Ben-Hur (1959)
Short description
Ben-Hur is a classic 1959 epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. It is based on the 1880 novel by Lew Wallace and tells the story of a Jewish prince who is betrayed and sent into slavery by his adopted brother, but eventually returns to seek revenge.
The movie begins with Judah Ben-Hur (Heston) living in Jerusalem with his family. He is a wealthy prince who has been adopted by his childhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd). However, when Messala returns from Rome as a Roman tribune, he begins to oppress the Jews and Judah's family is arrested. Judah is sent into slavery on a Roman galley ship while his mother and sister are imprisoned.
Judah eventually escapes from slavery and makes his way back to Jerusalem where he meets an old friend, Sheik Ilderim (Jack Hawkins). With Ilderim's help, Judah enters a chariot race against Messala in order to win back his freedom. The race scene is one of the most iconic scenes in the movie and it features some of the most impressive stunt work ever put on film.
The rest of the movie follows Judah as he seeks revenge against Messala for what he did to him and his family. Along the way, he meets Jesus Christ (played by Claude Heater) who helps him find peace within himself. The movie culminates in an epic battle between Judah's forces and those of Messala which leads to an emotional conclusion that will leave you feeling satisfied yet moved at the same time.
Ben-Hur is an incredible achievement in filmmaking that stands out even today due to its grand scale production values, excellent performances from its cast, beautiful cinematography, and stirring score composed by Miklós Rózsa. It won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture which makes it one of only three films ever to do so. It's no wonder why this movie has become such an enduring classic over the years; it truly deserves all of its accolades!