Ben-Hur

7.9

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Ben-Hur

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Ben-Hur

Original title: Ben-Hur
Year: 1959
Running time: 211 min.
Country: United States
Director: William Wyler
Screenwriter: Karl Tunberg (Novel: Lewis Wallace)
Music: Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography: Robert Surtees
Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Sam Jaffe, Frank Thring, Terence Longdon, George Relph, André Morell, Finlay Currie, John Le Mesurier
Producer: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Genre: Adventure. Drama | Epic film. Roman Empire. Slavery. Friendship. Religion. Revenge. Remake
Movie Groups: Ben-Hur
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Synopsis / Plot: Anno Domini: the seventh year of Augustus Caesar's reign. In the Roman province of Judea, Jews return to the city of their birth for the census. A bright star in the night over Bethlehem marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Years later, Roman commander Messala (Stephen Boyd), who was brought up in Judea, takes command of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. His Jewish boyhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) greets him. Messala is delighted. But when Judah refuses to name Jewish patriots, Messala sentences him to the slave galleys and imprisons his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott), and sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell). Judah vows revenge.

Awards: 1959: 11 Academy Awards, including Movie, Director, Actor (Heston), Supp. Actor (Griffith)

1959: 3 Golden Globes, including Best Movie - Drama. 4 nominations

1959: BAFTA Awards: Best Movie

1959: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Best Director

1959: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Nominated for Best Drama Screenplay

1959: New York Film Critics Circle: Best Film

Show 3 more awards

1959: National Board of Review: Top 10 Best Films, Supporting Actor and Special Citation

1960: David di Donatello Awards: Best Foreign Actor (Heston) and Foreign Production

1960: Cannes Film Festival: Official Selection - Out of Competition

Critics' reviews

"Mr. Wyler and his (...) producers have smartly and effectively laid stress on the powerful and meaningful personal conflicts (...) in this old heroic tale."

Bosley Crowther: The New York Times
"A majestic achievement, representing a superb blending of the motion picture arts by master craftsmen."

Ronald Holloway : Variety
"Entire new frontiers in boredom were opened up by this MGM whopper from 1959."

Dave Kehr: Chicago Reader
"If we later came to realize that movies could be a whole lot better than 'Ben-Hur', that still doesn't detract from the enjoyment the film still provides."

Peter Rainer: Los Angeles Times
"An extraordinary motion picture, greater in dimension and significance than any similar film of our time, 'Ben-Hur' is more spectacular than any of the previous spectacles"

Jack Harrison: The Hollywood Reporter
"Although a bit like a four-hour Sunday school lesson, 'Ben-Hur' is not without its compensations, above all, of course, the chariot race"

Time Out
"Little can come close to captivating the grandeur and epic quality of William Wyler's magnificent bum number. (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of five)"

David Parkinson: Empire
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