DIRECTOR: Timur Bekmambetov LEAD CAST: Jack Huston, Tobby Kebbel, Morgan Freeman, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi SCREENWRITER: Keith Clarke; John Ridley PRODUCER: Mark Burnett; Sean Daniel EDITOR: Dody Dorn, Richard Francis-Bruce Bob Murawski MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Marco Beltrami GENRE: Drama, Action CINEMATOGRAPHER: Pliver Wood DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Pics, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer FILMING LOCATIONS: USA, Italy RUNNING TIME: 150 minutes
Technical assessment:
4
Moral assessment:
4
CINEMA rating:
PG 13
MTRCB rating: PG
Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston)
is falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, Messala Severus (Tobby
Kebbel) who had since leaving home been appointed by Pontius Pilate as an
officer in the Roman army. Stripped of
his rank and dignity, and separated from wife Esther (Nazanin Boniadi) and his family, Judah is forced to hard labor at sea in a Roman
warship. After five years of enslavement, he is washed ashore and rescued by Sheikh
Ilderim (Morgan Freeman). Pleading with Ilderim to take him with him to
Jerusalem, Ben Hur wins the favor of the wealthy sheikh by proving himself as
an expert at the treatment of horses. Ben Hur soon agrees to Ilderim’s scheme
to have him race chariots in the circus against the reigning champion, Messala. Offering a hefty wager in exchange for Ben
Hur’s freedom, Ilderim persuades Pilate to accept Ben Hur in the races. Seeking
revenge, Ben Hur instead finds redemption.
Ben Hur is
one proof that a compelling story can be the foundation of a marvelous film. A
re-imagining of Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel “Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ”, the 2016
film is helmed by Timur Bekmambetov who found in the script an “incredibly
meaningful story, impressing with not just sensational action but with line-up
of amazing life-like characters and deep thinking, with emotions and actions that
are relatable and have a modern, universal resonance.” The smartly chosen cast and their superb
performances provide the spine for the realism of the film, enhanced by spot-on
cinematography an dialogue, fabulous production sets, costumes (clothes of biblical
times with a 21st century twist), sound effects, music, and CGI that
portrays history without the histrionic outbursts of computer driven action
movies.
Ben
Hur teaches without preaching, and respects the intelligence
of the viewer. Noteworthy is the subtle interweaving
of Ben Hur’s journey and the mission of Jesus—two parallel threads that pull
the pieces together towards a logical and satisfying resolution of a fraternal
conflict. Ben Hur is more than just a story of chariot racing. Families can relate to the characters, for it
is a story about brothers, about family, about love and hate in equal parts and
the unique conflict the mixture spawns.
It reminds families of how our loved ones disappoint us, how badly we
treat the ones we love, how often the call for forgiveness falls on our deaf
ears, and how freedom may be won through forgiveness and compassion. A must-see.
