The first two major big-screen versions of “Ben-Hur” were huge hits, with the second one, from 1959, winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. It has been termed a “re-adaptation”, “reimagining”, and “new interpretation” of the novel.
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Prior to witnessing Christ, Ben-Hur had been in a years-long bloody feud with his brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), a Roman soldier.
Ben-Hur is a 2016 American epic historical action drama film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley.
Ben-Hur is rated PG. Our hero is sentenced to years as a galley slave, but in yet another major departure from Wallace’s and other versions, he does not save the Roman commander and win his freedom.
The chariot race in 1959’s Ben-Hur is justifiably one of the most famous stunts in the history of cinema, still astounding to watch almost six decades after it was first created. Obvious TV-caliber effects and choppy editing certainly don’t help.
The actor who plays Jesus Christ in the new “Ben-Hur” movie, which opens this weekend, says the blessing he received from Pope Francis was “unexpected” and “sublime”.
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In the earlier version, Jesus was silent and his face unseen.
