The eleven-time-Oscar-winning-epic that starred Charlton Heston, returns some fifty-plus years later in CGI splendor, and 3D remake. Like the original, it’s the story of a Palestinian Jew battling the Roman Empire at the time of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The story opens with Morgan Freeman earnestly narrating a history when extremists attempted power and control. One might consider that this could be contemporary times of the Middle East, too, since apparently extremists have always existed.
Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) lives in this world nourished by blood and fear. Adopted brother, Messala (Toby Kebbell) spends a good deal of the film’s opening sharing hugs and smiles, with his brother, Judah, whose message is that their dead father would wish the brothers to represent unity in a divided land. Not so easy…
When Pontius Pilate (Pilou Asbaek) appears with his soldiers, chaos ensues, and Judah is accused of treason and sent off to slavery. His mother and sister are left for dead. But a chance encounter with Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro) delivers a pivotal and almost ethereal moment in the film, changing Judah’s outlook on love conquering all.
What makes this movie work isn’t the big, loud, and spectacle moments, but the inspiring and smaller ones.
The backdrops of Jerusalem are breathtaking to behold, and the religious message of “Love your enemies – God is love” prevails. The scene of Messela on black horses – representing evil, vs Judah Ben-Hur on white horses – representing good, makes for an effective cinematographic shot with the unspoken words: Fight the good fight, keep the faith.
Despite the 3D glasses, an upsetting and overbearing chariot ride, characters who look more Kardashian than biblical, and some force-fed plot scenes, in the end, the film resurrects itself (no pun intended) by delivering a question tested of faith: “If God is righteous then why doesn’t he do right by this world?” The answer might be to stop depending on God, and depend on spreading your own brotherly love. It’s good to see a production company take a risk on a religious theme in a time where our world really needs it.
But more so it takes a lot of guts to tackle a classic like Ben Hur. I’d say God is in their corner.