Ben-Hur

 

William Wyler's "Ben-Hur", the timeless Epic, starring Charleston Heston, was released in 1959 and later won 11 Academy Awards (the most at that time), including best picture. The story centered around Judah Ben Hur (Heston), a Jewish aristocrat who was best friends with a roman tribune, Marcellus (Stephen Boyd). Their friendship takes a turn as Marcellus asks Judah to betray his people, leading Judah to banishment on a roman fleet ship and his mother and sister imprisoned. However, Judah's fortunes turn for the better as he rescues Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) who eventually adopts Judah as his son, making him a roman citizen and higher ranked than Marcellus. Judah returns to Palestine to find his mother and sister only to learn that they have become leper’s. Judah's heart is filled with anger and vengeance against Rome and sets out to plan a revolution, but something happens he didn't see, he runs into a man carrying a cross who had previously given him water when he was a slave. The man was Jesus. The 1950s was the decade of historical epics and Ben-Hur was absolutely the pinnacle.

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