Ben-Hur

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Ben-Hur

G

Released Nov 18, 1959

3h 23m

History

Drama

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Charlton Heston plays a Palestinian Jew who is battling the Roman empire at the time of Christ. His actions send him and his family into slavery, but an inspirational encounter with Jesus changes everything. Heston finally meets his rival in a justly famous chariot race and rescues his suffering family.

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Critics Consensus

Uneven, but in terms of epic scope and grand spectacle, Ben-Hur still ranks among Hollywood's finest examples of pure entertainment.

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Jack Harrison

The Hollywood Reporter

William Wyler never lets spectacle and size interfere with the elemental passions and conflicts of his human story. The spectacular aspects emerge naturally from the story -- the time and place and the customs of the society in which the characters live.

Nov 19, 2018

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Martin Chilton

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Although it is a spectacle film, the story of how a man takes on the tyranny of the Romans, with all sorts of horrible consequences to himself and his family, is powerful and gripping.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 1, 2015

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TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

The biggest and the best of Hollywood's super-spectacles.

Aug 22, 2008

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

The Passion of the Heston.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 18, 2024

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Ben-Hur remains one of the greatest stories ever told. The antagonizing journey of the main protagonist, incredible cast of thousands, elaborate set designs, and one of the greatest sequences in film history, Ben-Hur is one of the most influential films.

Jun 8, 2023

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Dilys Powell

Sunday Times (UK)

[The filmmakers] can't give it an imaginative size to match its physical size... Nevertheless if we must have films of this kind, this is the one to have.

Aug 10, 2022

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Ben Him

Music is grand! Sets were non-cgi. Story was great. Acting was superb.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/08/21

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Anjum K

It's so tedious and stale that your nerves start twitching to put some action of their own in order to compensate.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/30/24

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Audience Member

Yeah, definitely one of the greatest films ever made. The fact I waited until now to see this film is genuinely upsetting. Everything about this masterful piece of art was ON POINT. All the performances felt real (- dude who played Jesus lol). The music was so breathtaking, and the sheer scale of the film is almost bigger than life. It creates an experience that keeps you glued to the screen, those 3 hours genuinely flew by. I checked how long I had been watching (cause it was late and had to sleep soon), just to realize an hour and fifty minutes had past by. This is one of the few films that I truly believe should will stand the test of time in 100 years, hell, I might be alive when this movie turns 100. This has blown me away, and you can bet I’ll be looking for more films like this. 5/5 stars, when I start making films, I hope they are even a fraction as great as this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/29/24

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David S

Everyone involved gives it their all- especially Heston. Tremendous soundtrack and filmmaking. No comment on the Jesus character involved in the background...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/28/24

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josh l

Ben hur is one of the all time classic films! Charleston Heston is at his best. This is an epic made on a scope and scale of production that in many ways has never again been matched even today in it's production scale. A must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

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Jay S

Epic in story and grand in scale, Ben-Hur is a superbly made film. The sets and cinematography are eye opening, score is great, the acting, while part of the old school form, is what makes this film so poignant in its art. If a lover of cinema and Hollywood's Golden Age classics, this is a must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/23/24

Full Review

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William Wyler

Director

Charlton Heston

Judah Ben-Hur

Jack Hawkins

Quintus Arrius

Stephen Boyd

Messala

Haya Harareet

Esther

Hugh Griffith

Sheik Ilderim

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Synopsis

Charlton Heston plays a Palestinian Jew who is battling the Roman empire at the time of Christ. His actions send him and his family into slavery, but an inspirational encounter with Jesus changes everything. Heston finally meets his rival in a justly famous chariot race and rescues his suffering family.

Director: William Wyler
Producer: Sam Zimbalist
Screenwriter: Lew Wallace, Karl Tunberg
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Bros.
Rating: G
Genre: History, Drama, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 1959, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1969
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 30, 2013
Runtime: 3h 23m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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