Fifty Seven Years Later, The 1959 Epic Still Reigns Supreme. Alongside The 1925 Silent Classic, This Photoplay Is Verily A Tale Of The Christ.

Rating: 10/10 (12 September 2016)

William Wyler's epic remake of the 1925 silent classic Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ is magnificent in every way. The acting, the screenplay, the music, the directing; all of it is pure perfection, and it was made for $85 million less than the spectacular chariot crash that is the 2016 version, and it earned nigh thrice the amount it cost to make. Every dollar spent on this production is seen on the screen, and it is a spectacle to behold on the silver screen, should Metro Goldwyn Mayer ever choose to re-release this epic photo-play in cinemas. For now, though, the best way to view it is in the comfort of your own home, whether via Blu-Ray, DVD, On Demand, or whenever Turner Classic Movies airs the film, which is usually during Christmas (along with the 1925 silent classic) and Easter.
Yes, this photo-play takes liberties with General Lew Wallace's masterful tome, but the central elements of the novel are all on display here, including the message of Jesus, which is the crux of the novel. If a screenplay were to be written that was painstakingly faithful to the novel, it would make an excellent miniseries. However, this masterpiece is so well regarded that I do not think anyone would dare attempt it, especially in the political and social climate that is prevailing now. Sadly, this is no longer 1959, where family values and respect and reverence for God Almighty were virtues to aspire to, not sneer at, and where content in cinematic photo-plays was strictly regulated by the Hays Production Code enacted in 1932, which is why any attempt to create a respectful photo-play of Lew Wallace's beautiful novel with Christ's message intact, in addition to the subplots and the Epilogue, would not be well received, let alone picked up by any major studio.
The plot of this film is so well known I shall not recount it. All I will say is that you would do very well to read the novel which has spawned (so far) four photo-plays, one television series and one animated direct-to-DVD version. Then, see the 1907 short film, the 1925 epic, the 1959 epic, the 2003 animated version, the dreadful 2010 miniseries, and the 2016 version, and decide which one you like best. Of the six aforementioned photo-plays, five of them will not interest children, so I recommend showing them the 2003 animated version, which I think is faithful to the novel, incorporating some dialogue from the book into the screenplay and of course stars Charlton Heston in his final film role before his retirement from acting due to Alzheimer's Disease as Ben-Hur. You may cringe at a certain change regarding a central character (as the fate of said character differs from the novel and the five aforementioned photo-plays), but this was done to make it suitable for young children, and it was a wise idea; however, Jesus is still a major part of the film, hence the animated version bears the novel's subtitle A Tale Of The Christ, which two of the aforementioned ones retain, whilst the miniseries and new cinematic version eschew it.
The 1925 and 1959 versions are so good you will not notice the passing of time. Yes, the silent version may bore you if you are not inured to the acting of the silent era, but you will be missing out on a classic. Charlton Heston, in my opinion, does not overact, neither do any of the actors in both versions. The latter version earned every Academy Award it won in 1960.
Mild spoilers for the 2003, 2010 and 2016 photo-plays.
The 1907 short film is available for viewing online. The 1925 silent version is Not Rated, but contains three brief scenes of nudity, which are fleeting and not exploitative. The 1959 version was initially Not Rated, but has since been rated G. The 2003 direct-to-DVD version is Not Rated, and is suitable for children. The 2010 miniseries is Not Rated, but be warned: the DVD version contains three scenes of nudity including one graphic sex scene to which there is no lead-in, and one moderate sex scene with nudity. The edited-for-television version of the miniseries contains just a shot of Ben-Hur nude from the rear. The 2016 version is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and disturbing images; the violence in this version is more intense than it is in the aforementioned versions, and there is a mild shot of Ben-Hur and Esther post coitus seen from the shoulders up.