Let's be realistic.

Good concept, poorly executed.

A Disappointing Continuation

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

A story of injustice made good, revenge, redemption, against a backdrop of the brutal Roman empire at the time of Christ.It was never going to be 'just another movie', not this one; not with the folk involved, and the budget. At the time this was easily the most expensive film that had ever been made, and it shows.Yes, movie-making is a different thing these days and the expectations of the audience are different too. Some folk will say this film is too long, but apparently the first cut of this film was about twice as long; I don't say this of many films but I would like to see that version too! I don't think there is a duffer in the cast, and the film (in restored form) with few exceptions looks and sounds really good even by modern standards. Obviously the chariot race is a standout moment.I didn't notice at first but Stephen Boyd's eyes are naturally blue; he wore brown contacts to contrast with CH's eyes. Wyler only reluctantly accepted the job, probably for the wrong reasons, too. He wanted not to make the film in widescreen; I can't believe it would have turned out so well had he got his way.Yes some of the points are hammered home with a blunt instrument, but this is truly an Epic Film, worthy of inclusion in anyone's top-ten-of-all-time list. A world full of rainy Sunday afternoons would not be complete without this film to watch. I have not seen the recent remake, but it won't be as good, guaranteed.

This dramatic documentary is a great denunciation of the evil nature of the Roman empire. Their conquests were extremely brutal and merciless. We are all very grateful that Judah Ben Hur won the horse race against the evil Messala.The scene where we see the back of Jesus is a spiritual elevation experience for the soul...

Hollywood, in trying to distance itself from television, produced many epics, several of which were and still are highly acclaimed (ie: The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, The Ten Commandments, etc.). Ben-Hur is the best of the epics, and everything about it seems to define the very genre itself. The sheer scale of the production is nearly unfathomable, but it is not big for the sake of being big, and it never gets lost in itself. Despite the magnificent scope, William Wyler's magnum opus is a remarkably personal tale of friendship, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness.The acting is excellent, the cinematography is excellent, the pacing is excellent (it never drags throughout its more than three hour running time), Miklos Rozsa's score is a symphonic masterpiece, the religious aspects are treated with great tact and respect, and so much more about this picture reaches the pinnacle of anything Hollywood has ever produced. Perfection is what it takes to win eleven academy awards, and Ben-Hur delivers. If it sounds like I'm gushing unblemished praise on this movie, it's because I am and it deserves it. This film is an absolute must see.

Jesusalem, 26 AD. Judah Ben-Hur is a wealthy Jewish nobleman who is reduced to a life of a slave due to the machinations of Messala, the Roman military commander. Ben-Hur is sentenced to spend the rest of his life as a slave, chained to the oar of a Roman galley. What follows is an epic tale of survival, determination and revenge.An epic in many ways: the larger-than-life sets (the chariot race takes the cake), the scale of it (time and distance-wise) and the running time. Unfortunately, that's all there is to recommend for this movie as it is otherwise just a long, conventional, linear story. Not overly engaging or interesting but entertaining enough to be watchable.Won the 1960 Best Picture Oscar, plus 10 other Oscars.