Richards’ analysis of Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Richards' comments on Ben-Hur (1925) give a brief synopsis of production, movie itself, and praise it  thereafter. He talks about how the 1925 version of Ben-Hur stays more true to the novel than the 1959 remake. A few of the key developement said to have been left out of the 1925 adaptation were romance developement between Ben-Hur and Esther, the character of Iras as a whole, and the subplot of Simonides building a fortune in Antioch. I'd have to agree with all of Richard's praises, such as the gruesomeness, sea battle, chariot races, and director Niblo's overall production. I especially like the comment, "man's inhumanity to man," when referencing the film's grimness and portrayal of Roman rule. I'm suprised he did not go into more depth on the use of tints, and Technicolor scenes. He does partially state that all of the Biblical shots are in Technicolor but doesn't go into anymore detail. Considering how every tint had a purpose or was related to the scene in some way, I think it should not have been reduced to a single sentence.