I got _Ben-Hur_ from NetFlix yesterday.
Like _Spartacus_ before it, I am taking the time to go through the "commentaries" track.
These were movies I saw on TV as a kid, cut up with commercials, trimmed to fit both the screen and the time allotted.
What a difference, to hear these masters of their craft talk about what they were doing to make things work.
These kinds of "epics" were scrutinized from every angle, took years to film, and employed the best of the best (even breaking the Hollywood blacklist).
Anyway, enjoy.