SPFX DEPT.

Scenes from BEN-HUR (1925)

The silent version of BEN-HUR is replete with special effects shots. They used matte paintings, practical effects and models interchangeably. It's sometimes difficult to say if, for example, the shot above (with a moving camera) is matte work or model work. But all of it is brilliantly executed giving the movie a grand scale that even the 1959 movie couldn't duplicate.