Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

filmbridges I understand that the film is primarily about the life of Ben Hur but think I'll focus my observations on the Hur-and-Jesus dynamic. In this mode, one can see in the tale a Christian's dream: to convert a Jew! Some reviews write of Jesus and capitalize the pronoun "he" as if this Jew from Nazareth was divine. Such is the Christian myth. Many conservative Christians continue the slander that the Jews failed to understand their own scriptures and failed to recognize their own messiah (another word that needn't be capitalized except when used in a title as "president" is in "President Donald Trump"). Forgive me for reviewing not just the movie but an aspect also of some reviews. But our reactions to a film can be as interesting as the film itself. Films play roles in our lives and so an epic film in which a Jew recognizes the "Messiah" is partly propaganda that might reinforce a bias or movie a viewer toward a bias. Next year a book (The Folly of Fundamentalism) will be available on Amazon that explains all this in greater detail..

Brucey D A story of injustice made good, revenge, redemption, against a backdrop of the brutal Roman empire at the time of Christ.It was never going to be 'just another movie', not this one; not with the folk involved, and the budget. At the time this was easily the most expensive film that had ever been made, and it shows.Yes, movie-making is a different thing these days and the expectations of the audience are different too. Some folk will say this film is too long, but apparently the first cut of this film was about twice as long; I don't say this of many films but I would like to see that version too! I don't think there is a duffer in the cast, and the film (in restored form) with few exceptions looks and sounds really good even by modern standards. Obviously the chariot race is a standout moment.I didn't notice at first but Stephen Boyd's eyes are naturally blue; he wore brown contacts to contrast with CH's eyes. Wyler only reluctantly accepted the job, probably for the wrong reasons, too. He wanted not to make the film in widescreen; I can't believe it would have turned out so well had he got his way.Yes some of the points are hammered home with a blunt instrument, but this is truly an Epic Film, worthy of inclusion in anyone's top-ten-of-all-time list. A world full of rainy Sunday afternoons would not be complete without this film to watch. I have not seen the recent remake, but it won't be as good, guaranteed.

elvircorhodzic BEN-HUR is a very interesting epic historical drama, which has gained a cult following on the basis of an intelligent story, a touching human drama and a phenomenal action sequences. The film was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.A prince, who lives in Jerusalem, is a wealthy and generous man. His old friend, who has spent a few years in Rome, has returned as a commander in Jerusalem. The two of them are happy to see each other again, but they both realized that they have different political opinions. Their political differences and the prince's wealth are causing dissension. A tile on an old roof at the prince's home has broken and nearly killed the new governor. The Roman commander is sure of the prince's innocence, but ....A story about revenge, love, hate, violence and conflict was enriched with extremely strong emotions and heroic moments. Mr. Wyler has directed the interest on one character, his emotional and spiritual development, in the world of tyranny, hatred and injustice. Biblical elements have remained in the background of the story, but they have a very strong influence on the main melodrama. Action sequences have offered plenty of excitement, primarily through a spectacular chariot race and an ancient sea battle. Set design is a little masterpiece. The soundtrack is top notch. However, a touching and tense human drama in a specific environment with historical and religious moments is the biggest advantage of this film. This movie is not boring, despite its period of nearly 225 minutes.Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur is brisk, proud and upright character. He has acted in some scenes a little inhibited, but Mr. Heston has, in a credible way, presented all the tragedy of his character. Stephen Boyd as Messala was poisoned with an ideology. He is a rival, but is primarily a traitor. Messala has rejected a friendship and „ love" because of his ideology.Their support are Jack Hawkins (Quintus Arrius) as a Roman consul in a dangerous game of fate, Haya Harareet (Esther) as a Jewish girl who is in love with her prince. Her character has brought a strong religious moment in a melodrama. Hugh Griffith as Sheik Ilderim is a cheerful character who brings a specific humor and an Arab point of view in relation to the two main characters.This is, without any doubt, one of the greatest epic spectacles of all time.

Rainey Dawn It's a good movie. I like quite a bit but I will admit there are quite a few scenes that could be cut down or cut out completely. If an edited version of this film were made, more people would watch the film more often. The film is way to long for being nothing more than a fictitious story about a fictitious character set in a historical time period with some historical characters. Cut it down to 1 1/2 to 2 hours and the film would be better and easier to watch more often.Lew Wallace wrote his novel in 1880 entitled Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. This film is based on that book. It is not historical as in this is a true story. History films just have some historical places, events and people in a fictional tale.The movie is beautiful - grand, epic without a doubt. And it deserves the awards it has won as well as it's classic status. It just has a bit to many unnecessary scenes or they are just drawn out a bit too long.8/10