Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a 1925 American silent epic adventure-drama film directed by Fred Niblo and written by June Mathis based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by General Lew Wallace. Starring Ramon Novarro as the title character, the film is the first feature-length adaptation of the novel and second overall, following the 1907 short.
In 1997, Ben-Hur was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
==Plot==
In this silent classic, Judah ben-Hur discovers that he has been betrayed by his childhood friend Messala, leading to separation from his family. Punished for an accident, Ben-Hur is unjustly forced to serve on a Roman ship, where he becomes a friend to the vessel's admiral, Quintus Arrius. Eventually, Ben-Hur has the chance to compete against Messala in a chariot race, providing him with a shot at vengeance.
== Synopsis ==
Ben-Hur is a wealthy young Jewish prince and boyhood friend of the powerful Roman tribune, Messala. When an accident and a false accusation leads to Ben-Hur's arrest, Messala, who has become corrupt and arrogant, makes sure Ben-Hur and his family are jailed and separated.
Ben-Hur is sentenced to slave labor in a Roman war galley. Along the way, he unknowingly encounters Jesus, the carpenter's son who offers him water. Once aboard ship, his attitude of defiance and strength impresses a Roman admiral, Quintus Arrius, who allows him to remain unchained. This actually works in the admiral's favor because when his ship is attacked and sunk by pirates, Ben-Hur saves him from drowning.
Arrius then treats Ben-Hur as a son, and over the years the young man grows strong and becomes a victorious chariot racer. This eventually leads to a climactic showdown with Messala in a chariot race, in which Ben-Hur is the victor. However, Messala does not die, as he does in the more famous 1959 adaptation of the novel.
Ben-Hur is eventually reunited with his mother and sister, who are suffering from leprosy but are miraculously cured by Jesus Christ.
==Cast==
*Ramon Novarro as Ben-Hur
*Francis X. Bushman as Messala
*May McAvoy as Esther
*Betty Bronson as Mary
*Claire McDowell as Princess of Hur
*Kathleen Key as Tirzah
*Carmel Myers as Iras
*Nigel de Brulier as Simonides
*Mitchell Lewis as Sheik Ilderim
*Leo White as Sanballat
*Frank Currier as Arrius
*Charles Belcher as Balthazar
*Dale Fuller as Amrah
*Winter Hall as Joseph
*Claude Payton as Jesus Christ
Category:1925 Releases
Category:Movies
Category:Theatrical releases
Category:Specials featuring Jesus Christ
Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Category:Specials based on books
Category:Articles that need an infobox
Category:Articles with red links
Category:Drama