Not without it's flaws, but a definite must-see.

Rating: 7/10 (8 December 2019)

It will probably be remembered for it's chariot race long after all of the rest of it has faded away, but this is more than just that. It is a story about friendship, religion, power and opportunity - it is also about sheer bloody-mindedness and cruelty. It resonates all the more because these are all human traits that abound in all of us to some extent. The film looks truly amazing and Miklós Rósza is on top form with a score that encapsulates the Imperial grandeur of the Roman State in all of it's Tiberian pomp. The story, though, is a less impressive affair. Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd demonstrate how love can turn to hate splendidly when on screen together, the rest of the time neither performance really delivers much beyond the script. Jack Hawkins tries hard, but again doesn't quite hit the mark as the Consul. Hugh Griffith is a star as the mischievous, avaricious Sheik Ilderim and Sam Jaffe is also a good addition to this cast. It is way too long; after the chariot race it turns a little too much into the "tale of the Christ" referred to by author General Lew Wallace at the very start and for me, somehow loses it's way. The battle scenes at sea are great and the sumptuous costumes, cinematography and sound all well deserving of their golden statuettes. A very good, but not quite great, cinema epic.