Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Ben-Hur analysis
Richards analysis of Ben-Hur argues that Ramon Navarro is a more suitable Ben-Hur and I agree with this because Heston doesn't have the physical qualities of the underdog characteristic Ben-Hur portrays. Surprisingly, the color shots in the shades of pink, red, blue and yellow where not mentioned in his analysis yet they were very big for the time representing big moments from the bible.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Richards mentions the use of Technicolor and tinting (p. 45), but he doesn't go into any detail. He doesn't even seem to notice, that Young Arrius' triumphal entry into Rome was also shot in Two-Strip Technicolor. I wish he'd have discussed the symbolism of that decision, given that all the other Technicolor scenes deal with Jesus.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the choice between Heston and Navarro, I agree with your analysis. Fred Niblo himself, of course, didn't have that choice anyway. He decided to go with Ramon Navarro instead of George Walsh (you saw his photo as a Neo-Greek discus thrower a la Myron's statue in the "The Making Of ... " documentary). I would have liked to know why Niblo decided to get rid of George Walsh, the original choice of Goldwyn's head scriptwriter June Mathis.
ReplyDeleteI looked up how tall George Walsh was, and at 6 feet versus Navarro's 5'6", he was clearly not as great a choice to portray the young Judah Ben Hur, who is only 17 years old at the start of the novel.
ReplyDelete