The read
Critics rate it 18 points higher than audiences do.
Synopsis
Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a wealthy, though conquered, Israelite. A slip of a brick during a Roman parade causes Judah to be sent off as a galley slave, his property confiscated and his mother and sister imprisoned. Years later, as a result of his determination to stay alive and his willingness to aid his Roman master, Judah returns to his homeland an exalted and wealthy Roman athlete. Unable to find his mother and sister, and believing them dead, he can think of nothing else than revenge against Messala.
Ratings
IMDb7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes96%
Critics rate it 18 points higher than audiences do.
116 audience votes
Key crew
- William AxtOriginal Music Composer
- Fred NibloDirector
- David MendozaOriginal Music Composer
Cast
- Ramon NovarroJudah Ben-Hur
- Francis X. BushmanMessala
- May McAvoyEsther
- Betty BronsonMary
- Claire McDowellPrincess of Hur
- Kathleen KeyTirzah
- Carmel MyersIras
- Nigel De BrulierSimonides
- Mitchell LewisSheik Ilderim
- Leo WhiteSanballat
- Frank CurrierQuintus Arrius
- Charles BelcherBalthazar
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Themes
chariot raceleprosyrevengesilent filmseductresssea battlegalley slaveenslavementtemptressnativity1st centuryantiquity