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starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffithdirected by: William Wyler
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780790758442
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, NTSC
ISBN: 079075844X
Label: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Manufacturer: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release Date: March 13, 2001
Running Time: 211 minutes
Sales Rank: 14968
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Theatrical Release Date: 1959
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video:
Ben-Hur scooped an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards® in 1959 and, unlike some later rivals, richly deserved every single one. This is epic filmmaking on a scale that had not been seen before and is unlikely ever to be seen again. But it's not just running time or a cast of thousands that makes an epic, it's the subject matter, and here the subject--Prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and his estrangement from old Roman pal Messala (Stephen Boyd)--is rich, detailed, and sensitively handled. Director William Wyler, who had been a junior assistant on MGM's original silent version back in 1925, never sacrifices the human focus of the story in favor of spectacle, and is aided immeasurably by Miklos Rozsa's majestic musical score, arguably the greatest ever written for a Hollywood picture. At four hours it's a long haul (especially given some of the portentous dialogue), but all in all, Ben-Hur is a great movie, best seen on the biggest screen possible. --Mark Walker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Timeless Epic
Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
This is the best American movie ever made. Everything is done superbly. Great story, outstanding acting, fantastic picture made with 65mm cameras, masterful music score. It is hard to find anything bad about this movie.
Aspect ratio of this movie is incredible 2.76:1. On standard 4:3 TV black bars will occupy more space than the movie itself. This method creates spectacular panoramic shots which is important for epic movies with great ... Read More
Rating: - Classic
Ben-Hur is an epic tale of childhood friends who ended up on opposite sides of a very harsh line in the time of Christ. The movie is an undeniable classic, and epic in every way. Fun to watch, powerful, touching at times - a must see!
Rating: - The Zenith of Biblical Epics
First time I saw this film was on the big screen during it's 10th anniversary re-release in 1969 when I was 12. Couldn't take my eyes off it! It has everything a 12 year old kid wants in a film: action, adventure, visual splendor and even an emotional story that you can learn something from.
We all know the story about two childhood friends, one Jew, the other a Roman, caught up in the turbulent times of Roman imperialism only to be split apart as adults due to their own ideology and becoming ... Read More
Rating: - The very definition of epic
This movie is long, and those weaned on MTV might find it overly long. However, the story takes you away to another world, the story arc interweaving a revenge epic with the Christian tale. The wonderful thing about it is that the Jesus story is not forced and interweaves naturally with the plot. Charlton Heston is at his best here, and this movie would count among the best ten ever made.
Rating: - A Legendary Film
"Ben-Hur" ranks amongst the true giants of cinema and for good reason. The term epic can barely describe the feel of this film. First of all, the acting is good and Heston did an excellent job as the title character. I must say though that Jack Hawkin's relentless Roman Consul may have been the most memorable character. This film just has so much; the nativity, a grueling galley scene, a naval battle, a Roman triumph, a spectacular chariot race, and Christ's crucifixion. The chariot race has itself become ... Read More
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