Great Movie

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2014)

William Wyler's "Ben-Hur' is the most entertaining religious epic that I have ever seen with some of the best stunt-work I've ever seen on film. The movie stars Charlton Heston in an Oscar winning performance as Judah Ben-Hur a rich Jewish prince who has a best friend in a Roman named Messala (Stephen Boyd) who eventually betrays him and sends him into slavery. After Ben-Hur is taken out of slavery he seeks to get revenge on Messala for his betrayal by competing against him in a chariot race in the Roman Colosseum. While Ben-Hur is out of slavery he meets a man named Sheik Ilderim (Hugh Griffith). The chariot scene in the movie is the most famous scene in this film and it's the best scene in the entire movie. Wyler also directed such classics such as "Roman Holiday" (1953), and is also well known for directing "Dodsworth" (1936), "Jezebel" (1938), "Wuthering Heights" (1939), "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) of which none of those movies I watched besides "Roman Holiday". This movie is also the best color epic since both "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), and "Gone with the Wind" (1939). the saddest scene in the movie is where Ben-Hur is witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus but before that happens in the movie he gives him some water and is then pushed away by Roman guards. The performances are perfect for a movie like this, as well as the stunt-work and action sequences, and the Oscar winning cinematography by Robert Surtees is excellent who would also photograph movies like "The Sting" (1973) which was another great movie. The movie also happens to be the best movie Wyler ever directed and one of my all time favorite films. This a true masterpiece that can't be missed by anyone.