Blu-ray Review Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Jon Lidolt]

I think the answer is quite obvious: There are many of us who want to see the film as originally composed and shot.  It is not the fault of Warner, MGM, Wyler, Heston, or anyone else that someday the movie was going to be viewed on infintesimally smaller screens than BH was intended to fill.  To accomodate viewers with smaller TVs as you describe would require altering the image in (to me) an absolutely undesirable fashion.  I own a 73" HDTV, and I for one am thrilled that I am going to be able to enjoy the full OAR in high definition.

 

Even when I watched previous video incarnations on significantly smaller screens I never wished the studio had trimmed the sides to offer more vertical resolution.  I'm happy I was able to see BEN-HUR in a large theatre decades ago (the way it was meant to be experienced), and I am equally enthusiastic about the new Blu-ray.  No nips or tucks for me, please.

 

 

If you really wanted to see the the original composition you'd opt for the 2.50 ratio. That's what the cameraman saw in the viewfinder: markings for image extraction when making 2.50 35mm prints. I know that 35mm anamorphic prints have a 2.35 ratio. However, these prints had very small black bars at the top and bottom of the 2.35 frame which resulted in a 2.50 ration in a standard 35mm equipped cinema. These viewfinder markings were also important so that 70mm houses which couldn't cope with the extreme Camera 65 image could crop the image slightly to fit their screens. I've worked in the business for years so I'm not just making this up. You can also check this out in the Widescreen Museum site or an old edition of the American Cinematographers Manual.

 

Did it play in 2.7 anywhere?

 

[john a hunter]

Did it play in 2.7 anywhere?

Presumably not as Robert Harris says quite clearly that it shown originally at about 2.55:1. The best chance for a wider showing would have been at Loews State in NY which was especially renovated for the world premeire. Apparently audiences were astonished at the width of the screen when the curtains opened. 2.55:1 or wider????. Is there any technical info around from that time?

 

[Alan Tully]

The picture is a bit of a strip, but everyone knows what to expect, it was the same with the DVD. I bet when it did the rounds (in the UK) it was shown at 2.35 & also cut, they always cut these epics shorter for general release then. I find that after a couple of minutes I've got used to it. I think it will be the same with Mutiny On The Bounty '62.

 

[Paul Rossen]

Presumably not as Robert Harris says quite clearly that it shown originally at about 2.55:1. The best chance for a wider showing would have been at Loews State in NY which was especially renovated for the world premeire. Apparently audiences were astonished at the width of the screen when the curtains opened. 2.55:1 or wider????. Is there any technical info around from that time?

I saw Ben-Hur at the Loews State and though the screen was the widest I had ever seen I can not be 100% certain whether Ben-Hur was shown at 2.55:1 or 2.76:1. Though I tend to believe that it was 2.76:1.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I received my UK 3-disc edition from Amazon.co.uk today, and can confirm that it plays perfectly on my US PS3. The third disc of supplements in particular plays in 1080p for the new Heston documentary. The rest of the disc, including the 1925 version of the film, plays back in 480p.

 

[Mark-P]

Good to hear. I pre-ordered mine from Amazon UK and still haven't received it. I hope that means it will be in my mailbox tomorrow!

I received my UK 3-disc edition from Amazon.co.uk today, and can confirm that it plays perfectly on my US PS3. The third disc of supplements in particular plays in 1080p for the new Heston documentary. The rest of the disc, including the 1925 version of the film, plays back in 480p.

 

[john a hunter]

I saw Ben-Hur at the Loews State and though the screen was the widest I had ever seen I can not be 100% certain whether Ben-Hur was shown at 2.55:1 or 2.76:1. Though I tend to believe that it was 2.76:1.

Thanks for those memories, Paul. I was taken to the Empire Theatre in London early 1960 to see Ben there. I was my first big picture and I can, like you,clearly remember the event. The screen seemed huge,but as to the shape, well? Later research showed that the Empire installed a new projection booth at the rear of the stalls(orchestra, I believe in the U.S) for this presentation so that to me would indicate 70mm projection but I also discovered that they had had earlier problems with getting 2.55:1 for Scope let alone 2.76:1, so who can be sure.

 

[Brian Sharp]

The Empire Leicester Square London installed 3 Philips DP70 projectors for Ben Hur and the projection booth was moved to the ground floor. There was at least one Camera 65 print in the UK and I would assume that it was screened at this theatre. I seem to remember that with the refurbishment and installation of 70mm it installed the largest screen in London at that time. Standard 70mm prints were used for screenings in other major cities throughout the UK. I must admit I would have preferred the 2.2:1 ratio of standard 70mm for the bluray release.

 

[Douglas R]

The Empire Leicester Square London installed 3 Philips DP70 projectors for Ben Hur and the projection booth was moved to the ground floor. There was at least one Camera 65 print in the UK and I would assume that it was screened at this theatre. I seem to remember that with the refurbishment and installation of 70mm it installed the largest screen in London at that time. Standard 70mm prints were used for screenings in other major cities throughout the UK. I must admit I would have preferred the 2.2:1 ratio of standard 70mm for the bluray release.

I didn't see the 1959 presentation at the London Empire but the cinema showed the film again in 70mm around about 1963 and I went to see it then (I'd previously seen it a couple of times in 35mm). The film was advertised as being the "last screening for many years" and "on the largest screen in Europe". It played in continuous performances but still had the Overture and Intermission music. I'm pretty sure that it must have been 2.76:1 because I remember thinking that I'd never seen such a wide screen. The Empire still has a 70mm projector in the projection booth (I saw it recently) but it's not in working order.

 

[SteveJKo]

....and I am equally enthusiastic about the new Blu-ray.  No nips or tucks for me, please.

 

 

Same here Dan. It's funny, all this talk of Ben-Hur being too wide for a "small" 50" display. I was given the widescreen videotape of Ben-Hur back in 1994. It's ultra wide shape was just one more reason for me to upgrade to an enormous 32" set (and yes, I was just so happy to finally see Ben-Hur on the "big screen"). I'm sure I'll be very pleased with this blu-ray on my "little" 50 inch plasma.

 

[PaulaJ]

I have a technical question and if this is not the right place for it, please direct me to the correct thread/forum area. Recently I've been noticing when watching Blu-ray discs, including The Sound of Music and the brand-new Ben-Hur, the kinds of problems I thought Blu-ray was supposed to do away with, notably, a lot of aliasing, moire and stairstepping (staircasing? not sure of the name). It's particularly bad in anything with stripes or lines close together. So I see wavy folds of fabric, wavy columns and wavy stripes on clothing. The headcoverings on Miriam and Tirza in Ben-Hur, for example, were really afflicted with this. I don't see anything like this when I watch an HD broadcast on my television... can a Blu-ray player break down somehow and start having problems dealing with the information on the discs? My player is a Pioneer Elite, BDP-05FD and it's about three years old. The firmware is up to date.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Have you checked your resolution settings? Many older BD players are set to either 480i or auto as the default setting, and you have to go into the menus to get up to full 1080p. I know this was the case with both my HD DVD player and my Sony BDP-S350 (I've since upgraded to the BDP-S580 BD 3D player). It might be worth checking out. Also, what are your connections between your BD player and the display?

 

[PaulaJ]

Stephen, I wish I knew what the connections were but the entire system was set up by the nice folks at Georgia Home Theater and they usually know what they're doing. This is only recent and I wonder if it has something to do with my updating the firmware on my Blu-ray player. Anyway, I will check on the 480i/auto setting. Thanks.

 

[john a hunter]

I didn't see the 1959 presentation at the London Empire but the cinema showed the film again in 70mm around about 1963 and I went to see it then (I'd previously seen it a couple of times in 35mm). The film was advertised as being the "last screening for many years" and "on the largest screen in Europe". It played in continuous performances but still had the Overture and Intermission music. I'm pretty sure that it must have been 2.76:1 because I remember thinking that I'd never seen such a wide screen. The Empire still has a 70mm projector in the projection booth (I saw it recently) but it's not in working order.

The 1963 release at the Empire would be at the "new" renovated theatre,one which I believe is still inexistance and one which I thought would be max screen area at 2.20:1.judging from all the 70mm I saw there up to 1980. I am pretty sure it could not go to 2.76:1 with out reducing the height which would have been a possibility. And as far as 2.20:1 goes, Brian, no way!!. 70mm presentations since the first release have been in that format and critical information is missing from the sides. Good to hear about the " original "Empire though.I always wondered.

 

[John Stockton]

I received my UK 3-disc edition from Amazon.co.uk today, and can confirm that it plays perfectly on my US PS3. The third disc of supplements in particular plays in 1080p for the new Heston documentary. The rest of the disc, including the 1925 version of the film, plays back in 480p.

Thanks for the confirmation. I was worried the standard def extras would not be playable in the US. Now I can order with ease.

 

[PaulaJ]

Stephen, thanks for the tip on checking on the resolution setting. Somehow it had indeed been changed to 480i and when I re-set it to 1080p -- ZOWIE! Huge change in the picture quality! Ben-Hur suddenly looked like the gorgeous Blu-ray I had anticipated -- crystal clear PQ and rock solid, no more aliasing or other effects. I saw Ben-Hur in New York City when I was a girl. My aunt took me to see it for my birthday -- it had been reissued into theaters. I bought a big program booklet at the theater and for months afterward I would look through the booklet gazing at all the photos, remembering how much I had loved that movie. I've seen it on the big screen again a couple of times since then. Watching it on a 60 inch monitor is not the same experience (obviously) but still... it's lovely to see in this wonderful new Blu-ray.

 

[RolandL]

The Audio ****The film's sound mix is provided courtesy of a DTS-HD MA lossless multi-channel encoding which provides the expected step-up in fidelity over the lossy Dolby Digital rendering from the previous DVD. I am not familiar enough with the original theatrical mix to comment on how this mix relates to it, so I will stick to non-relative objective observations. Dialog is well-recorded and normally narrowly presented in the center of the mix. Miklos Rozsa's music is also well served and is the prime beneficiary of the lossless encoding. Sound effects are aggressively dimensional, but not always recorded at the same level of quality as the music and dialog, which becomes most apparent during times when the mix gets aggressive and "busy" such as during the chariot race.

.

Sorry to hear that the dialog is only in the center channel. 70mm prints would normally have it spread across the five front channels.

 

[john a hunter]

Sorry to hear that the dialog is only in the center channel. 70mm prints would normally have it spread across the five front channels.

Not really as it is not just in the centre Roland. The dialog is directional when at the sides of the screen but there seems to be no panning of dialog across the screen when characters move. Still a fabulous transfer.

 

[Paul_Scott]

Been looking forward to this release, but since I was on the road for the last month, I figured I would just wait for some deals around BF. But in the meantime, I keep checking various e-tailers just in case a fluke price drop might happen. All of a sudden, Amazon no longer has it for sale (Item is under review?!), and the only option there is marketplace resellers for several $ more than Amazons previous price. The price also skyrocketed at DeepDiscount (if the msrp was $69.99, it's actually higher than msrp now). No bargain at DVD Empire either. And now it's listed as out of stock at WB's own shop! What's going on? I finally ended up getting it from B&N.com using a 20% off coupon (for Am Ex cardholders) which brought it down to about $40 before tax (final total $43.64). I still think this is a good candidate for some BF deals, but at this point I guess I just don't want to chance it. And in the scheme of things, $40 isn't outrageous for a package like this.