Ben-Hur (1959)

VHS COVER/SIDE

Length of film:  224 Minutes

Rating: G

Genre: Adventure, Drama, History

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O’Donnell, Sam Jaffe, Finlay Currie

IMDB Rank: 8.1/ 10

Part 1 Time: 141 Minutes       

Part 2 Time: 83 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Ester (Haya Harareet) tells Judah (Charlton Heston) that she saw Miriam (Martha Scott) and Tizah (Cathy O’Donnell) dead in prison. Judah leaves his place of resistance angry and upset.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: Ester pleads with Judah “Judah forget, forget, forget, Marassa! Go back to Rome!”

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Gentleman.” Sheikh Ilderim (Hugh Griffith) speaks to a group of Romans loyal to Marassa.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Jarring, Ester lies to Judah telling him his mother and sister are dead, when in reality both are alive but have contracted leprosy from their years in prison. Ester promised Miriam to conceal their conditions from Judah. Judah is vengeful towards Marassa (Stephen Boyd) which sets the tone for the epic chariot race.

Which part is better? Although part one is an hour longer, part two includes many epic scenes including the ten person chariot race as well as Jesus’ trail and crucifixion. Hats off to part two.

Academy Awards: Best Picture (1959), Best Leading Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Griffith), Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction- Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Effects, Best Music, Best Writing (Nominated)

National Film Registry: 2004