Ben Hur
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Stars: Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, Rodrigo Santoro
Duration: 125 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

For better or worse, filmmakers who decide to remake a classic movie are going to inevitably face comparisons to the original. And, it must be a very brave team to tackle what is considered very much a sacred cow of cinema – the 1959 version of Ben Hur, directed by William Wyler.

This is a film that is the epitome of the biblical epic of the 1950s, a critical and commercial success, a multiple Oscar-winner, and a milestone in star Charlton Heston’s career.

It must be said that Wyler’s version is itself a remake of the silent 1925 film, which in turn was based on a 1907 short film that was itself based on the 1880 book Ben Hur – A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace. So, yes, it does have quite a pedigree.

So, does director Timur Bekmambetov’s 2016 version match up to its hallowed predecessor? Well, that it arrives on our screens having received a critical drubbing for the most part should answer that, to a certain extent. Yet, it is not as bad as some of its vociferous critics have made it out to be.

Just in case anyone needs reminding, the story takes us to Jerusalem, circa 26AD where the Jewish prince Judah Ben Hur (Jack Huston), lives a privileged life with his family. He is wrongly imprisoned for treason by his beloved adopted brother and friend Messala (Toby Kebbell), now a high-ranking officer in the Roman army.

Ben Hur is separated from his wife Esther (Nazanin Boniadi), his mother and sister and sentenced to forced labour aboard a Roman galley. Yet, after years at sea, he returns home to be told his mother and sister are dead.

Despite being mildly enjoyable, what struck me most about this is how pointless it all is

Events lead him to the newly-built Roman circus in Jerusalem, where he challenges Messala to a chariot race in his quest for revenge.

All things considered, despite being mildly enjoyable for the most part, what struck me most about this is how pointless it all is. Because Bekmambetov and screenwriters Keith Clarke and John Ridley bring absolutely nothing new to the table, with two main problems at the film’s core.

Firstly, you’d have thought that this version would make the most of the obvious advances in technology since the 1950s, in its recreation of the famous chariot scene, the arena in which Ben Hur and Messala have their epic face-off.

But, for all its technical wizardry, it is all rather bloodlessly staged and during its 15 or so minutes’ duration, it never comes anywhere near the sense of extreme danger and pure excitement elicited by the 1959 version, leaving the viewer feeling strangely uninvolved in the race as it unfolds as the horses and chariots race round and round the track.

The scene where the galley on which Ben Hur is imprisoned is involved in a catastrophic sea battle is much more dramatically staged. The cameras never leave the inside of the galley where Ben Hur and his fellow slaves are helplessly trapped, offering some genuine heart-in-mouth moments as the ship breaks up.

Secondly, the spiritual element, such an integral part of the story, is strangely subdued. This is surprising, considering that the film is produced by, among others, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who have produced a number of faith-based films for the small and big screen.

In the 1959 version, Christ was more of a background figure, making the impact of his presence remarkably powerful. Here, he appears briefly a number of times throughout. Yet, Rodrigo Santoro’s performance is rather one-note and not helped by the blatantly manipulative nature of the scenes he is given. He gives water to the beaten and manacled Ben Hur as he is being arrested and, lo and behold, Ben Hur returns the favour years later as Christ is being led to his crucifixion.

And finally, that the film ends on an unconvincing happy-ever-after note robs it of the little gravitas and emotion it has earned at that point.

Said gravitas and emotion is provided by the uniformly good cast. Jack Huston provides a striking presence and embodies the journey from noble prince to hardened slave very well.

The chemistry he shares with Toby Kebbell’s haughty Messala is tangible – film buffs may recall that Gore Vidal, screenwriter of the 1959 version, had claimed he included a gay subtext between the two men. Who knows, had this been replicated here it may have added the edge the film as a whole so sorely needs.

Nazanin Boniadi makes for a tough and sympathetic Esther, while the ever-reliable Morgan Freeman is on hand to offer wisdom and sports a great hairdo.

Also of note is the costume design by Varya Avdyushko, who adds a curious but effective modern touch to her creations and the location of Ben Hur’s palatial home in Jerusalem, a beautiful cliffside town that evokes a strong sense of place and era.