Famous for its lavish production and the epic chariot race in its final act, Ben-Hur is one of the grandest of the big screen epics from Hollywood’s Golden Age, and is led by an iconic Oscar-winning turn by Charlton Heston.
The most expensive film ever made, with the largest sets ever built on its release in 1959, Ben-Hur is rightly famous for its lavish production design, epic cast of extras, and stunning set pieces with 11 Academy Awards to show for it.
But it is the performance of Heston as Hur, and the expert, perfectionist direction of the great William Wyler (Roman Holiday) that achieve a majestic blend of both epic and emotional sweep, in this true big screen great.