Ben Hur Analysis

I agree with Jeffrey Richards that Ramon Novarro looks more like the 17-year-old boy Ben Hur is supposed to be at the start of the story than Charlton Heston. I also agree with Richards' statement that the 1926 version of Ben Hur developed the relationship between Esther and Ben Hur better than the 1959 version, the relationship between the two felt more natural and real in the 1926 version, whereas it felt more stilted and awkward in the 1959 version. Not to mention that, whenever there was a scene between Ben Hur and Esther it always felt 'rapey' and uncomfortable.
When comparing both versions of the sea battles Richards' felt that the 1926's version was "more convincing", and I have to agree with him there too, as though it was shot well and with quite a lot of suspense, you could tell that the ships weren't real and that brought some of that suspense down.
Richards' also believed that the chariot scenes were on par with one another, however, for whatever reason I felt more interested in the 1959 version, and I was on the edge of my seat even though I knew Ben Hur would win.

In his brief analysis and comparison, I wish that Richards had talked more in depth about not only the different between the 1926 versions and the 1959 version in the way they portrayed the relationship between Esther and Ben Hur, but also the difference between both versions in the way they portrayed the relationships between Ben-Hur and his mother and sister, between him and the consul that eventually adopted him and especially the difference in the relationship between him and Messala.