User reviews

Of all motion picture genres, the ancient world epic is the only one in which the silents were usually superior to their talking counterparts. With the emotional distance of a bygone age, the pompous dialogue, not to mention the focus on the spectacular, here, if ever there was one, is a type of story best told purely in images.

The 1925 Ben-Hur is probably the finest of all the 1920s epics. A lot of this is down to its (uncredited) producer, "boy-wonder" Irving Thalberg. Although there is very little consistency in the genres or kinds of story in Thalberg's productions, his hallmark seems to be that he was willing to push the boat out creatively. He never just plumped for the most commercial option, yet never lost sight of what was entertaining. Hence his pictures were almost always hits, but they were never mere instant-appeal audience-fodder. He refused to compromise on quality in any department, and in Ben-Hur the editing of Lloyd Nosler and the cinematography in particular deserve honourable mentions. Thalberg had taken over the project half-way through shooting, and it's exemplary of his belief in quality over easy profits that he recast virtually ever actor, changed the crew and scrapped the old footage, sending the budget skyrocketing but ending up with a finer finished product.

Among the replacement crew was director Fred Niblo. While there are a few other directors associated with this production, they shouldn't really be counted as most of their footage was ditched when Niblo was brought on board. And he is really perfectly suited to this material. His sense of movement and rhythm, especially in crowd scenes, is exceptional. A great example is in the leper cave, when Miriam and Tirzah exit away from camera, screen left, a leper crawls towards the water from screen right, echoing their movement. Niblo was also one of the best action directors of his era, as evidenced in the highly imaginative sequence of images in the sea battle. For the chariot race the emphasis is on speed, partly because Thalberg offered a $100 prize to the winner, but also because the camera rarely takes the position of a spectator, almost constantly moving with the chariots. The excitement is heightened because the camera cars occasionally move faster when behind a chariot or slower when in front of chariot, to give the effect of dollying in on the action.

Niblo was also capable of coaxing tenderness and poignancy out of the smaller scenes. He recognises that the lavish sets and masses of extras can't be a continuous backdrop, and has the sense to stage the most important interactions in front of plain backgrounds, focusing us entirely on the actors. He brings an emotional depth to many sequences – something almost impossible to achieve in this kind of picture –by holding performers in uninterrupted takes and simply allowing them to emote with subtle gestures and facial expressions. The scene in which Miriam and Tirzah find Judah asleep in the Hur palace is by far the most moving I have seen in any ancient-world epic, sound or silent. Luckily Thalberg was smart enough to keep those long takes in the picture, rather than having every second of footage not essential to the story cropped or broken up with superficial title cards. It may seem unusual to see these extended emotional sequences in a picture that doesn't spend much time on characterisation or verbal interaction, but it is a perfect use of silent cinema form nonetheless.

This Ben-Hur retains the subtitle of Lew Wallace's novel – "A Tale of the Christ", and the religious angle is more integral to the story here than in the 1959 version. In 1959 Jesus was only ever shown from behind, and this is sometimes hailed as a stroke of genius. However his appearance in 1925 is even more tentative, just a hand emerging from offscreen. Of course it is very much like Niblo to use close-ups of hands to define characters, just as it very much like William Wyler (director in 1959) to film actors from behind, but I believe both portrayals owe something to the 19th century stage production, in which the actor playing Jesus kept his back to the audience. In each case this was apparently done out of a religious sense of respect, but I feel the "hands-only" Jesus of 1925 is the most effective because it shows the Christ figure purely as a presence, continuously felt but always just out of sight.

Probably the only respect in which the 1959 Ben-Hur is superior to the 1925 version is in its characterisation. The later film is one of the few genuine character-driven epics, with a screenplay that delves into the depths of each relationship, going to lengths to show the different facets of each figure. By comparison the characters in 1925 are simplistic to the point of being crude. Francis X. Bushman's Messala is such an out-and-out villain it's hard for us to accept he was ever likable, whereas we can totally believe that Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd were childhood friends. It's true that for the most part, the 1920s were still an age of one-dimensional pantomime figures, but the silent epics never tried to be deep or realistic, and any epic that tries to be will ultimately fail, even in the sound era. Instead these pictures thrive on their mood, their grace and their captivating imagery, and the realisation of this by Thalberg and Niblo make the silent Ben-Hur one of the best.

The 1925 version of Ben-Hur is an outstanding example of silent film making at it's best. With the proverbial cast of thousands, it compares favorably with it's more expensive and lavish 1959 remake. Had the Academy Awards been given out at this time, Ben-Hur would undoubtedly have won it's share.

The video version that I saw was restored to it's original splendor complete with tints and two color technicolor sequences, They are quite spectacular and hold up quite well today. The birth of Christ sequence is most memorable.

The flagship sequences, the sea battle and the chariot race, are expertly staged and remain the most exciting parts of the picture. They are as good as those in the 1959 version.

The casting is, for the most part, excellent. Ramon Navarro as Judah and Francis X. Bushman as Messala stand out. The only problem is the casting of May McEvoy as Esther. With her blond hair, blue eyes and riglets, she looks more like a Mary Pickford want to be than a Jewish slave girl.

Despite all of it's well documented production problems, Ben-Hur still is one of the best movies of all time, silent or sound.

This much lesser-known version of the Ben-Hur story from 1925 was the most expensive silent film ever made and benefits greatly from MGM's ability at the time to make films that looked amazingly grand and epic and still somehow manage to today. Even after seeing William Wyler's 1959 version and even with the advancements of modern CGI, the 83 year old "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" still looks unbelievably impressive with its massive sets and thousands of extras.

The mythos that has surrounded "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" among film buffs over the years has reached a status almost as grand as the film itself. The deaths, bribes, and other stories surrounding the movie and in particular the famous chariot race sequence do nothing to detract from the film (although they do distract one from it) but instead increase one's fascination with the production. I'm not sure if there are any comprehensive books written on the film but I must seek one out eventually.

The story doesn't need to be discussed because everyone knows it. It's an entertaining story that's really quite hard to do wrong and this movie is more entertaining and exciting than any other version I've seen. The theatricality demanded from silent film enhances the nature and feel of the story.

This film was directed by Fred Niblo, famous for the Douglas Fairbanks vehicles "The Mark of Zorro" and the inferior "The Three Musketeers" and also director of several memorable silent films such as Greta Garbo vehicles "The Temptress" and "The Mysterious Lady" as well as "The Red Lily", an absolutely brilliant film by 1924 standards that is sadly hard to get a hold of (except on Turner Classic Movies which shows it on occasion). Niblo lost his way in the sound era but is on top form here directing this massive production. Of course, the chariot race deserves all its fame and recognition and remains exciting, vibrant, and captivating to this day.

The restoration on the DVD released in the four-DVD set released in celebration of the 1959 film is spectacular as usual from the Turner team with the original (and well-chosen) tints and the exceptional Technicolor sequences restored. The film is in the public domain so I expect there must be some form of cheap black & white only copy which I urge anybody reading this to avoid watching. Another reason to watch this restored version is the terrific score by Carl Davis performed by the London Philharmonic orchestra.

As good as William Wyler and Charlton Heston are, I'll take this Fred Niblo and Ramon Novarro over the 1959 version any day. A thrilling, captivating silent epic and one of the great silent American films.

9/10

Subtitled "A Tale of the Christ", this mixture of piety & adventure was MGM's grandest silent picture. The story tells how a Hebrew prince defies his Roman masters by beating them at their own game, literally, while becoming increasingly aware that the young Carpenter he met in Nazareth is the very Son of God and how that knowledge changes his life.

Years in the making, with filming in Italy & California, and changes of script and leading man, BEN HUR could have been a disaster. Instead, it was a complete triumph, with the naval battle and chariot race scenes holding their own among the best ever filmed. This film should not be compared with the Heston remake; it stands completely on its own merits.

For decades, the only known prints of this film were 90 minutes long, in black & white. By great good fortune, in the 1980's an uncut version, over 2 hours and with the original tints and Technicolor scenes was discovered in Czechoslovakia. This is what we are able to enjoy today.

Ramon Novarro got the plum male role of the entire silent period . He was a very fine actor and is excellent as Ben Hur. Sadly, the rest of his film career, in which he was typecast in every sort of ethnic role, from Chinese to Polynesian to Arab to Navajo, is virtually forgotten today.

Since I was so impressed the the 1959 version of this film, I figured there was no way I could watch this 1925 version and not be let down by it. Not only is this original adaptation very good, but it stands very strongly next to the heralded remake. In some regards, I enjoyed this adaptation better than the remake. Romon Navarro makes an excellent title character. The highlight of this film for me is early on when the star of Bethlehem is formed. Eye-popping visuals especially considering the time they were produced. It blows away any CGI we have today.

The version I saw of this was the newly scored version by Carl Davis, who continues to impress me with his scores for silent films including those he has written for "Greed", "Safety Last", "The Crowd", "Intolerance", "The Phantom of the Opera", and "The Wind".

I finally sat down to watch the 1925 silent version of this story, and from the very beginning I went in completely biased to the 1959 remake by William Wyler, as that is what I consider to be possibly the greatest film ever made. I have to give credit where it's due; the 1925 movie as directed by Fred Niblo is remarkable for its time. What stood out most for me was the cinematography, which really was ahead of many silent films I've seen. I didn't care for Ramon Navarro as a rather boyish Ben-Hur, though -- certainly not as compared to the iconic and magnificent Charlton Heston -- and comparisons are going to be inevitable in a case such as this. There were some amazing camera shots in this version, and most of the big sequences compare favorably to the 1959 film. The only scene which I might say comes close to actually topping the redo is the battle at sea. The chariot race is outstanding, but I'd have to give the nod of superiority to Wyler's version. I also thought the scenes with Judah running into Jesus Christ were much more prolific in the sound remake; not one of them in the silent version comes even close to capturing that emotion for me. In the final analysis, I'd say that I probably only truly enjoyed the Niblo film about three stars' worth personally (out of four) ... however, it deserves accolades for its vast achievements when considering the time in which it was made.

Nice silent rendition that still stands as the all-time silent classic , including marvelously staged battle ships and overwhelming chariot races . It packs impressive scenes that still look nice , in spite of age . Childhood friends , Judah Ben-Hur (Ramon Novarro) and Messala (Francis X Bushman) meet again one time grown-up . Now as experienced adults , this time Messala is a Roman officer , a tough conqueror against the Jews and Judah as a rich noble , though conquered , Israelite . When in Jerusalem takes place a Roman parade , spontaneously falling a brick that causes Judah to be sent off as a galley slave , his ownership confiscated and his mother and sister Tirzah (Kathleen Key) imprisoned at an impregnable jail . But the brave Ben Hur goes on his determination to stay alive and saves the Roman general Quinto Arrio when they are attacked by a pirate galleon , and he , then , becomes his fostered son . Several years later Judah goes backs his homeland . Unable to locate his mummy and sister, and believing them dead , he can think of nothing else than vendetta against Messala . Meanwhile , Ben Hur falls for Esther (May McAvoy) , daughter of Simonides (Nigel Of Brulier) .

The second movie of the acclaimed novel , being lavishly produced , stars Ramón Novarro and Francis X. Buxman as Messala . Novarro is good in the known role as wealthy Palestinan battling the Roman Empire . The chariot race required thousands of extras on sets constructed on lots of acres of backlot at Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios . The MGM production costs were massive millions of dollars , as a lot of chariots were built , with half being used for practice . The race took various weeks to film . The known chariot scene was shot at what is now the intersection of La Cienega and Venice Boulevards in Los Angeles . Although problems lingered on the production and at a cost of over 4.000.000 dollars . The initial Italian set was eventually torn down and a new one built in Culver City , California . Attractive images , majestic set design , glamorous photography in black and white , evocative as well as rousing musical score subsequently added by the great composer Carl Davis combine to cast a spellbinding movie . The motion picture was stunningly realized by director Fred Niblo helped by Second-unit director B. Reeves Eason and Cliff Lyons ; being a hit smash at the box office . In 1931 , a shortened version was released . Rating : 8 , extraordinary and awesome , it ranked as the most expensive movie of its time and took years to end ; it is one of the greatest films in the genre "Epic". Ben-Hur still stands as the all-time silent classic .

Other retellings based on this vintage novel written by Lewis Wallace are the followings : The classic version ¨Ben-Hur¨ won a record 11 Ocars , directed by William Wyler with Charlton Heston , Stephen Boyd , Haya Harareet , Jack Hawkins , Sam Jaffe , Finlay Currie , Martha Scott , Cathy O'Donnell , in which stuntman Cliff Lyons worked a Stuntman/chariot driver in both versions : 1925 and 1959 ; cartoon version (2003) by Bill Kowalchuck with prologue by Charlton Heston and ¨Ben-Hur¨ TV series by Steven Shrill with Joseph Morgan , Stephen Campbell Moore , Kristen Krouk , Simon Andreu and Lucia Jimenez

If there is one or two phrases that really makes me suspicious when it comes to movie-watching, it is "silent" and "black and white". Fortunately, movie-makers did their very best to compensate technical limitations. And the result is quite fascinating and, at some parts, stunning.

This motion picture-version of Lew Wallaces mammoth novel is pretty true to the book and doesn't alter or cut out much, as done in the 1959 version. Although the latest remake is far more technically superior, more powerful and, frankly, better in most cases, you still cannot put down this one. It is very well made and lavish, and Francis X Bushman, Betty Bronson and Ramon Novarro(in particular) are very appealing in the lead roles.

This motion picture IS thrilling, although it is 75 years old. Don't worry about it being silent, if there is one thing you aren't bothered of, then it is the lack of speech. Don't hesitate, this is a very good example of what movie-makers really could achieve in those days. Some parts are even in color!

With apologies to both William Wyler, a great director, and Stephen Boyd, the best Messala ever, this original film is head and shoulders better than the 1959 version. I can probably assume it is also better than the 2016 version that I have not seen. Overall, this is a much more lively film that actually touches the heart. Ramon Novarro brings Judah to life as a multi-dimensional human being.. He is far superior to Heston, who won the Oscar for best actor.There is a sweetness to Novarro's portrayal of Judah that meshes nicely with his anger and need for vengence.. Francis X Bushman is also excellent as Messala but lacked showing both the charming and vicious sides of Messala. Boyd was beyond amazing in this role and his on screen presence totally eclipsed the wooden Heston (probably why Boyd wasn't even nominated for an Oscar; it wasn't his turn). Technically, for its time this film hits a grand slam. You can see that many of the scenes from the '59 film came from the original! A little added spice was the inclusion of Iras, the Egyptian mistress of Messala. It is a small part that definitely added some energy. If you liked the 1959 film, you will love, love, love the original.

With the Roman legions securely ensconced in his Judaean homeland, Prince "Judah Ben-Hur" (Ramon Navarro) hopes that the arrival of his childhood friend "Messala" (Francis X. Bushman) might make things a bit easier for his conquered people. Fat chance! His erstwhile friend is far more concerned with impressing his boss and keeping the locals under control. An incident during the arrival procession of the new Governor gives the new regime exactly the opportunity it wants to stamp it's authority and that sees "Ben-Hur" sent to the galleys and his mother and sister to prison. Luck hasn't quite abandoned our hero, though, as the fleet on which he serves goes into battle and he ends up rescuing the Consul "Arrius" (Frank Currier) who proceeds to adopt him as his son and give him the opportunity to race his teams of horses in the great circus of Rome. He's determined to get back home to find his family, though, and soon returns to find them dead and his former friend a champion of the races. With the backing of "Sheik Ilderim" (Mitchell Lewis) he takes to the track to avenge himself on his rival. This is all set at the time of the rise of Christianity and culminates with the crucifixion of Christ - a man in whom "Ben-Hur" had enormous faith. Perhaps even a faith strong enough to restore his loved ones to him? It takes a little while to get going, this, but once the action elements of it take shape, it's an astonishing piece of cinema. The maritime scenes - not just the battles, but the triremes and the sheer scale of the cinematography are truly impressive. I suspect there quite literally was a cast of thousands involved at the chariot race which is photographed excitingly with some creative direction (and editing) making for compelling stuff. Navarro is a natural in this part with his characterisation animated and personable. The supporting characters deliver well too, with Betty Bronson's "Mary" and May McAvoy's enamoured slave girl "Esther" giving us a little more than fluttering eyelashes and vacant smiles. Parts of it are in twin-strip colour and when in Rome, well they have the effect of making it look like Oz as compared to Kansas. The sacred imperial city in it's gold and purple contrasting with the dark grimness of his monochrome native land oppressed by a great fortress. It does take a few liberties with Lew Wallace's book, but I think Fred Niblo decided to leave the more biblically focussed epics to Cecil B. And what we have here makes 2¼ just fly by. This is great film-making with actually very little need for a musical accompaniment or even inter-titles.

With the record number of Oscars won by the William Wyler 1959 version of BEN-HUR, there is a tendency to overlook the monumental 1925 production, which established MGM as a studio to be reckoned with. Well, if you've never seen the earlier version, you may be in for a surprise...it is superior in nearly every way!

Certainly, some of the performances (particularly Francis X. Bushman's scenery-chewing Messala) are cartoonish, the film lacks the widescreen splendor and scope of it's successor, and the 'Wyler Touch', the infinite care the legendary director poured over every detail, is sorely missed. But there is an energy and sense of intimacy in Fred Niblo's version that is sorely lacking in the later version; the film, as a whole, is far closer in spirit to General Lew Wallace's novel; and young leading man Ramon Novarro (with a sexy intensity reminiscent of Tyrone Power), makes a far more charismatic and sympathetic Ben-Hur than Charlton Heston.

The 1959 version is remembered today almost exclusively for the chariot race, one of the most spectacular action sequences ever filmed. But what of the other 'set piece', the gigantic sea battle between the Roman and pirate fleets? The scene is completely artificial, obviously comprised of models and rear projections (watch the toy seamen jiggle as ships collide!) The 1925 version's chariot race is equally as exciting, and the sea battle used full-sized ships and hundreds of extras (shot in Italy, where a fire broke out on the ships during the shooting...the extras' panic on screen was NOT acting!)

With two-strip Technicolor to emphasize key scenes (the Nativity, the new Roman Consul's arrival in Jerusalem...yes, those ARE topless women leading the procession!), and a wonderful, stirring new musical score by Carl Davis, Fred Niblo's BEN-HUR is a treasure, a film you'll want to see again and again...Can you honestly say THAT about the '59 version?

So many comments have been made about this 1925 masterpiece version of "Ben Hur," so I will add my own. I just watched this recently, thanks to the wonderful Turner Classic movie station. Yes, everyone knows the 1959 William Wyler version of this film, with Charlton Heston playing the famed Jewish prince. And that film is indeed an epic and stunning to watch. That said, anyone who appreciates fine film-making should also watch this 1925 version of "Ben Hur -- a Tale of the Christ." Director Fred Niblo directed this version, and how he did such a stunning job given the technology of the day is amazing (interestingly, William Wyler was an assistant to Niblo on this original film). The film made Metro-Goldwn-Mayer(then newly formed) a serious film studio. Ramon Navarro plays Judah Ben-Hur in this version, and it is easy to see why Niblo cast him in the lead. Not only is Navarro physically gorgeous to look at, he was a fine actor who inhabits the part in a way that I think Heston did not in the later version. Everyone knows the basic story, so I will skip that and go to the technical brilliance of this film. Niblo filmed some of the footage in Italy, unusual by 1925 standards. The stunning sequence where the Romans and pirates are fighting on ships was apparently treacherous, and several extra cast members drowned. There are tinted color sequences and two-strip technicolor parts of this two and a half hour film, and a few brief shots of nudity. All daring stuff in 1925. I defy anyone to tell me the chariot race sequence in this original film (shot in Culver City, CA) is any less impressive than the one in the 1959 film. The acting is top flight. Besides Navarro, Francis X. Bushman plays the impressive Roman solider Messala; and May McAvoy is lovely as Judah's soul mate. Much of this original "Ben Hur" was considered lost for years, and thankfully has been beautifully restored. I can't recommend this masterpiece enough!

The Ben Hur movie of 1959 is one of my favorite movies of all time. So after reading all the reviews and praise about this old version, I had to give it a try.

The movie starts a bit slowly. And even though I got a bit bored in the beginning(I ended up watching it at a 1.5 speed), I just couldn't stop watching. Thankfully the movie picked up pace quickly and at some point, I was completely hooked.

There's something unique about this movie. Something that has kept me watching in the beginning and that kept glued to the screen afterwards. I call it the magic of old movies. The movie felt extremely raw and intense. The actors actually looked malnourished, their clothes looked cheap too. During the ship battle, one of the ships actually took fire and the stunt doubles were truly distressed at the time. This all made the events look very realistic.

I still prefer the 1959 version, but this one IS definitely a must watch too. They both had different feels.

The 1959 version was more romanticized. Ben Hur's fight against Messala and his pain seeing his mother and sister in that state felt much more dramatic. The whole 1959 movie revolved toward Ben Hur. He was the hero of the movie and we follow his revenge, sadness, perils and fights. That made the chariot race all the more important and the ending all the more satisfying.

The 1925 movie on the other hand focused less on Ben Hur and more on the events at the time. We see more of the Christ and more of the roman's oppression and consequently we feel more sympathy for the jews at the time. Also Ben Hur in this version didn't seem like the hero, but as a true believer who kept fighting relentlessly, but who also was in dire need of saving.

Before my generation's "Ben Hur" there was my grandmother's "Ben Hur: a Tale of the Christ," a 1925 silent film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Ramon Novarro as Judah, Ben Hur, Francis X. Bushman (a favorite of my grandmother's) as Messala, and May McAvoy as Esther. The extras became more famous than many of the leads: Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Marion Davies, Clarence Brown, Sidney Franklin, and others.

"Ben Hur" is famous for being the "Cleopatra" of its day - an expensive mess that MGM finally got control of by bringing everyone home from Italy and filming in Hollywood.

Putting aside the expense and the loss of both human and animal life, it's a spectacular film, all the more sensational for having been done in 1925. The emphasis here is on the spectacle and not the characters, making the 1959 version more superior in that regard.

There is no in-depth look at the friendship between Messala and Ben-Hur in the earlier film; it's hard to believe, from Bushman's portrayal, that the two were ever friends (also the actors were 16 years apart in age). What the earlier film has that the 1959 lacks is the religious aspect - Mary and Joseph seeking shelter, the birth of the Christ, and the three Wise Men. The religious scenes were filmed in two-strip Technicolor. Most of the film is black and white, with a few sections sepia-toned.

Ramon Novarro, who would come to such a sad end, was 26 years old at the time of the film. He makes a passionate Ben-Hur, with Bushman (who worked until the day he died in 1966) a one-dimensional Messala. Of course, some of the acting seems amateurish by today's standards, and the heavy makeup on Novarro later in the film and on Bushman throughout is off-putting, but these things don't detract from the film.

As lepers, Ben-Hur's mother and sister looked like their skin glowed in the dark, a very interesting effect. Jesus is shown only as a lit hand in many scenes, and his face is revealed.

The chariot race is mind-boggling, as is the destruction near the end of the movie. Yet the best parts of the film for me were the simple, poignant scenes of Ben-Hur's mother and sister, all done beautifully.

In these days of CGI and so much available to film technicians, "Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ" is a must-see for how much the early filmmakers were able to accomplish. Truly one of the great epics.

This film is extraordinary! The acting ,the sets, the action scenes, the story in and of itself etc. Etc. In my opinion this film is better than the Charlton Heston version of this story. The chariot race is absolutely stupendous. I think I may have held my breath during that entire scene. They couldn't equal the effects in this movie even with modern technology. This movie should be watched,

A true blockbuster of the silent era, I thoroughly enjoyed this (mostly) black and white version of this hoary old epic tale of Biblical times.

Better known to most, I'd guess, from the Oscar-festooned 1959 adaptation directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, on balance I probably prefer this preceding version directed principally by Fred Niblo and starring Ramon Navarro in the title role.

The movie revolves around two lavishly produced set-pieces, the first, the sea battle between the Roman ships and a fleet of marauding pirate vessels and of course the tumultuous chariot race between Ben Hur and his nemesis Messala. Both of these are jaw-dropping in terms of scale, excitement and indeed danger, sadly the latter term applying in particular to reportedly dozens of horses which needlessly perished in staging the race. Some of the collisions involving the unwitting animals are look-away revolting and one can only hope that the cruel carnage inflicted on them opened some eyes about the need for animal welfare on movie sets.

Elsewhere the underlying theme of anti-Semitism as practiced by the powerful Romans over the Jewish citizenry still has relevance today and even if my inbuilt atheism found the religious symbolism to be quite heavy-handed, with the actual figure of Jesus only ever shown partially obscured as if we're not to fit to see Him, as if we don't already have an image in our head about what He looks like. This over-reverence carries over to the admittedly surprising and effective depiction of all His appearances in two-strip technicolour which must have amazed, impressed and awed viewers at the time, which no doubt was the intention..

The acting is very much of its time with lots of eye-rolling and arms-raising to the heavens for (over)-dramatic effect but I personally found the ill-fated Navarro's acting in the title role to be more human and credible than Heston's chin-jutting heroism decades later.

Still, it's those stirring action scenes which you'll remember most. I've just returned from a trip to Ephesus and seen there its stunning, excavated 25000-seater Roman-built auditorium and it was this amazing race with some of the cameras obviously buried in the ground so that the chariots literally ran over them, which I was imagining as I looked around it.

Like many of the incredible crowd-scenes and massive sets, the film is itself a monument to the excess and grandeur of the short-lived glory days of Golden Age silent Hollywood. A perfect Babylonian fit between two eras 2000 years apart, a case of art imitating life.

This should probably be considered a must-see film from the silent era, as lavish and impressive as it is. The scenes with the trireme battle at sea and the chariot race are incredibly realistic and highly entertaining, and I don't mean that as "for a silent film from 1925", I mean that period. There are so many extras involved - including, apparently, a great many Hollywood stars before they were stars - that in some scenes we feel the grand scale of the moment brought to life. The story of the Jewish prince (Ramon Novarro) cast into slavery by his childhood friend, a Roman (Francis X. Bushman) has real emotional weight behind it, and the scenes of his mother and sister rotting away in a dank dungeon are harrowing. It is a Christian film which shows scenes from Christ's life often preceded by quotes from the Gospels, but to its credit, it gets the fundamental message of peace and nonviolence right.

Novarro makes for a reasonably good Ben-Hur, particularly while rowing in the slave ship resentfully, and in the scenes opposite a young woman he's interested in (May McAvoy). Carmel Myers plays the Egyptian lover of his nemesis, sent to seduce him into giving her some information, and sizzles in the scenes she's in. The rest of the performances are all reasonably good, but this is less a film about performances, and more about its epic scale and those dramatic scenes. The chariot race involved a tremendous amount of editing and is so clearly influential, starting with the film's own remake 34 years later. Indeed, a young 23-year-old assistant director (William Wyler) would go on to make the better-known 1959 version of the film. While I was very impressed by it, my only criticism is that it's very clear that animals were harmed during the filming, and I read later that five horses (and a stuntman) died.

The film is an interesting mix of pagan and Christian themes, and that undoubtedly helped it get away with a few things. I was a little surprised to see three instances of nudity: a woman has her top ripped off as she's shoved to the ground, one of the prisoners on the galley stands naked and with his back to the camera, and there are a couple of rows of topless young women throwing flowers in the air when Ben Hur is getting a parade.

It's 143 minutes long but pretty well paced, though the first and last 20 minutes or so were slower, maybe because they were more focused on the Christian aspects. I must confess, these brought the film down a bit for me, and I liked the pagan parts better. It was interesting that Jesus is afforded the same treatment that another prophet who would come along about six centuries later would receive: he's never seen. We see his hand gently waving over people, creating miracles and invoking peace, but never his face. Some of the scenes showing moments from his life work well, including his birth, which has the wise men trekking across the dessert with meteors in the night sky, and then the manger scene bursting forth in primitive 2-strip technicolor and a suitably angelic Mary (Betty Bronson). Others are less successful, including the last supper and crucifixion, which look cheap and staged, a shame because so much money was used on other scenes. I liked the message of peace, consistent with scripture but so often not followed, but the religious scenes didn't resonate with me, reeking too much of the mythology which surrounds it. Overall though, a true epic.

While it is now largely neglected in favor of the more familiar 1959 remake, the 1925 silent version of "Ben-Hur" is quite entertaining, and it is often impressive in its own right. Fred Niblo had a lot of good resources for this film, and he used them well. Although Niblo made some other enjoyable films, this one has to be by far his best. As Ben-Hur and Messala, Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman work pretty well as the rivals whose complex relationship drives so much of the action. At an hour shorter than the 1950's version, this one moves at a good pace while keeping most of the best material.

The story lends itself easily to a large-scale production. The characters, the historical settings, and the themes all offer many possibilities to film-makers. The screenplay for this version does a good job of focusing on the parts of the story that are interesting to watch while also developing the story's key relationships and themes. Like the later version, it makes some changes from the novel, but it still contains most of the same best-known scenes.

The large-scale set piece sequences from the story work very well here. The naval battle sequence actually seems more realistic here than it is in the color and sound version. The chariot race scene is approached a little differently than it is in Wyler's version, so that direct comparisons may not be possible, but in any case Niblo's version is very good. The action is tense and exciting, and it is also fun to try to pick out the silent screen stars who appear in the audience.

There are certainly a number of reasons for the enduring popularity of the Wyler/Charlton Heston version. Fortunately, there is no need to choose one over the other. This adaptation of "Ben-Hur" deserves to be remembered in its own right, as a successful, entertaining movie that also captures the important ideas of the story.

When people think of 'Ben-Hur', most immediately think of the 1959 film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, the best known version. This 1925 film, a massive landmark achievement at the time and still captivates in the best possible way 92 years later, in no way should be overlooked. For some it's even better than the 1959 film, for me it isn't quite but it is every bit as great.

'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' isn't quite perfect for me. May McAvoy is slightly out of place looks-wise and is a little too histrionic for my tastes, even for the silent film era. Some of the makeup is artificial-looking, while Messala doesn't have the complexity and depth he has in the 1959 film where one gets much more of a sense that he is more than your standard villain. All that being said, 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' should not be overlooked. That the film is silent and that it's "old" should not be factors in whether one should see it and should not be reasons for anybody to dismiss it. Especially considering that there are many classic silent films out there and many of the best films ever made are pre-1960.

Some may find that, being the much shorter film, that it is more accessible than the 1959 film and in no way does its troubled production (with director and actor changes and apparently extra fatalities when filming the sea battle) show. As a film on its own, without comparison to the later film, 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' is incredibly wonderful in its own right.

Visually, it is more than easy to see why it is still considered a massive, landmark achievement technically and unlike any other film seen during the period. The spectacle is truly stunning and leaves one in awe, there is plenty of eye-popping production design and it's beautifully shot throughout. Carl Davis provides a stirring score that couldn't have fitted more like a glove with the action.

It's not just the visuals where 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' is awe-inspiring. The chariot race is every bit as exciting as the iconic one in the 1959 film and the sea battle is similarly splendid. The story is taut and rousing with interesting characters, but underneath all the spectacle and excitement 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ' also has a heart and emotional core. This can be especially seen in the mother and sister scenes.

Fred Niblo shows that he was more than up to the task and he brings the best out of a well-cast group of actors (McAvoy excepted). Ramon Novarro exudes charisma and intensity in the title role, while Francis X Bushman and Nigel Du Brulier particularly excel of the rest of the cast.

Overall, incredible and more than well worth your tale, a must-watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox