BEN-HUR

REVIEWED BY DALLAS SHIPP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements, violence

Rated:

What do you get when you take a tragic tale of revenge and wind it around the life of Jesus Christ? 'Ben-Hur: A Story of Christ.' Hailed by many top critics as one of the true crown jewels of all films, Ben-Hur is a thrilling epic of mammoth proportions. Quite likely the greatest film ever made. Some of this film's vital specs tend to speak for themselves. Things like its 14 million dollar budget (ten times that today when you add inflation), thousands of cast members, and the record setting award of 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. When watching Ben-Hur, you find it pretty incredible to believe that MGM managed to shoot the film's awesome action sequences without "'modern' equipment and special effects. This epic brought out the real blood and guts required for classic moviemaking. (Not literally, of course.)

Shot in stunning color just when the industry was starting to turn in their black and white cameras, this film was a landmark in filmmaking history. It pioneered special effects techniques, new filmmaking equipment, and the environment that made a film genuinely larger than life. Ben-Hur became a legend in its own time, and continues to live on today. Charlton Heston has always been one of my favorites in film and his performance as the vengeful Judah Ben-Hur is definitely the greatest of his career. Stephen Boyd is wonderful as the cruel Messala, and the comic Welshman Hugh Griffith is fun to watch in his award winning role as Sheik Ilderim. 

One of the most impressive things about Ben-Hur is that most of the sets you see in the film are to scale. This movie featured exquisite performances all around, as well as a state of the art stage for it's actors. It won Oscars for Best Set and Art Decoration, as well as Best Costume Design. Set in the turbulent political world at the time of Christ, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish patriot, has come to welcome his boyhood Roman friend Messala who has just taken charge of the Jerusalem garrison. Messala fears Jewish zealots who oppose the Roman rule, and tries to get Judah to betray them. When Judah refuses, Messala is outraged. 

After a freak accident during a tour by the Roman governor, Ben-Hur and his family are accused and condemned by their old friend, Messala. Judah's mother and sister are hauled away, and Judah is sentenced to row himself to death on the Roman galleys. Messala is confident in Judah's immanent death, but Judah has just enough time to vow that he will return and have his vengeance on Messala's cruelty to his family. Judah's determination for revenge and his faith in God help him survive his labor on the deadly galleys, and in a strange twist of fate, move to Rome as the adopted son of a Roman official. Suddenly Judah has the power to have his revenge, but realizes that all he really wants is to have his family restored. After encountering Christ on several occasions, Judah Ben-Hur begins to find the spiritual peace he has been longing for all his life. 

The religious aspects of Ben-Hur are slightly downplayed, but still very moving. For instance, they show the crucifixion of Christ, but not His resurrection. Still, the story of Christ as the Son of God is a wonderful backdrop for Ben-Hur. It is spiritually powerful and convicting. Ben-Hur is rated PG for violent scenes. If it were re-rated today, I think it could qualify for PG-13 as some of the violence is rather graphic. Some people have their hands and feet chopped off. In a fight scene, men are sliced by swords and impaled by spears. A bloody man writhes in agony on a table. Because of these elements, I recommend adult supervision for children who watch this film.

Ben-Hur is a powerful epic that has been adored for 50 years. Everyone will have something to love about this film. I highly recommend this film to pre-teens on up.

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