Based on the novella Glory for Me by MacKinlay Kantor, The Best Years of Our Lives is the story of three men who served in World War II as they try to readjust their lives after the war. Directed by William Wyler and screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood, the film is a study of post-war life seen by three men from different background and social classes who are forced to deal with things in the past and things around them now. Starring Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Harold Russell. The Best Years of Our Lives is a majestic and riveting film from William Wyler.
The film is a post-war drama set in a small town of Boone City where three different men from different military branches and social classes meet on their way home as they become friends as they cope with post-war life and trying to become civilians again. There, they all endure challenges in not just returning to their old lives but also in the changes as well as the people in their past lives. Robert E. Sherwood’s screenplay explore the struggle of these three characters and how family including the women in their lives cope with this struggle to return to civilization. The characters in Al Stephenson (Fredric March), Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) are all men that lived in the same town but never knew or encountered each other as they meet at an airport on their way home where they share a plane and meet up again later that night at a bar owned by Homer’s uncle Butch Eagle (Hoagy Carmichael) with Stephenson’s wife Milly (Myrna Loy) and daughter Peggy (Teresa Wright).
Al Stephenson was a platoon sergeant who has been married to Milly for nearly 20 years as he also worked at a bank as his story arc has him not just coping with returning to work where he becomes an alcoholic but also what his bank is doing for veterans who are asking for loans that they won’t approve. Derry’s arc as this soda pop jerk turned Air Force captain has him struggling to find good work as he doesn’t have much skills while his marriage to Marie (Virginia Mayo) becomes rocky due to her need of wanting more forcing Derry to befriend Peggy whom he’s fascinated by. The third arc on Parrish as a sailor who lost his hands and now has mechanical hooks copes with his family and girlfriend Wilma (Cathy O’Donnell) over his disability as he becomes unsure of what to do and being a burden to many. It all play into men dealing with not just returning home but wondering if they’re really home.
William Wyler’s direction does bear bits of style yet remains very intimate in the way he captures the lives of three men returning home following their time at war. Shot on various locations in Los Angeles and Hollywood, the film does play into this air of a small town life where Wyler would use some wide shots for the locations as well as some scenes at Stephenson’s home or at the bar that Butch runs. Yet, much of Wyler’s approach to the compositions aren’t in simpler, intimate shots in the close-ups and medium shots but also to establish this air of utopia in a small town that is dealing with a post-warm boom and optimism. There are moments early in the film where the three men meet as they all board the same plane as they become equal realizing they all served their country for the same reasons. Even as they meet up again unexpectedly at Butch’s bar as Milly and Peggy would meet Derry and Parrish as Peggy is aware of the demons that Derry is dealing with. The direction would feel lively to play into these three men escaping from the memories of war but when they have to deal in socializing with others or trying to readjust. Wyler’s direction would showcase this disconnect of what is going on with the main characters in the foreground and others in the background.
The direction would also play into the struggle of men in service as it relates to Stephenson talking to a former Naval officer who wants to make money for a farm as Wyler allows the conversation to take its time without the need to cut fast as it adds to Stephenson’s realization that he still has something to do. Even as he becomes aware of Peggy’s attraction towards Derry as she goes out on a double-date with a friend with Derry accompanied by his wife whom she dislikes for the way she treats her husband. Wyler also wanted to capture the sense of realism as it relates to Parrish and his struggles including a scene where he meets Derry at a store he’s working at where a man (Ray Teal) make some claims about the real reasons World War II happened which pissed both men off. It would add to this sense of alienation for the two men with Parrish unsure about his place in the world and being accepted for he is while Derry copes with being in an unloving marriage and little prospects about what to do next. It all play into three men and their loved ones pondering that idea if they can recapture the best years of their lives. Overall, Wyler crafts a riveting and touching film about three men dealing with post-war life after World War II.
Cinematographer Greg Toland does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it is rich in its imagery to some of the scenes at night including a banquet scene and a tense meeting between Derry and Stephenson over the latter’s daughter at Butch’s bar as it is a major highlight of the film. Editor Daniel Mandell does excellent work with the editing as it doesn’t rely too much on style other than a few rhythmic cuts to play into the conversations the character has without the need to cut too fast. Art directors Perry Ferguson and George Jenkins, with set decorator Julia Heron, do fantastic work with the look of Stephenson’s family apartment to the cramped apartment Derry lives with his wife as well as Butch’s bar where it becomes a meet-up of sorts for the protagonists.
Costume designer Irene Sharaff does terrific work with the costumes from the dresses that the women wear as well as the clothes that the men wear. Sound editor Gordon Sawyer does superb work with the sound as it play into the different locations as well as the scenes at the bar and at a club where Derry and his wife are on a double date with Peggy and her date. The film’s music by Hugo Friedhofer and Emil Newman is wonderful for its serene orchestral score that play into the drama as well as eerie scenes of Derry’s own memories with some lively music from the music of the times.
The film’s tremendous cast feature some notable small roles from Roman Bohnen as Derry’s father, Gladys George as Derry’s stepmother, Victor Cutler as Peggy’s date William Merrill during her double-date with Derry and Marie, Walter Baldwin and Minna Gombell as Parrish’s parents, Marlene Aames as Parrish’s sister Luella, Michael Hall as Stephenson’s teenage son Rob, Don Beddoe and Dorothy Adams as Wilma’s parents, Leo Penn as a scheduling clerk early in the film, Ray Teal as a man at the story Derry works at who makes claims about the war that upsets Derry and Parrish, and Hoagy Carmichael in a terrific small role as Parrish’s uncle Butch who runs a bar and plays piano at the bar. Cathy O’Donnell is fantastic as Parrish’s girlfriend Wilma who copes with Parrish’s isolation as she wants to help him and understand what he’s going through.
Myrna Loy is radiant as Stephenson’s wife Milly who deals with her husband’s growing alcoholism while being sympathetic in his need to help other soldiers and giving Peggy advice about her feelings for Derry. Virginia Mayo is excellent as Marie Derry as a nightclub waitress that isn’t happy about the lack of major money coming from her husband as she becomes more eager to spend money and have fun rather than sympathize with her husband’s troubles. Teresa Wright is brilliant as Peggy Stephenson as Al and Milly’s daughter who befriends Derry as she learns about his post-traumatic stress disorder that eventually lead to her feelings for Derry and disdain for his wife Marie.
Harold Russell is amazing as Petty Officer 2nd Class Homer Parrish as a sailor who lost both hands during a battle in the sea as he copes with being a burden over his mechanical hooks as well as the uncertainty of what to do next in his life. Dana Andrews is incredible as Captain Fred Derry as a bombardier with little skills who copes with not just finding work but also bad memories and being in a loveless marriage that is starting to crumble where he finds solace in Peggy though he knows it could mean trouble for his friendship with her father. Finally, there’s Fredric March in a phenomenal performance as Platoon Sergeant Al Stephenson as a former banker who copes with the aftermath of war through alcohol unsure of what to do until finding a way to help other soldiers despite having to deal with his bosses as it’s an understated yet engaging performance from March.
The Best Years of Our Lives is a spectacular film from William Wyler. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story, gorgeous visuals, and a luscious score. It’s a film that explores post-war life where three men deal with the aftermath and the struggle to readjust themselves to becoming civilians again as it’s told with elements of realism as well as an air of earned sentimentality. In the end, The Best Years of Our Lives is a magnificent film from William Wyler.
William Wyler Films: (Straight Shootin’) - (Anybody Here Seen Kelly?) - (The Shakedown) - (Hell’s Heroes) - (A House Divided (1931 film)) - (Tom Brown of Culver) - (Counsellor at Law) - (Glamour (1934 film)) - (The Good Fairy) - (The Gay Deception) - (These Three) - (Dodsworth) - (Come and Get It) - (Dead End (1937 film)) - (Jezebel) - (Wuthering Heights (1939 film)) - (The Westerner) - (The Letter) - (The Little Foxes) - (Mrs. Miniver) - (Memphis Belle: A Story of Flying Fortress) - (Thunderbolt!) - (The Heiress) - (Detective Story (1951 film)) - (Carrie (1952 film)) – Roman Holiday - (The Desperate Hours (1952 film)) – Friendly Persuasion - (The Big Country) – Ben-Hur (1959 film) - (The Children’s Hour) – (The Collector (1965 film)) – (How to Steal a Million) – (Funny Girl) – (The Liberation of L.B. Jones)
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by William Wyler and screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter, and John Dighton from a story by Trumbo, Roman Holiday is the story of a princess who runs away from her duties to see the city of Rome as she is joined by a reporter as they go into a romantic adventure. The film is a romantic comedy that follows the life of two people going to Rome where a reporter tries to give a woman the time of her life not aware of who she really is. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams, and Margaret Rawlings. Roman Holiday is a majestic and enchanting film from William Wyler.
The film is a simple story of a princess who travels around Europe for a royal tour as she becomes tired of her demanding schedule where she secretly runs away to go sight-seeing in Rome where she befriends an American journalist looking for a story to sell. It’s a film that play into two people looking for something different in their lives where they would take on different personas yet only one of them knows who the other person is as he tries to maintain that secrecy. The film’s screenplay that is mainly written by Dalton Trumbo and John Dighton, as the former wasn’t properly credit due to Hollywood blacklist where Ian McLellan Hunter had to take credit, doesn’t just explore the monotony of the routine that Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) had to do but also the need to wanting to enjoy life like everyone else. She makes her escape and sort of succeeds until a sedative she was given earlier finally caught up with her as an expatriated American journalist in Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) finds her and realizes who she is.
For Bradley, he is someone in need of money as well as getting a story that would take him back home as he lets Princess Ann stay at his apartment where she would call herself Anya Smith. He reluctantly allows her to be by herself for much of the film’s first-half where she would get a haircut and see the sights of Rome as he would act an observer trying to get a story. When his photographer friend Irving Radovich (Eddie Albert) comes in to take some secret photos for the story, he too would be an observer as he hopes to get a cut of what money Joe is making. Throughout the course of the film, the three go sightseeing around the city of Rome where an attraction between Bradley and the princess begins to happen. Especially as the princess’ staff go into panic mode where they send men to find her as it goes into chaos.
William Wyler’s direction is definitely astonishing in terms of its visuals where Rome is a major character in the film with all of its landmarks as well as some of the moments in the streets where many of its locals live. While some of the film is shot in Cinecitta studios for scenes inside the palace and some of the interiors, Wyler does create something that does feel enchanting for the vibrancy of post-war Rome where it’s a city that is starting to thrive all over again. While Wyler uses some wide shots to capture its beauty in the many locations it is in, he maintains an intimacy in the way Princess Ann and Joe would interact whether it’s at the latter’s apartment or at a café. Wyler’s usage of close-ups and medium shots would help play into some of the romantic elements as well as the moments of comedy including the way Bradley would make Irving spill his drink as part of a recurring gag. Wyler finds that balance of both genres while making sure that the humor isn’t forced such as a low-key scene of a couple of officials of the princess waiting for a royal plane to arrive to see some royal soldiers in plain clothes as it is one of the funniest moments in the film.
The direction also showcases that sense of vibrancy in the city such as the scenes involving the Vespa scooters and how Princess Ann would interact with the locals. Yet, it all kind of plays as this sense of fantasy that Princess Ann wants but there is that reality that she has to go back to the palace and fulfill her royal duties. Even as she has no clue what Bradley really is as he claims he does something else unaware of what he plans to do as he was originally supposed to interview her at her palace that day. The film’s climax is about this reality as well as the fact that these are two people who have to play a role in life and could do little to escape from it. Overall, Wyler creates a rapturous yet evocative film about a princess escaping her palace to go sightseeing around Rome with a journalist.
Cinematographers Henri Alekan and Franz Planer do amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it play into the richness of the city in the day in many of its exteriors to the usage of shadows and lights for some of the interior scenes set at night as well as the nighttime exterior scenes. Editor Robert Swink does excellent work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few dissolves as well as some rhythmic cuts for some of the funny moments in the film. Art directors Hal Pereira and Walter H. Tyler do brilliant work with the look of the palace interiors including the princess‘ bedroom and the apartment that Joe lives in.
Costume designer Edith Head does fantastic work with the dress that Princess Ann wears outside of the palace as well as the regal dresses she would wear when she‘s performing her duties. Sound recordist Joseph de Bretagne does terrific work with the sound in capturing some of the moments in the city as well as a dance that Joe and Princess Ann go to. The film’s music by Georges Auric and Victor Young is wonderful for its orchestral-based score as it has moments that are lively and fun as well as some somber pieces that play into the drama as it is a highlight of the film.
The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles from Alfredo Rizzo as a cab driver, Laura Solari as a secretary from the paper Bradley works at, Paolo Carlini as the barber who cuts the princess’ hair, Tullio Carminti as a general for the princess’ country, Harcourt Williams as the princess’ ambassador, and Margaret Rawlings as the princess’ lady-in-waiting Countess Vereberg. Hartley Power is superb as Joe’s editor Hennessy who wants a major story from Joe as well as threatening to fire him. Eddie Albert is excellent as Irving Radovich as a photographer who works with Bradley as he goes along for the ride with a secret camera as he tries to get the best shots of the Princess while calling her Smitty. Finally, there’s the duo of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in spectacular performances.
Peck’s performance as Joe Bradley is one of charm but also willing to get his story as there are moments of him that is funny but some of the dramatic moments is where Peck is at his best in how much he would car for the princess. Hepburn’s performance as Princess Ann is truly a breakthrough for the actress in her Hollywood debut as she just exudes charisma as well as display a regality and liveliness that is so engaging to watch as she can be funny but also very dramatic in the anguish over the role she is playing in the world. Hepburn and Peck together are a joy to watch as they just don’t have this chemistry that is impeccable but also giving the audience a chance to root for them.
Roman Holiday is a phenomenal film from William Wyler that features outstanding performances from Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Along with a fantastic supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a lively score, and amazing images of the locations in Rome. It’s a film that isn’t just a romantic comedy that offers so much and more but also a film that captures the sense of joy and anguish of love in all of its complexities. In the end, Roman Holiday is a tremendous film from William Wyler.
William Wyler Films: (Straight Shootin’) - (Anybody Here Seen Kelly?) - (The Shakedown) - (Hell’s Heroes) - (A House Divided (1931 film)) - (Tom Brown of Culver) - (Counsellor at Law) - (Glamour (1934 film)) - (The Good Fairy) - (The Gay Deception) - (These Three) - (Dodsworth) - (Come and Get It) - (Dead End (1937 film)) - (Jezebel) - (Wuthering Heights (1939 film)) - (The Westerner) - (The Letter) - (The Little Foxes) - (Mrs. Miniver) - (Memphis Belle: A Story of Flying Fortress) - The Best Years of Our Lives - (Thunderbolt!) - (The Heiress) - (Detective Story (1951 film)) - (Carrie (1952 film)) - (The Desperate Hours) - Friendly Persuasion - (The Big Country) - Ben-Hur - (The Children’s Hour) - (The Collector (1965 film)) - (How to Steal a Million) - (Funny Girl) - (The Liberation of L.B. Jones)
© thevoid99 2016
(Palme d’Or Winner at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival)
Based on the novel by Jessamyn West, Friendly Persuasion is the story of a pacifist who tries to shield his family from the horrors of the American Civil War while dealing with changing times. Directed by William Wyler and screenplay by Michael Wilson, the film is an exploration of a Quaker family in Indiana who cope with the growing changes and conflict in their world as a father deals with the idea of the Civil War being in front of his house. Starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer, Robert Middleton, and Phyllis Love. Friendly Persuasion is a compelling yet heartfelt film from William Wyler.
Set in 1862 Southern Indiana, the film revolves around a Quaker family who deal with growing changes in their environment as well as the idea of the American Civil War coming in front of their home. It plays into this family who live by certain rules as they try to maintain a way of life but are tempted by these changes including the family patriarch but it is the mother that refuses to budge in as she wants to maintain some order. Michael Wilson’s script play into this conflict that a family is dealing with where the patriarch Jess Bridwell (Gary Cooper) and his wife/preacher Eliza (Dorothy McGuire) ponder about their own ideals and the fact that their ideals are now being seen as old-fashioned in the light of war. While the Bridwell family oppose the idea of violence, it is clear that their stance of pacifism is fallible as the sense of danger about the Confederates coming to their home and destroy everything does loom. Even as their eldest son Joshua (Anthony Perkins) gives in to the need to fight as a way to protect his family as Jess understands but Eliza isn’t.
William Wyler’s direction is very straightforward as it plays into a period of time in America where a group of people who have meetings in their own church as church service and do things very differently. Shot on location in a studio and an estate in the San Fernando Valley, the film does play into a look that is sort of a western but it’s really a melodrama set during the American Civil War. Wyler’s approach to wide and medium shots says a lot to the locations as well as the world the Bridwell family would encounter whether it’s their church or a county fair where many including Jess succumb to some for temptation in the film’s first half. Yet, it would be a moment where Eliza realizes that she shouldn’t be constrained by the rules of her faith as it relates to the little things in life as well as can’t ignore that something has to be done. While Jess isn’t willing to go out there and fight either, he also knows something still has to be done as he is reluctant about letting Joshua go out there.
There are moments in Wyler’s direction that are quite lively such as the scene where Jess and Joshua encounter a house full of women during a sale where it is played for laughs. There is also a moment where Jess decides to have a horse race with a friend to see who can get to church as it is quite thrilling but in a light-hearted fashion. By the time the film’s third act emerges where it is about what is coming and the family realizing that the Confederates will arrive. The drama is heightened as there is a sense of what might happen and what might not happen. Yet, the aftermath doesn’t say a lot about some of the fallible aspects of the Christian faith but the realization that pacifism doesn’t work all of the time. Overall, Wyler creates a somber yet touching film about a Quaker family dealing with the American Civil War.
Cinematographer Ellsworth Fredericks does excellent work with the film’s cinematography to capture some of the attention to detail in the colors for the exteriors as well as some of the interiors in how grey and colorless the Quakers church in comparison to the other church nearby which is more lively and colorful. Editors Richard Belcher, Edward A. Biery, and Robert Swink do nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with bits of style in the carriage race and a battle scene towards the end. Art director Ted Haworth and set decorator Joseph Kish do nice work with the look of the Birdwell home along with the churches and places they go to.
Costume designer Dorothy Jeakins does terrific work with the costumes as it play into the period clothes where many of the clothes that the Birdwell lack bits of any color with the exception of the dress the daughter Mattie wears at home. Sound editor Del Harris does superb work with the sound as it play into the activities in the farm as well as the chaos that play into the battle and fear that looms in Joshua. The film’s music by Dimitri Tiomkin is wonderful for its serene and playful orchestral score as it filled with a lot of string arrangements to play into its varied tone as well as some songs that are sung by some of characters that is co-written with Paul Francis Webster including a very dull title track sung by Pat Boone.
The film’s fantastic cast include some notable small roles from John Smith as Joshua’s friend Caleb, Walter Catlett as a music instrument salesman that Eliza doesn’t like, Theodore Newton as a Union Army leader Major Harvey who speaks at the Quaker church, and as a trio of sisters whom Joshua meet in Edna Skinner, Majorie Durant, and Frances Farwell. Marjorie Main is wonderful as the very funny Hudsepth as a widow that Jess would meet as he would deal with her unique company as it include her daughters. Peter Mark Richman is terrific as Gard Jordan as a Union officer who is a family friend that has feelings for the Birdwell daughter Mattie. Robert Middleton is superb as Gard’s father Sam as a friend of the family who likes to have carriage races with Jess while being someone who understands the Birdwell’s view but also make him aware of a world that is ever-changing.
Richard Eyer’s performance as the youngest child called Little Jess is just one of those child performances that is just annoying to watch due to the fact that he’s over-acting at times and it doesn’t feel natural at all. Phyllis Love is excellent as Mattie Birdwell as the middle child who is eager to participate in some of the activities as the other young people she knows as she is also in love with Gard. Anthony Perkins is fantastic as Joshua as the eldest child who isn’t sure about wanting to fight as he doesn’t like violence and knows it is wrong to kill but finds himself realizing that something has to be done. Dorothy McGuire is amazing as Eliza Birdwell as a Quaker preacher who is the embodiment of everything the Quaker represents yet she has a sensitivity and grace that is just so radiant to watch as she is one of the film’s major highlights. Finally, there’s Gary Cooper in a remarkable performance as Jess Birdwell as a Quaker farmer who is aware of changing times as he also tries to maintain his values along with the idea of what to do in the face of war knowing that turning the other cheek isn’t a good thing.
Friendly Persuasion is a marvelous film from William Wyler that features great performances from Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire. It’s a period melodrama that play into the idea of non-violence and some of its fallacies along with some of the constraints of the Quaker faith despite being a bit heavy-handed and sentimental at times. In the end, Friendly Persuasion is a brilliant film from William Wyler.
William Wyler Films: (Straight Shootin’) - (Anybody Here Seen Kelly?) - (The Shakedown) - (Hell’s Heroes) - (A House Divided (1931 film)) - (Tom Brown of Culver) - (Counsellor at Law) - (Glamour (1934 film)) - (The Good Fairy) - (The Gay Deception) - (These Three) - (Dodsworth) - (Come and Get It) - (Dead End (1937 film)) - (Jezebel) - (Wuthering Heights (1939 film)) - (The Westerner) - (The Letter) - (The Little Foxes) - (Mrs. Miniver) - (Memphis Belle: A Story of Flying Fortress) - The Best Years of Our Lives - (Thunderbolt!) - (The Heiress) - (Detective Story (1951 film)) - (Carrie (1952 film)) - Roman Holiday - (The Desperate Hours) - (The Big Country) - Ben-Hur - (The Children’s Hour) - (The Collector (1965 film)) - (How to Steal a Million) - (Funny Girl) - (The Liberation of L.B. Jones)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur is the story of a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who is enslaved by the Romans following an accusation over an assassination attempt. Directed by William Wyler and screenplay by Karl Tunberg (with additional contributions by Gore Vidal, Maxwell Anderson, Christopher Fry, and S.N. Behrman), the film is a sprawling epic that explores a man trying to defy those who enslaved him and become a champion of the people as the titular character of Judah Ben-Hur is played by Charlton Heston. Also starring Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Hugh Griffith, and Haya Harareet. Ben-Hur is a tremendously rich and intense film from William Wyler.
The film revolves a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who is betrayed by a friend who is a Roman tribune where an accident involving a Roman governor has him and his family become slaves forcing the man to try and seek vengeance against his old friend. It’s a film that explores not just a man who would suffer because of a simple accident his sister made but also to see if he can do anything to help his people as well as those who have been oppressed by the Roman empire. At the same time, he watches from afar as he sees the journey that Jesus Christ would take as the two men would have paralleling storylines. Especially where Judah Ben-Hur would have encounters with Jesus Christ as questions about faith would emerge in Ben-Hur’s own journey as he tries to find his mother and sister.
The film’s screenplay starts off with Jesus Christ’s birth and minor events that preceded it as it relates to the rule of the Roman Empire. It then plays into the paralleling story of Christ doing his own duties for the world while Ben-Hur is inviting an old friend in Messala (Stephen Boyd), who has become a tribune for the Roman council, as he asks Ben-Hur about any Jews that have spoken against the empire. Ben-Hur refuses to name names where a parade in welcoming a new Roman governor ends with a simple accident when Ben-Hur’s sister Tirzah (Cathy O’Donnell) was looking from the roof as some tiles slipped and fell on the governor’s head. Tirzah and her mother Miriam (Martha Scott) would be sent away somewhere else while Ben-Hur is sold to slavery under Messala’s orders. Upon working as a rower at a galley for a Roman consul member, Ben-Hur copes with betrayal and suffering until the ship is attacked where he would save that member in Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) who would reward Ben-Hur by giving him his freedom and the chance to be adopted by Arrius.
While the journey that Ben-Hur would take from slavery and freedom would be fulfilling, there is still that conflict about who he is and his own faith which would prompt him to leave Arrius on amicable terms to try and return home. Even as Ben-Hur is more concerned with wondering what happened to his mother and sister as he would encounter more individuals such as Balthasar (Finlay Currie) and Sheik Ilderim (Hugh Griffith) as the latter learns of Ben-Hur’s reputation as a chariot racer who wants him to challenge Messala in an upcoming race. For Ben-Hur, it’s a moment of temptation to get revenge yet a reunion with an old servant’s daughter in Esther (Haya Harareet) would prompt him to think about what happened to his mother and sister as it leads to a climatic confrontation as well as an aftermath involving Jesus Christ. It is there that Ben-Hur not only copes with his faith but also in his questions into what God wants from him.
William Wyler’s direction is truly spectacular in terms of not just the scope of the presentation but also in how big the film is in its approach to the story. Shot partially on location in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios with additional locations in Libya and North Africa, Wyler goes for something that plays into a period of time where it is this conflict between the power of the Roman Empire and a simple community of Jews and Arabs. Much of the direction is presented in a very vast and wide canvas to play into how big the world was in those times where the sets of the cities such as Jerusalem and Rome are part of a world that is very unique. Wyler’s approach to wide shots help play into how vast it is. Even in some of the interiors of the sets where Wyler’s use of medium shots help play into how big things were including the galley ship where Ben-Hur was a rower for Arrius.
The direction does have some unique ideas of close-ups as it relates to the drama such as Ben-Hur’s love for his family as well as the growing attraction between himself and Esther. Yet, it’s in these extravagant sequences such as the film’s climatic chariot race scene that is among one of the film’s major highlights. Especially into what is at stake where the camera is capturing all of these moments as it features some second-unit work from Sergio Leone. It is a sequence that is very gripping where it’s also very dangerous into what Ben-Hur is trying to do. Yet, it is followed by events that play into not just what Ben-Hur was trying to look for but also some truths as it relates to his faith and what he had lost in his enslavement. Even as he would have more encounters with Jesus Christ as Wyler never shows that man’s face but rather as a mere presence that plays into Ben-Hur’s own journey to find himself and his questions of faith. Overall, Wyler creates a very sensational and enthralling film about a man who endures suffering as he tries to find a sense of hope through his devotion towards his faith.
Cinematographer Robert L. Surtees does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography that is filled with gorgeous colors for some of its exteriors in day and night as well as the interiors including some low-key lights for scenes where Ben-Hur returns to his house in its decayed form. Editors John D. Dunning and Ralph E. Winters does excellent work with the editing with its approach to fast-cutting for the film‘s chariot scenes along with other dazzling rhythmic cuts for some of its intense moments such as the battle on the sea. Art directors Edward C. Carfagno and William A. Horning, with set decorator Hugh Hunt, do brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of Ben-Hur‘s family home as well as the Roman prison and its palaces along with the vastness of the chariot stadium.
Costume designer Elizabeth Haffenden does fantastic work with the period costumes from the uniforms that the Roman soldiers wear to the robes that both the men and women wore at the time. The special effects work of A. Arnold Gillespie, Robert MacDonald, and Milo Lory is pretty good for some of the background effects for the scenes such as the naval battle and a few scenes that involve the opening sequence of Jesus Christ‘s birth. The sound work of Franklin Milton is terrific for the sound effects that are created as well as capturing some of the moments in the chariot race sequence. The film’s music by Miklos Rozsa is phenomenal for its bombastic and soaring orchestral score to play into the sense of adventure and action along with lush, string-based themes for some of the film’s dramatic moments as it’s a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Irene Howard is marvelous as it features notable small roles from George Relph as the Roman emperor Tiberius, Frank Thring as Pontius Pilate, Sam Jaffe as Esther’s father Simonides who is a loyal servant to the Ben-Hur family, Claude Heater in an un-credited appearance as Jesus Christ, and Finlay Currie in a terrific performance as Balthasar and the film’s narrator for its opening sequence. Martha Scott and Cathy O’Donnell are wonderful in their respective roles as Ben-Hur’s mother Miriam and sister Tirzah as two women whom Ben-Hur cares for as they were victims of a simple accident caused by Tirzah. Jack Hawkins is excellent as Quintus Arrius as a Roman consul who was intrigued by Ben-Hur’s appearance in his ship as he is later saved by the man whom he generously thanked while being one of the rare Romans that Ben-Hur cares for.
Hugh Griffith is amazing as Sheik Ilderim as a comical figure of sorts who invites Ben-Hur to his camp and support him in the chariot race as he is also a caring figure who wants to create an alliance between the Arabs and Jews. Stephen Boyd is fantastic as Messala as an old friend of Ben-Hur who later betrays him as he becomes a man devoted to the Roman Empire and later challenges him in the chariot race. Haya Harareet is brilliant as Esther as a former servant who had always been in love with Ben-Hur as she hopes to help him after his return as she also helps find out what happened to his mother and sister. Finally, there’s Charlton Heston in an incredible performance as the titular character as Heston brings a lot of intensity and humility to his role as a man who is betrayed and sold to slavery as he later tries to maintain his sense of faith in a trouble world as it’s one of his iconic performances.
Ben-Hur is a sensational film from William Wyler that features a towering performance from Charlton Heston. Along with a great supporting cast and amazing technical features, the film is truly an epic that lives up to its name and more. Even as it manages to do much more as it tells very compelling stories about faith and a man being tested for his devotion. In the end, Ben-Hur is a magnificent film from William Wyler.
William Wyler Films: (Straight Shootin’) - (Anybody Here Seen Kelly?) - (The Shakedown) - (Hell’s Heroes) - (A House Divided (1931 film)) - (Tom Brown of Culver) - (Counsellor at Law) - (Glamour (1934 film)) - (The Good Fairy) - (The Gay Deception) - (These Three) - (Dodsworth) - (Come and Get It) - (Dead End (1937 film)) - (Jezebel) - (Wuthering Heights (1939 film)) - (The Westerner) - (The Letter) - (The Little Foxes) - (Mrs. Miniver) - (Memphis Belle: A Story of Flying Fortress) - The Best Years of Our Lives - (Thunderbolt!) - (The Heiress) - (Detective Story (1951 film)) - (Carrie (1952 film)) - Roman Holiday - (The Desperate Hours) - Friendly Persuasion - (The Big Country) - (The Children’s Hour) - (The Collector (1965 film)) - (How to Steal a Million) - (Funny Girl) - (The Liberation of L.B. Jones)
© thevoid99 2015
