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Ben-Hur (1959)

8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 99,100 users  
Reviews: 328 user | 92 critic

When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.

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(novel), (screenplay), 4 more credits »
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Title: Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur (1959) on IMDb 8.1/10

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Top 250 #174 | Won 11 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
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Balthasar / Narrator
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Terence Longdon ...
George Relph ...
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Storyline

Judah Ben-Hur lives as a rich Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. Together with the new governor his old friend Messala arrives as commanding officer of the Roman legions. At first they are happy to meet after a long time but their different politic views separate them. During the welcome parade a roof tile falls down from Judah's house and injures the governor. Although Messala knows they are not guilty, he sends Judah to the galleys and throws his mother and sister into prison. But Judah swears to come back and take revenge. Written by Matthias Scheler <tron@lyssa.owl.de>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

friend | roman | galley | revenge | prince | See more »

Taglines:

A Tale of the Christ See more »


Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

30 March 1960 (Japan)  »

Also Known As:

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$15,900,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$70,000,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (1970) | (1962) | (1993 re-release) | (DVD edition) | (2005 DVD)

Sound Mix:

(70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)| (1993 re-release)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.76 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Miklós Rózsa wrote the musical score in eight weeks. See more »

Goofs

When Ben-Hur's and Messala's chariots lock wheels, Messala's wheel shatters. In the shot of the overturning chariot, the wheel is intact. See more »

Quotes

Miriam: [speaking of Christ] As though he were carrying that cross the pain of the world.
[she whispers]
Miriam: So fearful.
Tirzah: And yet why is it... I'm not afraid anymore?
[thunder rumbles]
Esther: The shadow of a storm.
[they go inside a nearby cave; the sky goes dark outside]
Esther: A strange darkness, but still day.
[a violent storm begins]
Miriam: His life is over.
[...]
See more »

Crazy Credits

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion is shown in a still-frame to appear looking peaceful at the beginning rather than roaring. See more »

Connections

Featured in The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Still good after 40+ years, but made for a different audience.
4 September 2001 | by (Atwater, CA) – See all my reviews

Ben Hur, a Tale of the Christ, was hugely popular as a novel, a play and two movies. It was written in a less vulgar time about a very spiritual event. Seen today by moviegoers addicted to constant action and low frequency effects, it will seem ponderous, slow and pretentious. Well, it is a little. You have to pay attention to the dialogue or you won't get it at all. Some of the intimate scenes aren't all that great. Anyone that really pays attention can tell the sea battle is done with miniatures. It's still worth watching. As everyone ought to know by now, the chariot race is one-of-a-kind; nothing else comes close to that real live race where the main actors actually raced most of the time. I just watched this movie after lapse of about 10 years. I still enjoyed it. The sea battle is still fun even if you know the boats are about as big as a man. The few moments which have Christ on the screen are still moving. Just about all of the acting is good with only a few forgettable moments. Just be ready to spend about 4 hours in front of the screen listening to occasionally flowery dialog.


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For a film that contains so much (glorious) music....... paule-rooney
Ben Hur or 10 Commandments? erslade1
Movie took a massive downturn in the end bizso09
What happened to Esther's marriage? themgt1
On the big screen! The way it should be! karana_geldar
Surprised this only has 8.2 cool316
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