Jesus, chariots, and mountains

We've been trying to catch up with our current dvd rentals, so last night it was Ben Hur and this evening Cold Mountain. First Ben Hur: possibly the longest story that never needed to be told. Okay, so we all know it's a very long film, but when you have to pause to re-settle your baby repeatedly it makes it last a lifetime! Of course, it would be a much shorter film if everyone... didn't... move... so... slowly... and... pause... before... every... line... It felt very stylised, almost reverent. And parts of it were oddly familiar if you've ever seen Gladiator/Spartacus/The Life of Brian/anything with Charlton Heston in. Most baffling was the presence of Jesus! It begins with a little bit about Jesus' birth and says it's 'A story of the Christ' but turns out to be about a guy who gets screwed over by his childhood friend, humiliates and kills him in a chariot race yadda, yadda, yadda, then Jesus (who doesn't utter a single line) turns up at the end and makes Judah Ben Hur feel all nice inside. Wierder than it sounds. Also, had to stop it at midnight- just abouts at the point when Jesus turned up- to finish it up when we had more strength to face it!
This evening Elodie settled a lot quicker (I think the controlled crying is getting through to her...?) so we got to finish up the end of Ben Hur and move on to Cold Mountain, which was better than either of us anticipated, but one of those films you couldn't recommend to just anyone, and that would need a little disclaimer: it's a good film but there's some pretty uncomfortable viewing. In particular there's one bit that I'll find hard to shake, but there was not much that I would call gratuitous. The tone of the film is such that you never feel attracted to the evil in it, and the violence is never presented as exciting or anything other than horrible. Renee Zelwegger was pretty darn good, and had all the best lines. Might give her a second chance. Next up it's The Right Stuff, of course if we have to watch it in stages like we did with Ben Hur it could be weeks before we get to the end...