s biggest directors, including George Lucas and Ridley Scott, about how the film impacted their careers.<!--page-->
The DVD set includes the 1925 silent version of the story
The Journey Through Pictures feature is an audiovisual recreation of the movie through still pictures, storyboards, sketches and the film’s music and dialogue.Other four-disc set also includes screen test; vintage newsreels gallery; a theatrical trailer gallery; and highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards Ceremony.
Ben Hur was one of the film’s that helped kick off Hollywood’s epic movies, and its influence can still be seen in movies that range in genre from Gladiator to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
It has a cast of Hollywood greats, including the legendary Heston, and is filmed in a scale that is still rivaled today. The film’s chariot race is still as exciting today and is even more impressive when you consider it was filmed before the age of computer special effects.
Ben Hur helped set off the Hollywood epic movie trend
I highly recommend the box set to any fan of the movie, or any fan of classic Hollywood films. Ben Hur is truly an epic movie and the four-disc set does a great job of presenting the movie the way it should be viewed and with loads of special features.
Ben Hur – The Four Disc Collector’s Edition is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
AlphaSep 30th, 2005 - 06:40:29
This is a vapid review of no value at all.
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