Posts: 8,090
Threads: 505
Joined: Jan 2005
Reputation:
0
1907 and 1925. Here's a cracking review of the 1907 version:
Quote:I saw the first (1907) Ben Hur about 25 years ago in a film society back to back double feature with the Charlton Heston version. My memories are therefore fragmentary.
The film should be called "Illustrated scenes from the life of Ben Hur" as it really doesn't try to tell the story in the time available. If you hadn't read the book you wouldn't know what was going on. One of my recollections is my wife nudging me and saying "there's the tile that's going to fall". Above the rather pathetic and bored looking extras (showing off their knees in Roman army costume) one roof tile was very different from the rest - it wasn't painted onto the set!! Sure enough, Ben Hur leaned rather obviously on this brick.
The chariot race sticks in my mind too. A bunch of extras starts jumping up and down and two chariots race by the camera. The extras calm down and look bored for a while then start jumping up and down for the next rapid pass of two chariots. I can't remember how many times this was repeated, we were all laughing so hard that tears were running down my face.
It is mercifully short, and interesting to compare with the 1925 big budget spectacular (also silent of course) which foreshadows the third version with amazing special effects.
[url:39967qwy]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000582/[/url]
And the 1925 version here:
[url:39967qwy]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016641/[/url]
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
Platean ladies whacked the Theban elite hoplites with rooftiles!
Some respect for rooftiles please :lol:
Kind regards
Posts: 8,090
Threads: 505
Joined: Jan 2005
Reputation:
0
Yeah, but they meant it. Poor old Judah slipped and saw a lot of the sea.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
Posts: 976
Threads: 82
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
3
Quote:Platean ladies whacked the Theban elite hoplites with rooftiles!
Some respect for rooftiles please Laughing
Kind regards
not to mention the death of Pyrrhus!
Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
Yes Dan, avoiding roof tiles was part of the drill :lol:
Jim, slipping is no excuse for refusing a cruise arround the Meditteranean, with the compliments of the Roman Navy :twisted:
Kind regards
Posts: 1,095
Threads: 98
Joined: May 2002
Reputation:
0
Apropos of how Hollywood works, this is an interesting PDF article where the author analyzes the original first Franzoni's draft of the script "Gladiator", the second and revised Logan's draft and the final Scott's claw, who mostly ignored the two
previous scripts...
How the producers took that facing such a fait accompli (if it was so) ? :wink:
[url:3q7qjxns]http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/historyofrome/NKL1.pdf[/url]
Valete,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini
... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...
Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
![[Image: PRIMANI_ban2.gif]](http://web.tiscali.it/iulianevivas/PRIMANI_ban2.gif)
Posts: 1,587
Threads: 75
Joined: Jul 2001
Reputation:
0
Quote:You must have been lucky!! I´ve seen a few History Channel doc. that maked me wanna cry!! Vikings in fur and cross laced legbindings (you could almost se a goast of hornes on the helmet and hear Vagner in the background. dadadadaaada dadadaaaaaaaada....)
Aëtius aganst the huns and the Roman army timejumped straight from 9 AD (At least I got the impression that I know what happened to the lost legions...)
and this was just two examples!
 If you are talking about the one I think you are talking about I loaned the 'studio' proper helmets, a draco standard made by Michael Simkins and spathae, as well as instructions for making period Roman shields, and proper belts, with an example and address for suppliers....(all I asked and received was postage, insurance and a copy of the production video).
They had the equipment, but decided not to use it, because the helmets didn't look very Roman and the draco wasn't an eagle. :roll:
It wasn't about cost, that's for darn sure! When I saw the video, (after getting my equipment back in great shape), I just sat, stunned. I may have even shed a tear... (the "Barbarians" were using some of the spathae) :evil:
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
Posts: 8,090
Threads: 505
Joined: Jan 2005
Reputation:
0
Has anyone seen A Cock and Bull Story, with Steve Coogan and Gillian Anderson, which mixes the 18thC story of the the main character, Tristram Shandy, with the actual making of the film? There's an "historical advisor" played by The Fast Show's Mark Williams who's hilarious - he's a re-enactor as well in the film. In one scene he's getting an autograph from the star, and he asks the group of actors and production people what they thought of Cold Mountain. They're a bit hesitant to start with, and mumble "Very good" and the like, and then he asks something like,
"What did you think of the battle scene?"
"Well, errmmm.."
"No, no, be honest! That big explosion and everything?"
"Very good, it was..."
"SHITE!!!!!!!"
By the end, the costume designer, who gave 18thC soldiers 17th costumes, is constantly in tears when the crew are watching rushes and it gets pointed out by the director that the costumes "are a hundred years too early".
addendum: I actually remember thinking early on in the film "They look Cromwellian?" :?
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
Posts: 1,966
Threads: 79
Joined: Apr 2005
Reputation:
22
Quote:Has anyone seen A Cock and Bull Story, with Steve Coogan and Gillian Anderson, which mixes the 18thC story of the the main character, Tristram Shandy, with the actual making of the film? There's an "historical advisor" played by The Fast Show's Mark Williams who's hilarious - he's a re-enactor as well in the film. In one scene he's getting an autograph from the star, and he asks the group of actors and production people what they thought of Cold Mountain. They're a bit hesitant to start with, and mumble "Very good" and the like, and then he asks something like,
Hi Jim
This sounds very much like a remake of the Alan Alda movie 'Sweet Liberty'
Byron
I am puzzled. You are laughing at Russell Crowes armour in this thread. presumably because it is not based on any archaeological evidence. Yet in another thread you argue that Centurions can wear lorica segmenta based on the same lack of archaeological evidence. :wink:
Graham
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
Posts: 8,090
Threads: 505
Joined: Jan 2005
Reputation:
0
Quote:Hi Jim
This sounds very much like a remake of the Alan Alda movie 'Sweet Liberty'
Hi Graham, the premise is similar, but they really are two entirely different films, and the historical character is just as much a main character of the plot as the movie main character.
Don't forget The French Lieutenant's Woman.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
Posts: 565
Threads: 88
Joined: Jan 2006
Reputation:
0
Quote: If you are talking about the one I think you are talking about I loaned the 'studio' proper helmets, a draco standard made by Michael Simkins and spathae, as well as instructions for making period Roman shields, and proper belts, with an example and address for suppliers....(all I asked and received was postage, insurance and a copy of the production video).
They had the equipment, but decided not to use it, because the helmets didn't look very Roman and the draco wasn't an eagle. :roll:
It wasn't about cost, that's for darn sure! When I saw the video, (after getting my equipment back in great shape), I just sat, stunned. I may have even shed a tear... (the "Barbarians" were using some of the spathae) :evil:
AW MAN! That really must have sucked! So much for trying, eh!
|
