Trailer
Summary
In ancient Judea, a Jewish aristocrat opposing Roman occupation of his homeland reunites with his childhood friend, now a Roman commander - setting in motion a saga of betrayal, adventure, tragedy, revenge, and faith.
Good for
- Family movie night
- Friends night
- Teens
Skip it if
- You want something to laugh at
Where to watch
Fingerprint
At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Critics a little warmer than audiences (+7)
Critics 90Audiences 83GoodWatch 86
Metascore90
User score8.6
Letterboxd · 150 K ratings4.1/5
IMDb8.1
Box office
11×its budget
- Budget
- $15 M
- Worldwide
- $164 M
Worldwide it earned $149 M more than it cost.
Running time
3 h 32 min
Longer than 9 in 10 history movies, +90 min on the typical 122
typical 122212Half of all history movies run 108–138 min.
Reach
Streams in 13 countries, rent or buy in 67 more
+3Released
1959
November 18, 1959
67 years ago
Genres
HistoryDramaAdventureLanguage
English
Original language
Made in
United States
Academy Awards1960
- Best Picture1960Won
- Best Art Direction, Color1960Won
- Directing1960Won
- Actor in a Leading Role1960Won
- Actor in a Supporting Role1960Won
- Best Cinematography, Color1960Won
- Best Costume Design, Color1960Won
- Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score1960Won
- Best Special Effects1960Won
- Cinematography1960Won
- Costume Design1960Won
- Film Editing1960Won
- Music (Original Score)1960Won
- Production Design1960Won
- Sound1960Won
- Sound Recording1960Won
- Visual Effects1960Won
- Writing (Adapted Screenplay)1960Nominated
Golden Globe Awards1959 to 1960
- Best Motion Picture, Drama1960Won
- Best Director1960Won
- Best Director, Motion Picture1960Won
- Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture1960Won
- Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture1959Won
- Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama1960Nominated
BAFTA Awards1960
- Best Film1960Won
- Best Director1960Won
Directors Guild of America Awards1959 to 1960
- Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film1960Won
- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, Feature Film1959Won
Rated
- GUnited States
Yes: it's rated G in the United States for violence, and the viewing guide lists it for family nights.
What's in it
- ViolenceStrong
- Gore, disturbing imagesLittle or none
- Frightening scenesLittle or none
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesMild
In white: what the content advisories name. Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsFamily Movie NightFriends NightIntergenerationalPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensThought-ProvokingNot listed for kids.
and 57 more69 people
- Charlton HestonJudah Ben-Hur
- Stephen BoydMessala
- Hugh GriffithScheich Ildirim
- Jack HawkinsQuintus Arrius
- Haya HarareetEsther
- Martha ScottMiriam
- Cathy O'DonnellTirzah
- Sam JaffeSimonides
Finlay CurrieBalthasar
Frank ThringPontius Pilatus
George RelphTiberius Caesar
André MorellSextus
Terence LongdonDrusus
Ady BerberMalluch
Lando BuzzancaJewish Slave in the Desert (uncredited)
Giuliano GemmaRoman Officer with Messala (uncredited)
Marina BertiFlavia (uncredited)
Robert BrownChief of Rowers (uncredited)
Liana Del BalzoGuest at Banquet (uncredited)
Enzo FiermonteGalley Officer (uncredited)
Richard HaleGaspar (uncredited)
Duncan LamontMarius (uncredited)
John Le MesurierDoctor (uncredited)
Ferdy MayneCaptain of Rescue Ship (uncredited)
Directing · 3
- William Wyler Director
- Sergio Leone Second Unit Director
- Alberto Cardone Assistant Director
Writing · 2
- Karl Tunberg Screenplay
- Lew Wallace Novel
Production · 2
- Sam Zimbalist Producer
- Edward Woehler Unit Production Manager
Camera · 3
- Robert Surtees Director of Photography
- Harold E. Wellman Additional Photography
- Piero Portalupi Additional Photography
Editing · 2
- Ralph E. Winters Editor
- John D. Dunning Editor
Sound · 4
- Miklós Rózsa Original Music Composer
- Franklin Milton Recording Supervision
- Sash Fisher Sound Recordist
- William Steinkamp Sound Recordist
Art · 3
- Hugh Hunt Set Decoration
- William A. Horning Art Direction
- Edward C. Carfagno Art Direction
Costume & Make-Up · 3
- Elizabeth Haffenden Costume Design
- Charles E. Parker Makeup Artist
- Gabriella Borzelli Hairstylist
Other crew · 3
- A. Arnold Gillespie Special Effects
- Lee LeBlanc Special Effects
- Robert R. Hoag Special Effects
Tropes
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