If there was ever a movie deserving of annual big screen release, this is it!

Rating: 10/10 (13 April 2020)

Don't allow the long running time scare you off and prevent you from watching this glorious epic. It is as sensational now as it was over 60 years ago, and completely stands the test of time. This glorious heart felt story will grip you from the very beginning and keep you going through the profound ending that involves the greatest man who ever walked the face of our Earth. Subtitled as "A Tale of the Christ", this is the saga of Hebrew royal Judah Ben Hur who suffers much in order to find his way back to God, and indeed, he encounters the man known as Christ. Judah finds betrayal from his childhood best friend (Stephen Boyd), ends up a galley slave on a ship that burns up when suddenly attacked, is set free by the captain (Jack Hawkins) he saves, and finds himself facing a violent death when he ends up in a chariot race with Boyd, set on killing him. Tragedy involving his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O'Donnell) adds more stress, but one last encounter with the stranger Jesus opens up the possibility for his true salvation.
There are more than just a few coincidences between this and Heston's previous biblical epic, "The Ten Commandments". both more powerful remakes of silent films, and both featured Martha Scott as Heston's mother. They both feature Heston being betrayed by someone he's known all his life and banished, returning to settle the score in a way that isn't filled with vengeance. Heston does have a grudge to hold against Boyd, and he plays out the transition of Heston's goals as the plot changes angles in making Heston 100% whole. Like the later "Greatest Story Ever Told", Heston encounters Jesus, but unlike his over-the-top performance as John the Baptist, Judah Ben Hur is played with subtlety, sincerity and grace, and there's a sense of humbleness that was missing in later Heston performances.
Jesus isn't the only historical figure to appear, as there are also spots briefly for Pontius Pilate and Tiberius Caesar as well. The Oscar Winning role played by Hugh Griffith (the Arab man who provides Heston with four gorgeous white horses for the chariot race) is flamboyant and filled with earthy humor, making him steal every scene that he is in. Palestine born actress Haya Harareet .makes a nice impression as Heston's love interest, determined to protect him by keeping the secret kept by Scott and O'Donnell from him. The sequences involving this subplot are truly heartbreaking.
Every detail in this film is excellent, from the widescreen photography to the editing and glorious musical score and the sets. you will not want to take your eyes off the screen for one moment during The Chariot race, and to put it bluntly, you may not even want to take your eyes off the screen while this film is on. Like other films that show Christ's crucifixion, that element is very disturbing, but is truly moving because it gives its hero the motivation to go on and be a better person. Films like this can often come off as preachy or sanctimonious, but after multiple viewings, it still gave me chills as it reached its heart-wrenching conclusion. There is a sincerity in the screenplay and the direction and the structure that prevents it from seeming to obviously proud of itself. It succeeds in every mission that it set out to strive for.