Chariots of tired.
Director Timur Bekmambetov looks to combine his particular action style with a classic tale of Christian forgiveness in Ben-Hur, the latest adaptation of the 1880 novel by Lew Wallace. Of course, he’s following in some pretty big footsteps -- the 1959 Charlton Heston epic in particular (also based on the book) won 11 Academy Awards, a feat achieved by only three films in history to date. Unfortunately, this new Ben-Hur is in no danger of matching that accomplishment.
Sure, it’s not fair to expect such success from this new film, and besides, we all know neither box-office nor Oscars are necessarily indicative of good moviemaking. But at the same time, viewing Bekmambetov’s Ben-Hur does leave one wondering why anyone even felt the need to remake the story in the first place. The Kazakh helmer has directed some stylish films, like the Russian fantasy-thriller Night Watch and his Hollywood debut, Wanted. But his flair for visuals and action doesn’t mesh terribly well with this particular story.
Part of the problem is Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), who stars as Judah Ben-Hur. Huston is a likable enough as the character, a prince living in Jerusalem at the time of Christ. But as Judah’s family falls from grace and is all but destroyed by the forces of the occupying Roman Empire, Huston never quite finds his groove as a bloodthirsty, revenge-driven former nobleman turned slave.
In fact, his costar Toby Kebbell mostly overshadows Huston in the film. Kebbell plays Messala, a Roman orphan who was taken in by Judah’s family and raised as his brother. In early scenes we see the strong bond between the two, which begins to crack when Messala decides to join the Roman army to make a name for himself. And he does exactly that, returning to Jerusalem years later, now philosophically opposed to Judah and his family’s beliefs. Kebbell is a strong actor who has played at least one iconic villain in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ Koba, and here he brings a conflicted and troubled vibe to Messala, achieving through sheer will of performance a characterization that isn’t fully present as written.
The film does come to life in its action sequences, including a naval battle seen only from the perspective of Judah and his fellow galley slaves. And then, of course, the chariot race is another highlight, pitting Judah against Messala in a spectacle of shattered carts and trampled participants. Bekmambetov doesn’t disappoint with these scenes; it’s just a shame that it takes so long to get around to them.
Morgan Freeman costars as Sheik Ilderim, a man Judah encounters at one of his (many) low points. But Morgan Freeman’s gonna Morgan Freeman, and so the actor is consigned to the position of being worldly, wise, and kind. Also, boring. Other castmembers include Nazanin Boniadi (Homeland) as Judah’s wife Esther, Sofia Black D'Elia as his sister (and a potential love interest for Messala) Tirzah and Ayelet Zurer (Man of Steel, Daredevil) as his mother Naomi. Alas, these characters are mostly relegated to a state of prostrate suffering and not much else.
Toby Kebbell as Messala and Jack Huston as Judah Ben-Hur
All that said, the basic story of Ben-Hur is a strong and compelling one, and as such the film has a solid foundation to work from. It’s also worth noting that, among other changes, this version amps up the Jesus quotient as compared to the 1959 film, casting Rodrigo Santoro in the role. How audiences will react to this handsome Christ’s popping in and out of scenes in parallel to Judah’s own life remains to be seen, however.
This also leads to Ben-Hur playing at times like two different movies. Produced by Roma Downey and her husband Mark Burnett (yes, that Mark Burnett), the film feels as if it’s being pulled towards the religious by the former Touched by an Angel star (just look at her and Burnett’s more recent spate of bible-inspired producing credits) even if that isn’t always the movie Bekmambetov wants to make.
The Verdict
Ben-Hur is an adequate introduction to the classic tale of revenge and forgiveness, but it’s an uneven one. Toby Kebbell’s antagonist character frequently outweighs the appeal of Jack Huston’s hero, the more religious elements of the story don’t jell very well with the action set pieces, and much of the cast are left behind by their own movie. But still, there’s no denying the power of Ben-Hur’s final redemption. It’s just not a very smooth ride getting there.
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