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Ben-Hur

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Trailer 1
85%
242. Best
966. Most popular
Ratings and fans
Adventure / Drama / Historical
USA, 1959, 212 min (Alternative: 203 min)

Plots(1)

Anno Domini: the seventh year of Augustus Caesar's reign. In the Roman province of Judea, Jews return to the city of their birth for the census. A bright star in the night over Bethlehem marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Years later, Roman commander Messala (Stephen Boyd), who was brought up in Judea, takes command of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. His Jewish boyhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) greets him. Messala is delighted. But when Judah refuses to name Jewish patriots, Messala sentences him to the slave galleys and imprisons his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott), and sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell). Judah vows revenge. In BEN-HUR, William Wyler's much-lauded epic, the story of Judah's search for his mother and sister and his quest for revenge intersects with crucial biblical events such as the Sermon on the Mount and the crucifixion. (official distributor synopsis)

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Awards

  • Winner
  • Nominations

Academy Awards

  • 1960 - Best Motion Picture of the Year
  • 1960 - William Wyler (Best Achievement in Directing)
  • 1960 - Charlton Heston (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role)
  • 1960 - Hugh Griffith (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role)
  • 1960 - Robert Surtees (Best Cinematography (Color))
  • 1960 - Best Achievement in Film Editing
  • 1960 - Miklós Rózsa (Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score))
  • 1960 - Best Achievement in Production Design
  • 1960 - Best Achievement in Costume Design
  • 1960 - Best Achievement in Visual Effects
  • 1960 - Best Sound Mixing
  • 1960 - Karl Tunberg (Best Adapted Screenplay)