Today the announcements about the 49th New York Film Festival just keep on coming. As part of the festival's Masterworks series, the Film Society is excited to screen two classic pieces of cinema history: William Wyler's sword-and-sandal epic Ben-Hur (1959) and Nicholas Ray's underseen experimental film We Can't Go Home Again (1973).
William Wyler's Ben-Hur will be screened via a recently restored 8K Digital print that returns the film to its original aspect ratio. The film won a whopping 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Charlton Heston in one of his most famous film appearances. Do not miss this opportunity to see the most exciting chariot race in cinematic history the way it was meant to be seen: on the big screen!
Nicholas Ray, most famous for directing Rebel Without a Cause (1955), did not direct a single film for ten years after collapsing on set in 1963—he had long battled drug and alcohol addiction. During this hiatus he met Dennis Hopper, who set him up with a gig teaching filmmaking at Binghamton University in upstate New York. There he collaborated with students from 1971-1973 to create the seldom-seen experimental and loosely autobiographical We Can't Go Home Again. Shown at Cannes in 1973, Ray continued to edit it until his death in 1979. The screening will featured a stunning digital restoration undertaken by Ray’s widow, Susan Ray, President of The Nicholas Ray Foundation, in close collaboration with the EYE Film Institute Netherlands and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Academy Film Archive. North American premiere.
The 49th New York Film Festival will run from September 30 to October 16. Film Society members and patrons will have the opportunity to buy advance and discount tickets to the festival. To enjoy these special benefits, join today by clicking here. Tickets will be on sale to the general public starting September 12.
Check back for more updates and information about the 49th New York Film Festival here.
