Ben-Hur (1959)

I don't usually go for the big, epic films. I mean, they're decent, but they're far too overblown and corny for my tastes. But, surprisingly, I really liked Ben-Hur. Despite its production values and scale, it tells a very small, very personal tale that's easy to become absorbed in.

There's a moment early on, kind of a catalyst, where his sister accidentally knocks a clay tile off of a roof. This is naturally perceived as an attempted attack on the governor and him, his mother and his sister are all taken into custody, with Ben-Hur himself being sold into slavery. Usually, epic films like this don't draw you in, but starting with the tile incident, I was really absorbed in the story. I loved following his journey as a slave on a big ol' ship, then afterwards, as he did everything in his power to seek out his mother and sister. His character is believable, and most of all, admirable. Heston's performance is, once again, surprisingly good. He brings a great feeling of determination to the character that makes you believe that he'd be willing to go to the ends of the Earth for his family.

Not only that, the film has a great resonance. I remember, when Ben-Hur was in the boat, and all the slaves were rowing, being commanded and whipped. The feeling in that scene, that whole stretch of the film was great, really giving me a sense of what it must have been like to do something so strenuous for so long. In fact, it even got me pondering their lives fairly deeply for a while, until the plot managed to draw my attention away again.

Hey, I liked it. Wow!