William Wyler's Oscar-winning, MGM epic, Ben-Hur, returns to cinemas via Fathom Events on March 29, April 1 & 2, remastered in remarkable 4K, with a special intro by the insightful Leonard Maltin.
Charlton Heston portrays wrongly accused, Jewish prince and chariot champion, Judah Ben-Hur, with Stephen Boyd as his anguished accuser and rival, Roman officer Messala, in a matchup that climaxes with an amazing, chariot race which remains one of the best, action sequences ever captured on celluloid.
The 1959 adaptation is, in fact, based on General Lew Wallace's acclaimed, Christ-period novel of the same name and Fred Niblo's epic, 1925 silent version.
Milkos Rosa's score may be his finest, and Robert L. Surtees' cinematography is beyond beautiful. The smart and stimulating screenplay was penned by Karl Tunberg, though Christopher Fry and Gore Vidal are said to have contributed to segments. (In 1995, Vidal, in full know-it-all pomposity, claimed that there was more to the Ben-Hur/Messala relationship than is detailed on screen, which some have disputed, but more on that matter for another time.)
What does prevail on screen is as divine as any filmgoer could desire. That Ben-Hur is again gracing theaters is a blessing that all movie buffs can (and should) celebrate, for it's the pinnacle of what great cinema was meant to be.
Check local listings for theaters and showtimes.
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