43 million dollars! For 66 years, this masterful scene was the most expensive in the history of cinema

What is the most expensive scene in the history of cinema? From Titanic to The Avengers via Jurassic World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars 7 and even Indiana Jones 5, modern blockbusters have pushed the boundaries in terms of greenbacks spent.

As a rule, these blockbusters have a huge budget that exceeds 200 million dollars. Also, if The Force Awakens is the most expensive movie of all time, with an estimated cost of 447 million, it does not necessarily contain the most expensive scene in history.

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To find it, you have to take a big leap in time! 66 years ago in 1959, the large mural 3h32, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: Ben-Hur! This remarkable classic, which won 11 Oscars, tells the story of the prince of Judah, Judah Ben-Hur, played by Charlton Heston.

The latter finds his childhood friend Messala, who has arrived at the head of the Jerusalem garrison. But their friendship cannot withstand their different characters. When a rock falls from the balcony of the Ben-Hur family home, nearly killing the governor who is parading below, Messala betrays her friend, whom she knows is innocent, by sending her to the galleries and throwing her mother and sister in prison. Ben-Hur then vows to regain his freedom and prepares his revenge.

The film especially forged its legend thanks to the legendary chariot race sequence! It still holds the record for the most expensive scene in the history of cinema. Two years of preparation, 3 months of filming, thousands of extras, 82 horses, lavish sets, special costumes, a dedicated infirmary… The Chariot Race, which lasts 11 minutes, is a real miracle of cinema, the cost of which turned out to be very steep!

Stop the cart, William!

At the time, director William Wyler had a very comfortable budget of around $10 million. However, Ben-Hur would quickly exceed its budget and become a pharaonic project. The film will cost 15 million in the end! It was a colossal budget at the time, making it the most expensive feature film ever.

However, it will make 90 at the worldwide box office, spending more than enough. Adjusted for inflation, the total cost of the work will be around $160 million in 2025, a budget comparable to films like Dune or The Batman.

As for the chariot race scene, it cost a modest amount of 4 million GEL, or a quarter of the total budget of the film! If we adjust for inflation, the sequence would have required a bank break of up to $43 million! Note that the arena was built at Cinecittà in Rome.

More than 1,000 workers participated in the construction of this phenomenal environment. It was 610 meters long and 20 meters wide, on an area of ​​70,000 square meters, with 4 statues 30 meters high. The production spent lavishly to offer us this epic and fascinating scene, which is still the most expensive scene in the history of cinema.