Intense religious epic

Rating: 8/10 (30 November 2002)

I saw this movie recently on DVD while doing a detailed reading of the Holy Bible. I recommend this movie because of the lavish sets and Charlton Heston's charasmatic Oscar winning portrayal of the titular character. A quibble I have with the movie is the accents of some of the characters. The Roman naval commander who later adopts Ben Hur has an English accent! Except for the actress who portrayed Esther none of the characters have a Semitic accent. Most of the players don't even have a Semitic appearance, most notably Heston. Still this is religious epic not to be missed by any adherent of the Bible or any film buff. 8/10.