Ben-Hur

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Ben-Hur

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Ben-Hur

Charlton Heston, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith, Jack Hawkins, Martha Scott, Stephen Boyd

In the time of Christ, a Jew suffers mightily under the Romans.

Id: 10154017

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Ben-Hur Recent Reviews
  • pier007
    December 31, 2008
    pier007
    The mammoth of cinema that squashed for good the then rising menace of television, proclaiming its superiority in every scale.
    An astonishing, lavish, gigantic display of entertainment and dramatic intensity.
    Also the biggest winner of Academy Awards, when they meant something.
  • sanjurosamurai
    July 11, 2008
    sanjurosamurai
    one of the great epics of all time. re-watchability is effected by its 3 1/2 hour length, but other than this the film is nearly perfect. the chariot race is a stagering feat, the performances, locations, and cinematography are astounding, and the story is inspiring. great rev...( read more)erence is paid to Christ in making him voiceless and faceless and the imagery of his death bringing life is perfectly painted. worthy of its 11 oscars, this film is wonderful.
  • hobster1
    June 10, 2008
    hobster1
    Classic.
  • AgentLexi2132
    May 5, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    ''Your eyes are full of hate, forty-one. That's good. Hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength.''


    When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

    Charlton Heston: Judah Ben-Hur

    <...( read more)b>Jack Hawkins: Quintus Arrius

    Ben-Hur won 11 Academy Awards, and deserved all, plus more. The script and Stephen Boyd should have won. Actually everyone in the cast is superb. Boyd gives the performance of a lifetime and makes an excellent adversary, for Ben-Hur.

    Their early scenes, scripted by Gore Vidal, exhibit a most settle homo-erotic behavior, featuring Boyd's eye glances, a "toast" scene where they wrap their arms around each other, culminating in a scene of two arrows in a wall as phallic symbols. Later the relationship sours, Heston is a slave who becomes a hero, but his mother and sister are in prison, and he returns to see Boyd. A towering chariot race ensues, ending their relationship, but sending Ben-Hur on a daring mission to locate his family, now in a leper colony.
    Haya Harareet transcends in and out as a lovely potential love interest, but special mention must be made of Martha Scott, riveting as the mother, and Cathy O'Donnell, a sweet attribute as the daughter.

    Any doubts about Heston's acting abilities are forever erased with his sensitive, gripping portrayal of a man who finds Christ. And it is very touching that he's not looking for love, but his loved and special family.

    The 40-minute race took three months to shoot, in an arena that was a year in the making, and was one of the most ambitious sets ever staged by a major Hollywood studio. It forms the focal point of the movie.

    A powerful masterpiece, beautifully scored by Miklos Rozsa, wonderfully directed by William Wyler and co-starring stalwarts Jack Hawkins, Hugh Griffith, Sam Jaffe. Presumably the best of all the Biblical adventures.
  • EarthlyAlien
    January 16, 2008
    EarthlyAlien
    Perfection in the art of filmmaking. The list of films and directors whose work is influenced by this film is endless...
  • Yelverton
    November 13, 2009
    Yelverton
    One of the best films ever made.
  • michaelcorleone
    November 13, 2009
    michaelcorleone
    The magnitude of this production makes it a must-see for film buffs. A gargantuan, thrilling historical epic that set the record for most Oscar wins (eleven) until the release of Titanic in 1997. An ambitious adventure picture filled with exciting set pieces, it is also an artist...( read more)ically crafted work with plenty of unforgettable images.
  • InfamousHugo
    November 5, 2009
    InfamousHugo
    BEN-HUR (1959)
    dir. William Wyler
    cast. Charleston Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins

    As a child I thought this and The Ten Commandments were the same film. You cant blame a kid if he cant make the difference between two overlong-religious-themed epics starring Ch

    ...( read more)arlton Heston, can you ? Ben-Hur is quite a great achievement on a technical level. All departments are at their best. Its a gorgeous film to look at, but unfortunately, I couldnt get into it. Its not because of the theme.

    At 224 minutes, it is a very long film, not nearly as engaging as it should be, but there are some great moments of filmmaking. The chariots race is a classic. Its exciting, suspenseful, even by today's standards. There are some subplot elements that are extremely interesting, involving the son of God, Jesus himself, and we never see his face. Good decision.

    Ben-Hur isnt a small epic, it is grand, it is huge. The sets are enormous, the shots are wide, the plot is over-dramatic and one would think it deserved to be the first film to win 11 Oscars. It might have deserve all that praise, but one big flaw, the reason I couldnt get into this: Charleston Heston. Take a two-by-four and the acting wont be as wooden. I usually dont mind Heston, Planet of the Apes is a personal favorite of mine, but in a film as ambitious as The Ten Commandments I would have liked to see a better actor. Still, I have nothing but respect for this film, despite some unintentionally campy moments, but it influenced many directors and set a standard for action sequences.
  • jpdd751
    November 3, 2009
    jpdd751
    This movie is the best movie featuring the Ancient Period. Heston does a great job getting through agony and defeating his enemies. The chariot race is the essecence of the movie. My favorite part of this movie is the protrayal of Jesus. I love that he pratically saved Judah from...( read more) himself and that you never get to see his face.
  • hugenymetsfan
    November 2, 2009
    hugenymetsfan
    One of the best epics of all time! Check out the chariot races
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