Charlton Heston, 1924-2008

Philadelphia Inquirer: Heroes who endure upheaval to protect what is precious is a theme that ran through the career of Charlton Heston, who died Saturday at 84.

In “The Ten Commandments,” he was born an Israelite, tried to be a good Egyptian, and turned out to be Moses. In “Ben-Hur,” he started as a Hebrew, tried being a galley slave, became a Christian, and, as in “The Ten Commandments,” had a brush with the divine.

In “Touch of Evil,” he began as a Mexican cop on honeymoon with his dishy American bride, and ended up (”This isn’t the real Mexico. You know that.”) doing battle with evil itself. In “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” his reluctant, heroic Michelangelo set a record for lying down on the job.

Space traveler

In “Planet of the Apes,” he began as a space traveler, discovered he was a time traveler, and screamed when he tripped over the remains of the Statue of Liberty.

His handsome heroes often spoke to God, or God to them. They were not afraid to fight. Many of his films, whether biblical, Western, or sci-fi, shared this theme: We have something precious, it’s under threat, and we need our heroes to protect it.

His career declined with age and with his country’s growing cynicism about heroes. Outspoken on behalf of civil rights as a young man, Heston became the spokesman for the National Rifle Association in 1998. Some saw that as a contradiction, others not. Maybe he was simply looking for the next way to be a hero, to protect what’s precious.