After settling his differences with a Japanese PoW camp commander, a British colonel co-operates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors - while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it.
Director:
David Lean
Stars:
William Holden,
Alec Guinness,
Jack Hawkins
Gandhi's character is fully explained as a man of nonviolence. Through his patience, he is able to drive the British out of the subcontinent. And the stubborn nature of Jinnah and his commitment towards Pakistan is portrayed.
In Chicago in September 1936, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker.
Judah Ben-Hur lives as a rich Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. Together with the new governor his old friend Messala arrives as commanding officer of the Roman legions. At first they are happy to meet after a long time but their different politic views separate them. During the welcome parade a roof tile falls down from Judah's house and injures the governor. Although Messala knows they are not guilty, he sends Judah to the galleys and throws his mother and sister into prison. But Judah swears to come back and take revenge. Written by
Matthias Scheler <tron@lyssa.owl.de>
Sergio Leone was an uncredited second-unit director. In later years he claimed that he directed the chariot race scenes, but that is an apparently self-serving exaggeration (Leone had a reputation for stretching the truth). See more »
Goofs
As stated, the MGM lion is a frozen frame as the film opens - Leo doesn't roar. This was not done as suggested to convey calm or out of respect for the religious theme, but because Wyler wanted to open the very first frame of the film with Rózsa very dramatic score. For this to be fully effective, the roar had to go. This very similar to what Fox did with 'The Robe', another religious themed epic opening immediately with the Newman score on the very first frame and skipping the standard Fox logo and fanfare track. See more »
Quotes
Quintus Arrius:
Now listen to me, all of you. You are all condemned men. We keep you alive to serve this ship. So row well, and live.
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Crazy Credits
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion is shown in a still-frame to appear looking peaceful at the beginning rather than roaring. See more »
Overwrought, overblown, overrated, and marked by the usual Charlton Heston (I AM MOSES) performance. The chariot sequence gets A for effort, and must have been quite dangerous for the stunt men, but ultimately it's just a lot of noise sans dramatic tension. The slave galley sequence was 10 minutes of yawn.
The script is painfully lame, but there wasn't much to work with - the original book being second-rate. Some gorgeous sets, but sets alone do not a great movie make.
Seeing the movie again after 40 years has only confirmed my original opinion. OK for a Saturday afternoon if one is snowbound, but that's about it.
By far, the most fascinating aspect of this movie is the insight provided into the process of award selection by the film industry. This movie, like Titanic, is BIG, and sometimes sheer BIGNESS overwhelms critical taste,and sweeps everybody along with it.
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Overwrought, overblown, overrated, and marked by the usual Charlton Heston (I AM MOSES) performance. The chariot sequence gets A for effort, and must have been quite dangerous for the stunt men, but ultimately it's just a lot of noise sans dramatic tension. The slave galley sequence was 10 minutes of yawn.
The script is painfully lame, but there wasn't much to work with - the original book being second-rate. Some gorgeous sets, but sets alone do not a great movie make.
Seeing the movie again after 40 years has only confirmed my original opinion. OK for a Saturday afternoon if one is snowbound, but that's about it.
By far, the most fascinating aspect of this movie is the insight provided into the process of award selection by the film industry. This movie, like Titanic, is BIG, and sometimes sheer BIGNESS overwhelms critical taste,and sweeps everybody along with it.