Ben-Hur: A Review

"We have different gods."

That's the bottom line for Judah Ben-Hur and his childhood friend, Messala Severus.

The film Ben-Hur is based, somewhat loosely, on the 19th century novel by Lew Wallace.

Judah (played by Jack Huston) and Messala (played by Toby Kebbell) grow up in Jerusalem but their lives develop in different directions.

Messala leans towards Rome and enlists in the Roman army. Judah stays put and falls in love with another childhood friend, Esther.

Messala eventually returns as a successful officer to his home town, and full of ambition, falsely accuses his friend of treason when a Roman governor comes to visit.

Because of this accusation, Judah is forced into slavery on a Roman ship.

After a few years he becomes free because of a storm that wrecks the ship.

Washed up on shore, Judah is taken under the wings of Sheik Ilderim (played by Morgan Freeman).

During all of this time, Jesus (played by Rodrigo Santoro) is living in Galilee.

Soon, the lives of Judah, Messala, Sheik Ilderim and Esther intersect with Jesus.

Sheik Ilderim challenges the Roman governor to a bet on a chariot race: it will feature Judah and Messala, who has become something of a local favorite.

In a nod to the most well-remembered scene from the 1959 version of the film, director Timur Bekmambetov stages another epic chariot race with the same outcome.

Suffice to say it's worth the price of your movie ticket.

Messala finishes the race defeated and physically broken. Judah vows additional revenge.

Meanwhile Esther, who has been following Jesus, advises Judah that love and forgiveness is the higher way.

Judah isn't convinced until he meets Jesus on the road to Calvary and offers him water. (Several years earlier Jesus had done the same for Judah when he was being taken onto the Roman ship as a slave.)

Witnessing Jesus' crucifixion, forgiving a robber being crucified with him, as well as asking God to forgive those in the crowd who are tormenting him as he dies, has a profound effect on Judah.

He, like his wife Esther, becomes a follower of Jesus.

So instead of returning to the old Hur homestead to finish his revenge by killing Messala, he forgives him.

The story is one of redemption and the power of  love over hatred.

Although the movie does, at times, deviate from the plot of Wallace's novel, it is essentially true to its message.

And the acting is solid.

Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell build a believable bond as friends, making their falling out so painful. Nazanin Boniadi as Esther is also particularly convincing. And Morgan Freeman brings validity to the role of Sheik Ilderim. But Rodrigo Santoro's portrayal of Jesus is outstanding.

In each scene he is in (which isn't that many) Santoro gives us a Jesus who is powerfully unassuming. He doesn't make Biblical pronouncements as much as has conversations. In addition, it is very helpful that Santoro actually looks the part of someone from the middle east.

If you're debating whether to see this version of Ben-Hur, give up the debate and go. You won't be disappointed.

By the way, there's a separate, fascinating story behind the author of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Lew Wallace was a General in the Civil War. He was involved in a controversy surrounding the Battle at Shiloh. His book was published in 1880 and became one of the best-selling books of the 19th Century.

Here's the movie trailer.

Photo Credit: www.cinemabravo.com