" We keep you alive to serve this ship. so row well and live "

Rating: 8/10 (10 October 2005)

The film Ben Hur is set in the time of Christ, circa 33 BC. This is the story of two boys, one Roman, one Jewish. It seems from the time the two were children, they were close enough to be brothers. So close in fact an observer might even infer, a closeness of another kind. Still, the story is reminiscence of their childhood when the two boys meet after an absence of some ten years. One portion of the film purports to remind the audience of the heroic actions of the Roman Boy (Stephen Boyd) as Messala and how after a decade, expects that by saving his friend's life, the Jewish boy will feel the importance of honor and friendship for the new position of responsibility of the Roman Tribune. Instead, the Jewish boy (Charlton Heston) as Judah Ben-Hur, who also has grown up, feels the weight of the empire and hopes his friend is there to loosen the Roman grip on the land of Judea. This meeting, begins friendly enough, but soon explodes into bitterness and feeling of betrayal. The Roman boy, feeling Judah owes him his life and loyalty, is rebuffed, by the sense of patriotism felt by the newly acquired faith of the people of Judea. What follows then is a series of tragedies. Judah chooses his self-importance and his people over his friend and allows disaster to place him at his friend's mercy. Having chosen faith instead of friendship, Messala allows his former friend to suffer the punishment of his own folly. Judah cannot understand his friend and sets out on the long road of revenge, killing three men in the process and eventually doing the same to his friend. In all, it's Judah who betrays the man who gave him life and allows him to die in the arena. The story of revenge is complete. Lesson learned. Save your friend and you may live to regret it. The film is spectacular in both breath and scope. Having garnered eleven awards, little more needs to be said. ****