Movie · 1959 · History, Drama, Adventure · 3h 32m · G · English
Curator score: 8.9/10 (403.6K ratings)
The entertainment experience of a lifetime!
Overview
In ancient Judea, a Jewish aristocrat opposing Roman occupation of his homeland reunites with his childhood friend, now a Roman commander — setting in motion a saga of betrayal, adventure, tragedy, revenge, and faith.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.9/10
IMDb: 8.1/10
Letterboxd: 4.09/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 90
TMDB: 7.9/10
Director
William Wyler
Production
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Cast
Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Sam Jaffe, Finlay Currie, Frank Thring, George Relph, André Morell, Terence Longdon, Ady Berber, Lando Buzzanca, Giuliano Gemma, Marina Berti, Robert Brown, Liana Del Balzo, Enzo Fiermonte
Curator Review
Verdict
A towering Hollywood epic with real scale, emotional sweep, and one of cinema’s great action set pieces. It can feel long and old-fashioned, but the production grandeur, revenge drama, and spiritual undertow still make it a landmark worth seeing.
Best for
fans of classic epics and roadshow spectacles
viewers who want huge practical action and crowd scenes
people interested in biblical or ancient-history dramas
cinephiles curious about Oscar-era studio filmmaking
Skip if
you dislike long runtimes and slow-burn storytelling
you prefer modern pacing or intimate character studies
you have no interest in religious, historical, or melodramatic material
you want action that feels contemporary rather than staged and monumental
Overview
Ben-Hur is one of the defining Hollywood epics: enormous in scale, meticulously mounted, and built around a story of betrayal that keeps widening into something closer to myth. William Wyler gives the film a stately confidence, letting the sets, costumes, and crowd scenes carry the sense of empire while the personal feud between Judah and Messala gives it its pulse.
Worth noting
The movie’s reputation rests heavily on the chariot race, and deservedly so. It is not just famous; it is still thrilling, a masterclass in spatial clarity, editing, and physical danger that makes the rest of the film feel even bigger by comparison. The surrounding hours can be broad and solemn, but they also give the spectacle weight.
Bottom line
What lingers most is the film’s blend of vengeance, faith, and emotional excess. It is very much of its era, in both its grandeur and its earnestness, yet that old-school seriousness is part of the appeal. If you want a monumental studio epic that still feels like an event, this is essential viewing.
Top Letterboxd reviews
David Sims (4★) · 2276 likes
hearing more and more things about this "The Christ" guy
Felipe F. (4.5★) · 2133 likes
This massive, nearly four hour long biblical epic would not have happened if some asshole knew how to fucking install roof tiles.
Sean Fennessey (3.5★) · 1969 likes
Men will literally participate in a deadly chariot race instead of going to therapy.
Ellie ✨ (4★) · 1367 likes
messala: dies
me, checking the runtime: oh, jesus christ