Richard's Analysis of Ben-Hur

For the most part, I agreed with Richard's analysis. There are certain things he could have elaborated on. For instance, he mentions that Jesus is only shown with his hands and feet, but doesn't mention how this avoided controversy and was a similar tactic used by 19th century stage directors. I found some of the historical points interesting and I wished he would have elaborated on historical context. He mentions Mussolini and the idea of Christianity and Rome being at odds, but he never talks about how using the story of Ben-Hur represents Christian ideals for the viewer. I also thought that the new camera techniques they used in this film (like the shot taken from underneath the horses during the chariot race scene) were fascinating. He mentions that the 1959 version is typically less liked by movie critics than the earlier Ben-Hur, even though I'm assuming they had much better technology in 1959. I would have liked to hear more about how the earlier Ben-Hur film did all these things despite a lack of technology (sometimes this was just chance, I understand, like how the big boat fire added to a sense of realism). I also noticed the pigeon vs. dove detail, and I think it's important to differentiate because doves symbolize peace and white often symbolizes purity, and this might have been important to the movie's general theme of pacifism.