OSCAR WILD DAY 13: BEN-HUR (1959)
Based on the highest-selling American novel of the 19 th century, this film is another example of studio-system Hollywood taking a risk and adopting a go-big-or-go-home approach to a film. It certainly went big, and it went home with a record-setting 11 Academy Awards. It was a dominant film at the box office to boot, more than tripling the #2 film’s ticket sales for the year. It is legendary for its earnings, awards, and its chariot race scene, but how much beyond these aspects does the legend persist into the current day? Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a descendant of a royal line in Roman-occupied Judea. His family’s wealth and influence among the locals is no use against the Romans. Judah’s childhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd), returns to his friend’s homeland but is all-in on Rome’s imperialist agenda, and the two have a decisive falling out. To show Judah who’s boss, Messala uses an innocent accident to ruin the lives of Judah and his family. Imprisoned and enslaved on a...
