#339. Ben-Hur (1959, William Wyler)

Have I Seen It Before?: No

Thoughts Before Viewing: Oh brother, this is one I haven't really been looking forward to.  I'm really not a fan of historical epics or Charlton Heston, especially after watching The Ten Commandments (1956).  Oh well, least I hear the chariot racing scene is awesome.

Running Time: 212 minutes
Directed By: William Wyler
Written By: Karl Tunberg
Primary Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd


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


My Thoughts: Alright, so at least this is a little better than The Ten Commandments (1956).  The revenge story is somewhat enjoyable and the chariot race scene is undeniably AWESOME.  However, it suffers from the same issues as the aforementioned title.  Absurdly hammy, stiff atmosphere,  obnoxiously long and just plain boring.  These kind of films just aren't my thing.  Although they have their moments, they just leave me feeling more drained than anything else.


I think this would've aged better had the religious angle been dropped and it simply been a 2 1/2 hour revenge film. 



Does It Belong In The Book?: Yes.  An undeniable piece of historical epic filmmaking.  Was a massive hit upon its release and won 11 oscars.


My Rating: 5/10