STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 249, 11 January 1928, Page 13

STRAND

“BEN HUR” CONTINUES On Friday, “Ben EL'ur” will commence its fifth wonderful week at the Strand Theatre. From a purely spectacular point of view, “Ben Hur” is a tremendous achievement. All Auckland should see the chariot race, and all Auckland will be thrilled to its heart’s content. We are told that the Circus Maximus, built up for the purpose of the film twice over—once in Rome, and again, owing to labour troubles there, in California—was a solid reconstruction of a Roman circus capable of seating 80,000 people. We can well believe it. There is an air of reality about the whole thing—the lavishly decorated arena, the vast crowds, the 12 chariots themselves, each with its team of four fiery steeds. We are gradually drawn into the very midst of all this seething, frenzied humanity and straining, galloping horseflesh. Our hearts are in our mouths as the chariots go careering round the sharp bends in the arena, as the wheels lock and wrench, and the overturned chariots pile on top of each other. Technically, photographically, and in the daring of its conception, this chariot race is surely one of the biggest things in “suspense scenes,” as the film-makers call them, that one remembers to have seen.

Possibly, the most eloquent criticism of “Ben Hur” as a screen drama lies in the very fact that this highly spectacular conflict, together with the breathless fight between the pirates and the Roman trireme wherein the young Prince of Hur served as a gal-ley-slave, take pride of place before the more human, more personal elements of the famous story. There is no denying the vastness of Mr. Niblo’s canvas nor the pictorial beauty of his vision. There are scenes in the crowded streets of Jerusalem that have all the hot and jostling atmosphere of the East. The great triremes, with their three-tiered sweep of oars, cutting majestically through calm seas, have an impressive dignity. Nor can one deny the reverence with which the Scriptural episodes have been handled. Some of the opening chapters, indeed, show a very lovely simplicity of treatment.

Undoubtedly, both Ramon Novarro as the Prince of Hur, and Francis Bushman as his Roman antagonist are well chosen, picturesque and plucky. Preceding the photoplay is a beautiful atmosphere prologue, during which Mr. Birrell O’Malley sings “The Star of Bethlehem.” The Strand Symphony Orchestra, specially augmented for the season, plays the original musical score for “Ben Hur,” and adds much to the attractiveness of the film.