simply outstanding film-making

Rating: 10/10 (22 February 2007)

"Ben-Hur" has always been one of my favorite movies and I find it a very emotional experience every time I see it. "A Tale of the Christ", I would suggest that while Judah Ben-Hur is in nearly every scene, the central character of the entire movie is Jesus Christ.
The lives of Judah Ben-Hur and Jesus Christ parallel each other. They're about the same age and later in the movie one of the Magi meets Judah with the hope that he is the Christ Child now grown to manhood. Just prior to Christ's return to Jerusalem and the Crucifixion, Judah narrowly escapes death in the spectacular chariot race (17 of the greatest minutes in the history of film-making) and is cynically hailed by Pontius Pilate as the Jewish people's "one true god." Discovering that his mother & sister are not dead but are lepers, Judah is on the verge of using his fame and fortune to lead a revolt against the Romans. But Christ leads the true revolt and through His sacrifice, heals Judah's family of leprosy and Judah of his thirst for revenge.
There are several very emotional scenes throughout the movie and aspect of the movie is terrific. A stirring musical score, sterling acting by everyone in the cast but in particular by Charlton Heston and Hugh Griffith who received deserved Oscars and by Stephen Boyd and Jack Hawkins who could have received Oscars as well. The finest performances of their careers. Tremendous costumes, great dialog, and the centerpiece of the movie, the thrilling chariot race.
"Ben-Hur" won 11 Oscars, a feat matched only by "Titanic". Both are examples of epic film-making but "Ben-Hur" will always remain the standard by which all epics will be measured.