TopTenREVIEWS presents the movie reviews of Ben-Hur (1959)

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Ben-Hur (1959)

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All Time

of 190,116

33

1950's

of 8,943

7

1959

of 2,580

1
Adventure
- Adventure All Time
  
  of 4,415
  
  9
  
  Adventure of 1959
  
  of 31
  
  1
  
  Adventure of the 1950's
  
  of 441
  
  2
Drama
- Drama All Time
  
  of 37,985
  
  20
  
  Drama of 1959
  
  of 145
  
  1
  
  Drama of the 1950's
  
  of 1,913
  
  5

Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.

Ben-Hur (1959) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars

Overall Rating:3.7311

Avg Critic Score:3.6107

Ben-Hur (1959) Rank 4 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

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79.76%

16.67%

3.57%

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Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)

The film moves with an assurance and majesty hardly seen in modern movies. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)

Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)

The release of the 1959 masterpiece â��Ben-Hurâ�� on DVD is a gift to all of us. This inspiring tale told in the gentle pace of classic cinema not only shows respect for the religious themes of Judaic and Christian faith, but it also reveals the power of ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)

El Criticon (Antonio Méndez Casanova)

En el aÃ±o 1926 el realizador Fred Niblo habÃa llevado con mucho acierto al cine la novela homÃ³nima de Lew Wallace, en la cual se relata la historia de un principe judÃo llamado Judah Ben-Hur, condenado a galeras injustamente por orden del poder ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at El Criticon (Antonio Méndez Casanova)

DVDnett.no

Filmen Ben-Hur trenger vel egentlig ikke noen presentasjon. Dette fantastiske filmeposet innbyr til et nytt bekjentskap nÃ¥ som det er gitt ut pÃ¥ DVD, og det er egentlig ikke noen grunn til Ã¥ holde min konklusjon hemmelig til slutten av anmeldelsen: ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVDnett.no

MovieWeb (Evan "Mushy" Jacobs)

My dear friend and surrogate uncle Steve Cohen loves William Wyler. So much so that when we last spoke about Wyler and Ben-Hur in particular, he declared that there was no greater epic film than this. You may or may not know Steve Cohen, but when he ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at MovieWeb (Evan "Mushy" Jacobs)

Ben-Hur (1959) Critic Reviews continued...

TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

Predictable but magnificent and satisfying. In remaking the silent 1927 classic, which starred Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman, quality-conscious director Wyler shines the old chestnut up. Highlights include the galley ship and climatic chariot ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

Based on a novel by Gen. Lew Wallace, subtitled "A Tale of the Christ" and shot in Rome, Wyler's adaptation manages to walk a steady line between religious spectacle and secular epic. Even Heston isn't as hammy as usual in his role as a wealthy ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)

This remake was inspired by the fact that three years earlier, Cecil B. DeMille and Paramount had remade the 1925 version of his film as a successful 50's epoch Biblical tale titled The Ten Commandments (1956). The heroic figure of Charlton Heston (an ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)

The Sydney Morning Herald

This lush, lumbering, surprisingly moving ancient Rome drama has arguably been outclassed by Gladiator. But the three-hour-plus 1959 Oscar winner remains "the thinking man's epic", thanks to Charlton Heston's moving title performance. He's the Jew ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at The Sydney Morning Herald

Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

Ben-Hur traces the double odyssey of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a prince of Judea who is sentenced to the galleys by his childhood best friend, the Roman Messala (Stephen Boyd). Revenge and the desire to rescue his imprisoned mother and sister ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

Apollo Movie Guide (Brian Webster)

A Jewish prince is oppressed by the evil Romans during the time of Christ, but fights back bravely, eventually confronting his former friend and now arch-enemy in a climactic chariot race. This classic 1950s spectacle is entertaining and truly a sight to ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Brian Webster)

The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews

Charlton Heston stars in this epic about chariots and friendship at the time of Christ. If you've never seen this film on the big screen, you've missed a great story and gripping action scenes ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews

Exclaim! (--)

Ben-Hur has been encrusted by so many decades of popular reverence that itâ��s probably tempting fate to say itâ��s no big deal. Oh, thereâ��s entertainment to be had from Lew Wallaceâ��s once ubiquitous story, which pits Jewish firebrand Judah Ben-Hur ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Exclaim! (--)

DVD Journal

Ben Hur is a big movie in more ways than one: it was filmed using a 65 mm anamorphic process and presented in Panavision. 35 mm theatrical prints were shown with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (70 mm anamorphic prints were an even more spacious 2.76:1, and ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Journal

Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

84/100An entertaining and compelling drama that may be shallow, but is too exciting and appealing for that to be much of a concern. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)

A chariot-race classic. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)

New York Times (Bosley Crowther)

Mr. Wyler and his money-free producers have smartly and effectively laid stress on the powerful and meaningful personal conflicts that are strong in this old heroic tale. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at New York Times (Bosley Crowther)

Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)

A movie that has come to define Biblical epic . ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)

Orbital Reviews

Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and Messala (Stephen Boyd) were childhood friends, but Messala left for Rome to become part of the army and Judah stayed in Judea and became a wealthy and influential prince. When Messala returns home as a high-ranking ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Orbital Reviews

DVD Talk (Ian Jane)

This four disc special edition of Ben-Hur combines nearly flawless video quality with an excellent audio mix and scores of interesting and well put together extra features. The presentation is amazing and the overall package is a fantastic tribute to a ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Talk (Ian Jane)

Reel.com

Warner Bros. has put together a fantastic full-frame documentary on "Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic," which, itself, has an epic feel to it. The production staff seems to have left no research stone unturned; and the documentary includes scenes from ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Reel.com

Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)

Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a price of Judea during the time of Christ. Even under Roman oppression, Judah's family thrives. There is much joy as Messala (Stephen Boyd) returns to Judea after years of war with the Roman legions. Messala was a ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)

Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice

The state of family-friendly animated features has become fairly dismal in recent years, with too many films that either try too hard (and inevitably fail) to be cutting-edge hip and an equal quantity existing solely as a marketing vehicle to promote ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice

Movie-Vault.com ("Le Apprenti")

Ben-Hur shares the dubious honor with Titanic not only as the most Oscar-decorated film - 11 awards - but also the least talked about on an artistic standpoint. Both are extravagant productions boasting a cast of thousands and the finest in ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Movie-Vault.com ("Le Apprenti")

Christian Spotlight on the Movies

Ben-Hur has recently been ranked as one of the one hundred greatest films of all time, and with good reason. Forty years later it remains one of the classics of cinema, as well as a witness for the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies

Parent Previews

Years later, after finally earning his freedom, Ben-Hur returns to Jerusalem and confronts Messala in one of the best-known chariot races ever recorded in cinematic history. Yet the malice Ben-Hur feels continues to haunt him and sour his ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Parent Previews

BBC Films

Aside from a digital restoration of the film, this four-disc Collector's Edition reveals the secrets behind its longevity. Ridley Scott and George Lucas are among the speakers in a new documentary The Epic That Changed Cinema, talking in specific terms ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at BBC Films

DVD Verdict

Messala returns to Judea, where he had grown up, as the newly appointed tribune of the Roman province. He is soon visited by Ben-Hur, now a wealthy leader of the Jewish ruling class and formerly a boyhood friend of Messala. Messala's orders are to ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Verdict

Four-Disc Collector's Edition, DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

When one considers the term "epic" in relation to motion pictures, one may think of "Gone With the Wind," "The Ten Commandments," "Spartacus," "El Cid," "Lawrence of Arabia," or even the more-recent "Gladiator." But, certainly, no more epic ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Four-Disc Collector's Edition, DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

Boxoffice Magazine

When it comes to film epics, "Ben-Hur" may forever be the standard against which all others are measures. Winner of 11 Academy Awards, a record it still shares with "Titanic," "Ben-Hur" is a film of immense scale and passion that indirectly ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Boxoffice Magazine

DVDRAMA

Warner nous propose ici une Ã©dition des plus soignÃ©es. Non seulement le master, compte tenu de son Ã¢ge, se montre particuliÃ¨rement propre mais il permet au film de retrouver une nouvelle jeunesse. On Ã©vitera nÃ©anmoins pas la prÃ©sence de quelques ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVDRAMA

A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

Heston stars as Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy prince who greets his friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) after a long period apart. Soon enough though, politics (isn't it always politics?) make the two enemies, as Messala builds enough reason to send our hero off ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

Classic Film Guide

Heston plays the title character, a wealthy Jew who grew up with Messala (Stephen Boyd), who's now the head Roman in the area. Their political clash leads to charges which enslave Ben-Hur as an oarsman on a ship. During a conflict, Ben-Hur saves a Roman ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Classic Film Guide

DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

Published as a novel in 1880 by General Lew Wallace, subtitled "A Tale of the Christ," the work was successfully adapted to the stage and then made into a silent movie in 1925 before becoming the blockbuster we have here. The story begins at the time ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

DVD Times

Winner of no less than eleven Academy Awards (a record until Titanic equalled it) and perhaps the most famous epic of all time, Ben-Hur is sheer Hollywood spectacle in the golden age of cinema that reigned before CGI effects became the norm. Based upon ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Times

Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)

This is Warner Home Videoâ��s second release of BEN-HUR and the first presentation to be taken from restored 65mm elements; the first release was mastered from 35mm reduction materials. Warner offers BEN-HUR in a 16:9 enhanced transfer that is a more ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)

LeisureSuit.net

Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a Jewish prince living a life of luxury in Jerusalem, his days filled with wine and concubines and those loose velvets robes that really let the testicles breathe. But all is not well in the Holy Land. The Romans are ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at LeisureSuit.net

Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)

What can be said about the acting here other than classic. While there are several moments that a modern viewer will consider â��hammyâ��, you have to remember that this is what was expected back in the late fifties. Heston is at his top form in this ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)

EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

In the lead, Heston is stiff, and the writing is uneven, but overall, it's rousing epic done on a massive scale with hundreds of sets and extras a priceless race scene. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Chicago Reader (Dave Kehr)

Entire new frontiers in boredom were opened up by this MGM whopper from 1959, produced at the then staggering cost of $15 million (hardly enough to pay for a mid-80s Dudley Moore vehicle). It swept both the Academy Awards and the nation's box offices, ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Chicago Reader (Dave Kehr)

The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

The supernatural amounts of time, effort, and money that can go into these boons from on high are no more obvious than in a film like Ben-Hur. The special effects in today's blockbusters tend to be invisible, unless they're awful -- but when you're ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

VideoVista

Ben-Hur then, is that rare creature, the restrained epic. Perhaps because the source is a novel than taken direct from the Bible, it manages to balance the sublime and ridiculous into a still-satisfying whole, balancing great spectacle on the one hand ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at VideoVista

CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)

Just completing a centennial tribute to the late William Wyler, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art concluded by screening Ben-Hur. Introducing the film was Charlton Heston himself, greatly indebted to Wyler for casting him and working with him ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)

DVDBeaver

The accolades could fill this page - Ben-Hur won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director (Wyler), Actor (Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur), Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith as Sheik Ilderim), Cinematography, Music Score, Costume ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVDBeaver

Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

Ben-Hur won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture after its release in 1959. William Wyler directed this mammoth production with 350 speaking parts and over 50,000 extras. The long-awaited DVD contains the following special features: commentary by ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

DVD Review e-zine

William Wylerâ��s "Ben Hur" is an epic that epitomizes everything that grand filmmaking is about. Whether it is the filmâ��s considerable running length of 222 minutes, its extremely wide aspect ratio of 2.76:1, its number of extras, the level of ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Review e-zine

Chainsaw Fodder

Epic, much? This was watched on a whim on a Sunday night and it was completely engrossing. A Bible epic which tells the story of Ben-Hur who is exiled by his best friend, Messala, and his quest for his mother and sister. Oh yeah, he is also on a quest ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Chainsaw Fodder

DVDTown (John J. Puccio)

The story then jumps ahead twenty-six years and the introduction of a new Judean governor and his new head of the local Roman garrison, the Tribune Messala (Stephen Boyd). Messala and Judah grew up together, like brothers, the Roman and the Jew, but ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVDTown (John J. Puccio)

Worldwide DVD Forums - DVD Review

There are few films that are etched into peopleâ��s consciousness, films that transcend time and culture that break boundaries and are an experience to be shared by all. â��Ben-Hurâ�� is one such film, a film that when released in 1959 was greeted with ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Worldwide DVD Forums - DVD Review

DVD Verdict (Ryan Keefer) - Collector's Edition

Warner Home Video has periodically re-done classic films that they still have the rights to, and usually the results have been stellar; 2004's four disc Gone With the Wind release was outstanding. They decided to tackle the 1959 classic Ben-Hur, hoping ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Verdict (Ryan Keefer) - Collector's Edition

The Flick Filosopher's take

If there's any god today as mighty as the gods of old, it's that behemoth called Hollywood. This modern deity can be as capricious as Zeus or Thor -- sometimes blessing us with a Casablanca or an Evil Dead, sometimes cursing us with the likes of ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at The Flick Filosopher's take

Audio Revolution

â��Ben-Hurâ�� gets a bit over-the-top by modern standards, with an ending that will be uplifting to devout Christians but rather didactic for everyone else. However, its human drama and its extraordinary action stand the test of time. Thanks to modern ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Audio Revolution

DVDActive (Holly E. Ordway)

Ben-Hur is deservedly considered a classic film, and Warner has given tribute to its quality with an excellent DVD edition. It’s an excellent transfer with superb extras on one modestly-priced disc. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVDActive (Holly E. Ordway)

Apollo Guide (Brian Webster)

Have you noticed how some classic films are remembered more for the circumstances around their making than for their content? When people talk about Citizen Kane, itâ��s Orson Wellesâ�� personality or media magnate William Randolph Hearstâ��s efforts ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Apollo Guide (Brian Webster)

BBC Films

Opening with a full overture played against Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, you know that you're in for something unembarrassed by its own grandiosity. Hungarian soundtrack virtuoso Miklos Rozsa fanfares as much with his garrulous score. ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at BBC Films

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

To hell with Gladiator. Scratch that. Ben-Hur is no stupid gladiator movie. As the title sequence tells us, this is "A Tale of the Christ," an unabashed religious fable, albeit one that only shows its hero from the back. Of course, Jesus is ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

DVD Verdict (Barrie Maxwell)

In 1959, a film that was over five years in preparation and more than three and a half hours in length, was a remake of a silent classic, cost more than any other film to date, featured a two-time winner of the Best Director Academy Award, included an ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Verdict (Barrie Maxwell)

25frames.org (Christoph Huber)

Die Reinkultur des Monumentalfilms. Vier Stunden braucht William Wylers Epos, um die Wandlung von Charlton Heston zum Gutmenschen zu schildern. Dazwischen gibt es das legendÃ¤re Wagenrennen (eigentliche Regie: Actionszenenveteran Yakima Canutt) und lang ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at 25frames.org (Christoph Huber)

Walter Frith

Historians will know that the Roman empire ruled the Earth at the time Christ was born and that's how 'Ben-Hur' begins its story. I wish ABC television would show this film every year at Easter instead of the inferior 'The Ten Commandments' which ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Walter Frith

Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)

Looking at it now, I'm glad to have gotten this monkey off my back. Sure, if it weren't for this DVD, it probably would have been at least a few years before I set aside time for it. But, as I said, if there's a version of Ben-Hur worth checking ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)

Time Out

Although a bit like a four-hour Sunday school lesson, 'Ben-Hur' is not without its compensations, above all, of course, the chariot race (which was directed not by Wyler but by Andrew Marton, and it shows). The rest is made interesting by the most ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Time Out

filmcritic.com duels with Ben-Hur

Of course, Jesus is not the real subject of this tale, it's Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince living in Judea, played by the incomparable Charlton Heston. Ben-Hur lives high on the hog, here in the year 26, as we're told. And he's a good guy, nice to his ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at filmcritic.com duels with Ben-Hur

A Nutshell Review

Charlton Heston plays the title character Judah Ben Hur, an Jew aristocrat in Rome conquered Judea, whose childhood best friend, a Roman called Messala, is now second in command to the Roman governor. Unwilling to become an informer to Messala to name ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at A Nutshell Review

Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)

Hollywoodâ��s third adaptation of General Lew Wallaceâ��s novel following two silent versions, Ben-Hur holds up better than such productions as The Ten Commandments in part because the biblical subject itself is reverently left in the background and ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)

Quick Reviews (J.D. Funari)

Grandiose epic with Heston commanding in lead and featuring amazing chariot race sequence, but gets bogged down with heavy Biblical angle (reliance on religious themes is one of it's faults). Despite massive production, film did not need full ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at Quick Reviews (J.D. Funari)

ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)

Above all rides the spectacle of Wyler's epic masterpiece. The chariot race is unsurpassed, and adding a great deal to its pleasure is the fact that both Boyd and Heston worked hard at racing, performing most of the stunts themselves save the ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)

DVD Net (Anthony Horan)

Originally penned by the rather multi-skilled General Lew Wallace at the tail end of the 19th Century, Ben-Hur has become one of the most enduring and popular adventure stories in modern history - a hugely successful novel, it found a big audience as a ...read the complete Ben-Hur movie review at DVD Net (Anthony Horan)

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