Action Scene Cinematography
Chariot Scenes
When you think of Rome and Greece you think of gladiators, massive armies, and chariot races. Chariot races are staples in toga films due to their fast pace and risky nature. Filming techniques used to film them haven’t changed much from the close-ups of actor’s reactions or quick cuts to clashing wheels. The part that has evolved most is the content, the destruction and death-defying stunts pulled off by the heroes. With this improvement came better cinematography.
Ben-Hur (1926)
Ben-Hur (1926) shows off an amazing chariot scene. Ben-Hur is racing his childhood friend and now rival Messala. The scene opens by showing us the competitors and the massive scale of the track with a wide panning shot. We get lots of shots showing us all the racers making their first lap and a few shots taken from the perspective of the crowd cheering them on. As soon as Ben-Hur and Messala move to the front we begin to see lots of close-ups of the two of them because they are all we care about in the scene. We see them whipping their horses and tugging on the reigns. While these close ups show us the characters reactions, we are given a great visual as the chariots drive over the camera showing us the positions in the race. The shots are not always stable, and some are sped up while others aren’t which throws off pacing. There is a close-up of wheels colliding and one popping off. The techniques and angles used in this scene set the standard for what other filmmakers use in their chariot races. This scene was very far ahead of its time and is very good regardless of the few setbacks it has.
Ben-Hur (1959)
Ben-Hur (1959) is a major step up on the same base that Ben-Hur (1926) laid out. Ben-Hur is racing his childhood friend and now rival Messala. This scene shares many similar shots with the previous version of the movie. There are lots of close-ups of the actors and shots of wheels colliding. While in the previous version of this scene the camera stayed level for almost all the shots, the camera in this scene shakes with the horse’s hooves, emphasizing the power they have. The horse’s faces get close-up shots to show their focus and determination. We also get to see their hooves smashing into the ground again showing us their power. The stunts in this scene are very captivating, they are believable, and they add lots of suspense to the race. When Messala gets run over at the end of the scene, we can feel the power of the horses trampling him without a close-up because we have felt their strength before. Small details like that add to an already good scene. It is entertaining and scary thanks to excellent improvements in the cinematography techniques used.