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benhur

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The author, Miles Mathis, reviews and offers opinions on the films Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments, having rewatched them after several decades. He notes that Charlton Heston, who starred in both, appeared older than his age, attributing it to heavy smoking and a general observation about how “promoted people from the families do not in general age very well.” Mathis argues that Ben Hur is a superior film to The Ten Commandments, praising director William Wyler over Cecil B. DeMille, despite DeMille’s greater fame. He criticizes The Ten Commandments for being “cheesy” due to DeMille’s apparent lack of respect for female characters, citing Anne Baxter’s portrayal of Queen Nefertiri as “too modern and catty.” The costuming in Ben Hur is deemed better, while The Ten Commandments’ costuming, particularly Yul Brynner’s Ramses’ footwear, is called “ridiculous.”

Casting is also discussed, with Heston being described as “wooden” but having a commanding presence with the right wig, and Brynner having an “Egyptian look.” However, Anne Baxter is seen as miscast, and Vincent Price is also considered badly miscast. The author speculates on Heston’s consistent short hair in both films, contrasting it with the long hair of Jesus in Ben Hur and the comical wig Heston wears in The Ten Commandments after seeing God.

A significant portion of the review delves into the supposed gay subtext in Ben Hur, attributed to writer Gore Vidal’s admission that he wrote Judah’s boyhood relationship with Messala to be gay. Vidal claimed Stephen Boyd (Messala) was aware, but Heston was not, a claim Mathis disputes, believing Heston must have been aware and that the story about Heston being a homophobe is false. Mathis argues this gay angle detracts from Judah’s relationships with female characters, making them unconvincing.

Mathis then shifts to a deeper analysis of Ben Hur, suggesting that despite its subtitle “A Tale of the Christ,” Christ plays a minimal role, and the film is primarily for and about Jews. He traces this back to the book’s author, Lewis Wallace, whom Mathis identifies as a “crypto-Jew” and links him to prominent families and historical figures like William Wallace and Mel Gibson. He also connects wallace to other figures named wallace, including Alfred Russel Wallace, Chris Wallace, David Foster Wallace, George Wallace, Henry Wallace, and Biggie Smalls. Further genealogical connections are made through wallace’s mother-in-law, Zerelda Gray Sanders, linking to Ben Franklin.

The author extends this critique to The Ten Commandments, arguing it’s also a Jewish myth tailored to their needs, and that Moses’ story doesn’t make logical sense. He proposes that Moses was not a Hebrew slave but part of the Egyptian royal house, possibly of the Hyskos dynasty, who worshipped Set. He suggests Moses and Ramses were allies rather than enemies, with Moses acting as an emissary to Canaan. Mathis believes the biblical narrative and DeMille’s film are covers for this true history, and that Jews have historically manipulated narratives to portray themselves as victims. He argues this “big lie” is perpetuated in Hollywood, with individuals from “nobody families” actually being “American royalty.”

The essay concludes with a lengthy personal anecdote, presented as an addendum, detailing Mathis’s experiences with people consistently underestimating his age. He contrasts his youthful appearance with Charlton Heston’s aged look at the same age, linking it again to his belief about “goy-lad” versus “crypto-Jew” aging. He also shares an anecdote about an inspiring swimmer and discusses his motivations for writing and sharing his stories, framing it as a necessity due to his lack of mainstream promotion and the “projects against me.”

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