Ben-Hur

Jack Huston Director: Timur Bekmambetov Timur Bekmambetov

Overview

In this adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ (previously brought to the screen in 1925 and 1959), a Jewish prince (Jack Huston) spends years toiling in slavery after an old friend, now an officer in the Roman army occupying Jerusalem (Toby Kebbell), falsely accuses him of a crime. In time, he wins his freedom and competes against his betrayer in a violent chariot race, but an encounter with Jesus Christ (Rodrigo Santoro) teaches him the importance of mercy and compassion. This version of Ben-Hur was penned by Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave scribe John Ridley, and directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). Morgan Freeman co-stars. ~ Jack Rodgers

Product Details

Release Date:	12/13/2016
UPC:	0032429254030
Original Release:	2016
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Paramount
Region Code:	1
Time:	2:04:00
Sales rank:	6,744

Special Features

cc Ben-Hur: The Legacy The Epic Cast A Tale For Our Times The Chariot Race Deleted and Extended Scenes Music Videos

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jack Huston	Ben-Hur
Toby Kebbell	Messala
Rodrigo Santoro	Jesus Christ
Nazanin Boniadi	Esther
Ayelet Zurer	Naomi Ben-Hur
Morgan Freeman	Ildarin
Sophia Black-D'Elia	Tirzah Ben-Hur
Pilou Asbæk	Pontius Pilate
Marwan Kenzari	Druses
Moisés Arias	Dismas
James Cosmo	Quintas
Haluk Bilginer	Simonides
David Walmsley	Marcus Decimus
Yasen Atour	Jacob
Francesco Scianna	Kadeem
Gabriel Farnese	Elijah
Denise Tantucci	Avigail
Jarreth Merz	Flores
Ioan Gunn	Gestas
Dato Bakhtadze	Hortator
Yorgos Karamihos	Sick Oarsman
Craig Peritz	Market Centurion
Simone Spinazze	Garrison Captain
Alan Cappelli Goetz	Burley Centurion
Jay Natelle	Natelle
Julian Kostov	Wounded Soldier
Maurice Lee	Simon Cyrene
Stefano Scherini	Peter
Alessandro Giuggioli	Judas
Giorgio Bonelli	Roman Guard

Technical Credits

Keith Clarke

John Ridley

Timur Bekmambetov	Director
Paolo Antonini	Stunts
Giorgio Antonini	Stunts
Varvara Avdyushko	Costumes/Costume Designer
Marco Beltrami	Score Composer
Novella Borghi	Makeup
Mark Burnett	Producer
Danilo Capuzi	Stunts
Nolwenn Caro	Special Effects
Federico Carretti	Makeup
Roberto Caruso	Art Director
Michel Cheyko	Asst. Director
Keith Clarke	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Luigi D'Andrea	Makeup Special Effects
Sean Daniel	Producer
Dody Dorn	Editor
Roma Downey	Executive Producer
Mark Epstein	Stunts
Marco Fiumara	Sound Mixer
Richard Francis-Bruce	Editor
Etienne Gravrand	Set Decoration/Design
Duncan Henderson	Producer
Jason Brown	Executive Producer
Joni Levin	Producer
Luca Mazzoccoli	Makeup
Riccardo Mioni	Stunts
Piero Mura	Sound/Sound Designer
Bob Murawski	Editor
John Papsidera	Casting
John Ridley	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Naomi Shohan	Production Designer
Briseide Siciliano	Set Decoration/Design
Nicolas Vallet	Set Decoration/Design
Andy Williams	Special Effects Supervisor
Oliver Wood	Cinematographer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Ben-Hur
1. Scene 1 [:22]
2. Scene 2 [:14]
3. Scene 3 [6:25]
4. Scene 4 [8:38]
5. Scene 5 [4:04]
6. Scene 6 [5:15]
7. Scene 7 [2:22]
8. Scene 8 [5:43]
9. Scene 9 [:57]
10. Scene 10 [6:59]
11. Scene 11 [4:14]
12. Scene 12 [2:57]
13. Scene 13 [7:01]
14. Scene 14 [1:31]
15. Scene 15 [8:47]
16. Scene 16 [7:34]
17. Scene 17 [2:31]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Ben-Hur
   Play
   Set Up
      Audio Options
         English 5.1 Dolby Digital
         Français
         Español
         English Audio Description
      Subtitle Options
         English
         Français
         Español
         Português
         Subtitle Options: None
   Scene Selection

Editorial Reviews

The 1959 epic Ben-Hur won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The severely truncated 2016 remake likely won't be remembered come Oscar time, but that doesn't mean it's without merit. It certainly will appeal to faith-based audiences, who will appreciate its emphasis on Jesus' teachings of unconditional love, and to anyone else hungering for an adventurous drama in the cinematic dog days of late summer. In A.D. 25 Jerusalem, Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a wealthy Jewish prince, lives with his widowed mother Naomi (Ayelet Zurer), his sister Tirzah (Sofia Black-D'Elia), and his adopted Roman brother Messala (Toby Kebbell). The two brothers are extremely competitive, but also the best of friends. However, their close-knit bond becomes strained when Messala joins the Roman army and quickly rises through the ranks, eventually returning to Jerusalem to oversee Pontius Pilate's parade through the city. He asks Judah to use his influence to help ensure Pilate's safety against zealots who are violently opposed to the region's Roman occupation, but Judah refuses to become an informant for his brother, further undermining their relationship. Their friendship is irreparably broken when an assassination attempt is made on Pilate and Judah is blamed for it; Messala orders Judah's mother and sister to be executed, and sentences Judah to be a galley slave on a Roman warship, where he will be worked to death. But Judah survives for five brutal years and escapes following a shipwreck. Fueled by hate, he vows revenge. He soon meets a high-rolling sheik named Ilderim (Morgan Freeman in jazzy dreadlocks), who says that Messala is Rome's top-ranked chariot racer and urges him to beat his tormentor at his own game in the sports arena. Of course, this is all a prelude to the story's famous chariot race, and it doesn't disappoint: It's one of two riveting set pieces -- the other being a deadly naval battle on the Ionian Sea -- that are depicted with compelling realism and headlong momentum by director Timur Bekmambetov (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). This remake hails from married executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (whose previous faith-based projects include Son of God, The Bible, and The Dovekeepers), and they've turned what was originally a tale of revenge into a thoughtful meditation on redemption. That said, the 1959 version took three and a half hours to tell its story, while this account feels rushed at a shade over two hours. The filmmakers seem more concerned with delivering action scenes than developing the emotional connections between the characters. This is especially true when we're first introduced to the brothers; we're still sorting out who's who when Messala abruptly leaves to become a soldier. In addition, the film's happy ending (which was changed from the '59 version) feels tacked-on rather than earned, and the early scenes with Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro) are a bit clunky. In a summer of bloated blockbusters, this is one movie that would have benefited from an additional half hour or so to flesh out its characters and their backstories. It's also miscast: Huston is fine, but he doesn't command the screen the way Charlton Heston did or the way Russell Crowe does now. As for Kebbell, his sudden turn from loving brother to sadistic centurion isn't wholly convincing. But, again, this is partly due to the pared-down, emotionally stunted script. But enough griping. For all of its shortcomings, and there are many, the new Ben-Hur is a consistently entertaining sword-and-sandals story that takes faith and miracles seriously, and stresses that love, not hate, conquers all. Seems like a sin not to champion a movie like that.

All Movie Guide - Tim Holland