Ben-Hur (1959)

This is 3.5 hours long but who cares! It is fantastic and earns to be the only biblical film to win Best Picture! It won 10 others, too. (Titanic and Return of the King did this, too.) The story follows a Jewish man betrayed by his friend and vows revenge, but changes his mind when he meets Jesus. The chariot race is the best scene! The remake is good too but it can't compare to this masterpiece!

William Wyler's Presentation of Ben-Hur (1959) is by far the purest form of entertainment that I have ever seen! The great sea-battle and chariot race is by far what makes this film so epic in both scope and scale. The Acting, Production, Directing, Screen writing, Cinematography, Editing and Art Direction/Set Decoration are incredible. It cleaned up the Awards for a good reason. What makes it even more powerful and unique are the scenes that show Christ, but not his face (and voice neither heard).The movie is not only a Biblical Epic like Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments", but it is perhaps the first time we as an audience, have to observe the film from an artistic perspective, rather than being exposed to the entire message. The film moved me on many levels when I first watched in 2014, with both my Mother and later my Grandmother. Wyler puts us in a position where the film's main concept functions in both ways, both by listening and watching. The relationship between Messala and Judah Ben-Hur is a familiar parallel to the Civil War battles between the North and South, Ben- Hur's slavery at the Galley of Rowers is also similar to that issue with the South back in the time.The Film expresses its' meanings on many different levels, whether if it be on the topics of politics, faith, corruption, and friendship. For a 3 hr. Epic, This movie is worth the time. This is my all-time Number one Favorite Film!

Some movies are so good that they just haven't age. They are timeless, like any work of art. This is one of those movies, perhaps one of the best movies ever and surely one of the biggest and most epic biblical movies ever made. The story is based on a novel by Lew Wallace (which I have read and I have at home) and is so famous that it doesn't allow spoils: the injustice committed against Judah Ben-Hur and his path of revenge, deeply linked to the life and death of Jesus, a latent and ever palpable subplot, even when it does not arise. Epic in every detail, the film features scenarios and costumes carefully crafted in the style of Imperial Rome. Some sequences are truly anthological, as is the case with the chariot race. The representation of the Roman legionaries influenced for decades the conception that we have, individually, on how they were and fought. The visual and special effects used in the film were the best there was at the time and even today, more than half a century later, they're able to surprise by the realism. The color is vivid and intense, cinematography is truly imposing and accentuates the epic ambiance. As for the cast's work, it's definitely the movie of Charlton Heston's life. He not only became famous with it but made here the most remarkable character of his career. Steven Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott and Hugh Griffith also shone. It's a long movie, but the audience gets so caught up in it that they don't even feel the time go by. Wonderful!

This is simply my favorite Movie in every way, if you happen to read the Bible, than you understand the message, which is,as the Movie says (a Tale of Christ) the centerpiece of this Epic Work. You watch and cant stop wonder how they managed to create all the special effects at that time (1959), without PC's and all the kind of techniques we use today and still capture your attention from the very beginning, not to mention the music, what a magic, it's indescribably beautiful and deep, Charleston Heston, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet and all other actors made with their great performance this Masterpiece unforgettable, their journey through family, friendship, love, hatred, despair, suffering,revenge and finally peace, redemption and forgiveness is magical, as the Life of the Christ was and for those who believe, is, this was the first Movie I saw in theater years ago and no other ever touched me this way and we all know good Movies has been made since then, but still, this is beyond comprehension, if you are able to watch and believe in Christ with all your heart