November 18, 1959 (United States)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American religious epic film directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist, and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with a similar title, it was adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tunberg, but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The cast also features Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell in her final film, and Sam Jaffe.
Ben-Hur had the largest budget ($15.175 million), as well as the largest sets built, of any film produced at the time. Costume designer Elizabeth Haffenden oversaw a staff of 100 wardrobe fabricators to make the costumes, and a workshop employing 200 artists and workmen provided the hundreds of friezes and statues needed in the film. Filming commenced on May 18, 1958, and wrapped on January 7, 1959, with shooting lasting for 12 to 14 hours a day and six days a week. Pre-production began in Italy at Cinecittà around October 1957, and post-production took six months. Under cinematographer Robert L. Surtees, executives at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made the decision to produce the film in a widescreen format. Over 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used in the shooting of the film, with some 10,000 extras. The sea battle was filmed using miniatures in a huge tank on the back lot at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in Culver City, California. The nine-minute chariot race has become one of cinema's most famous action sequences, and the score, composed and conducted by Miklós Rózsa, was at the time the longest ever composed for a film, and was highly influential on cinema for over 15 years.
Following a $14.7 million marketing effort, Ben-Hur premiered at Loew's State Theatre in New York City on November 18, 1959. It was the fastest-grossing as well as the highest-grossing film of 1959, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time, after Gone with the Wind. It won a record eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wyler), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Griffith), and Best Cinematography – Color (Surtees); it also won Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Stephen Boyd. In 1998, the American Film Institute named it the 72nd best American film and the second best American epic film in the AFI's 10 Top 10. In 2004, the National Film Preservation Board selected Ben-Hur for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Storyline
In AD 26 Jerusalem, Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy Jewish prince and merchant, lives with his mother, Miriam, and younger sister, Tirzah. The family's steward, Simonides, has a daughter named Esther. Judah grants Simonides' request for Esther to marry a freeman and grants Esther her freedom as a wedding gift. Apart since childhood, Judah and Esther quickly fall in love.
Judah's Roman childhood friend, Messala, returns to Jerusalem as commander of the Fortress Antonia. He fully embraces Rome's glory and imperial power while Judah remains devoted to his faith and the Jewish people's freedom. When Messala demands that Judah surrender potential rebels to Roman authorities, Judah refuses and cuts all ties.
The new Judean governor's procession enters the city. As Judah and Tirzah watch from the upper terrace, loose roof tiles fall, spooking the governor's horse and throwing him off. Messala realizes it was accidental but condemns Judah to the galleys and imprisons Miriam and Tirzah. Messala also arrests Simonides. While he and other prisoners are transported, they stop in Nazareth. Denied water, Judah collapses but is revived when a carpenter gives him a drink.
After three years in the galleys, Judah is assigned to Roman Consul Quintus Arrius' flagship. Arrius notices Judah's determination and self-discipline and offers to train him as a gladiator or charioteer, which Judah refuses. When Macedonian pirates attack the Roman fleet, Arrius orders that Judah be unchained. The ship's hull is rammed, flooding the galley. Judah frees the other rowers and then rescues Arrius, who was thrown overboard. After being rescued, Arrius learns the battle was won. He later petitions Emperor Tiberius to free Judah, and adopts him as his son. In Rome, Judah becomes a champion charioteer.
While returning to Judea, Judah meets Balthasar and Arab Sheik Ilderim. Seeing Judah's prowess as a charioteer, the sheik asks him to drive his four horses in a race before the new Judean governor, Pontius Pilate. Judah declines, despite knowing that Messala is competing. Balthasar tells Judah about a prophet he seeks who preaches love and forgiveness and urges Judah to cast off his consuming hate and vengeance.
Judah returns to Jerusalem to search for his mother and sister. At his abandoned house, he finds Esther, who never married, living with her debilitated father and also Malluch, a mute former prisoner. Messala tortured Simonides, who has protected Judah's fortune nonetheless. Presenting himself as Quintus Arrius' son, Judah confronts Messala and demands to know Miriam and Tirzah's fates. Messala orders their release from the dungeons. Both are now lepers and secretly expelled to the Valley of the Lepers. Before leaving the city, the women find and beg Esther to conceal their condition from Judah. Esther tells Judah they are dead to stop him searching.
Seeking revenge, Judah agrees to drive Sheik Ilderim's four horses against Messala in the chariot race. The sheik goads Messala into making an enormous wager on himself before revealing Judah is his driver. During the race, Messala drives a "beaked chariot", having cutters on the wheel hubs to disable competitors. He attempts to destroy Judah's chariot but wrecks his own instead. Dragged behind his horses, he is trampled by another chariot, while Judah wins the race. Before dying, Messala tells Judah his mother and sister are alive in the Valley of the Lepers.
At the leper colony, Judah encounters Esther and Malluch bringing supplies to Miriam and Tirzah. Esther persuades him to conceal himself as his family would wish. She then follows a crowd and Balthasar to hear what is possibly Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Judah meets with Pontius Pilate, who fears Judah's victory will stoke rebellion against Roman rule. Judah rejects his patrimony and Roman citizenship. Returning to the leper colony, he reveals himself to Miriam and finds that Tirzah is dying. Judah and Esther take them to see Jesus Christ, but the trial of Jesus has begun. While carrying his cross through the streets, Jesus collapses. Judah recognizes him as the man who gave him water earlier and tries to give him water but a Roman soldier intervenes.
As Judah and Balthasar witness Jesus' crucifixion, Miriam and Tirzah are sheltered in a cave with Esther during a violent storm and are miraculously cured. Realizing that forgiveness is better than revenge, Judah returns to his house and finds them healed. Embracing, the four rejoice at the miracle.
Movie Trailer
Sound Effects Used
- MGM THUNDER 02
- Sound Ideas, CROWD, CHEER - LARGE ROMAN CROWD CHEERING
- Sound Ideas, THUNDER - BIG THUNDER CLAP AND RUMBLE, WEATHER 01