Ultimate 50s Bibical epic

Rating: 10/10 (22 February 2007)

This is an excellent movie and I've probably seen it fifty times. The music has become the theme by which that whole era of biblical epics is known. Although a work of fiction it has been embraced by generations for it's religious overtones. The story of one man's life and his search for vengeance and justice in the time of the world first fascist society. Ben Hur's number when he was chained to an oar on a Roman galley was forty one. I've often wondered if that was some kind of inside joke on the set. There is one strange scene which I noticed years ago but I'll bet few have noticed it. When Judah goes and collects his mother and sister from the leper colony they make their way to Jerusalem. They get to a place where they stop to watch Jesus go by on his way to the Crucifixion. Judah is carrying his sister. When they get to the place where they stop to watch, Judah kind of chucks his sister off to the side at that point and throws a blanket on her. It's very abrupt and I believe the actress who played the sister was a little startled too. Watch for it the next time you see Ben Hur.