Ben-Hur (1959) 4K Review

It isn't often that a film is nominated for 12 Academy Awards and wins 11 of them. In fact, only three times in the history of the Awards has one film won 11 Oscars. Titanic in 1998 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2004 have matched the first film to reach that accomplishment. That movie was 1959's Ben-Hur starring Charlton Heston (The Ten Commandments). An epic three-and-a-half-hour saga, it exceeded box office expectations and saved MGM studios from the edge of bankruptcy. This week, the film was released by Warner Bros. in 4K for the first time.

During the time that the Roman Empire reigned throughout Europe and the Middle East, Messala (Stephen Boyd; Fantastic Voyage) returns home to Jerusalem as commander of Fortress Antonia, where he meets up with his childhood friend Judah Ben Hur (Heston). However, their relationship quickly sours when Judah won't tell Messala who the rebels are who oppose the Romans. After an accident during the new Governor's procession, Judah is sent to the galleys, and Judah's mother and sister are imprisoned in order for Messala to demonstrate his power in Jerusalem. Years later, Judah is freed, returns to Jerusalem, and, upon learning that his mother and sister supposedly died in prison, he joins a chariot race to beat Messala.

Director William Wylie (Roman Holiday) once again takes a beautiful Italian backdrop and creates a land that is controlled by an extraordinarily cruel leader whose quest for power leads him to conquer half the world. Wylie also frames his shot with purpose, as is evidenced by the various close-ups he chooses, as well as how long he leaves the camera on a particular angle.

With this 4K transfer, Ben-Hur has never looked any better. For a film that is 67 years old, the brightness offers a clarity to the movie that has never been seen before. The 2160p resolution allows for details come across incredibly sharp, and everything translates so well in this instance. The color palette has a depth and richness that can be seen throughout the three and a half hours of the film with little to no graininess.

Perhaps the only thing better than the video quality is the Dolby Atmos audio. The Chariot race scene is especially robust with ambient noise coming from every angle. The dialogue is clear and well mixed with background sounds and the soundtrack. There is very little artifacting.

The combo pack comes with three 4K discs, a digital download, and numerous extras. While most of the extras are previously released, there are a few new ones added to the mix for viewers to enjoy. Discs one and two include the 4K movie, Audio Commentary, and an Isolated Score Audio Track. Disc three, which is a Blu-ray, has these extras: NEW! Two Retrospective Featurettes: Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic and The Cinematography of Scale, Charlton Heston & Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey, Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic, Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures, and Screen Tests.

Ben-Hur is a classic movie that should be watched regardless of the format. However, when you have such an incredible transfer as this one, it only makes sense to watch it with the best quality. Warner Bros. did an amazing job with this release, especially somehow managing to find new extras to add to everything that has already been previously published.

I'm so glad the studios have decided to re-release some of these older classics and show them the respect they deserve by upgrading their quality to the best currently available.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest retailer to get your copy before they are all gone. You won't regret it.

Grade: A-