Release Date: 9/13/2005 Original Release: 1959 Format: DVD Length: 768 minutes Rating:Not Rated Rating Reason: (Reason unavailable) UPC: 012569676695 Studio: Warner Home Video
Dramas, Action, Adventure, Bible Epic, Classic, Religion, Epic, Recommended, Period Piece, Ancient World, Theatrical Release, Essential Cinema, Based On A Novel
Description
Anno Domini: the seventh year of Augustus Caesar's reign. In the Roman province of Judea, Jews return to the city of their birth for the census. A bright star in the night over Bethlehem marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Years later, Roman commander Messala (Stephen Boyd), who was brought up in Judea, takes command of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. His Jewish boyhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) greets him. Messala is delighted. But when Judah refuses to name Jewish patriots, Messala sentences him to the slave galleys and imprisons his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott), and sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell). Judah vows revenge.
In BEN-HUR, William Wyler's much-lauded epic, the story of Judah's search for his mother and sister and his quest for revenge intersects with crucial biblical events such as the Sermon on the Mount and the crucifixion. Wyler gets fine performances from Heston, Boyd, Jack Hawkins (as a Roman admiral who befriends Judah), and Hugh Griffith (as an Arab sheik who dreams of racing his beautiful white horses against Messala). Among BEN-HUR's vivid dramatic sequences are a violent sea battle and the famous chariot race that pits Judah against Messala in one of cinema's great action sequences.
DVD Features
4-Disc Set - Keep Case Full Frame - 1.33/Widescreen - 16.9 Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Suuround Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, French (Quebec) Subtitles - English, Francais, Espanol Additional Release Materials: Audio Commentary - T. Gene Hatcher - Historian; Scene Specific Comments from Charlton Heston Clips/Highlights - Highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards Ceremony Documentaries - 1. "Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema" - Ridley Scott and George Lucas reflect on the importance and influence of the film. 2. "1994 Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic" - Hosted by Christopher Plummer and directed by William Wyler. Featurettes - 1. Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures 2. The 1925 Feature-length Silent Version of Ben-Hur with a stereophonic orchestral score by composer Carl Davis. Outtakes - Screen Test (4) Trailer - Theatrical Trailer Text/Photo Galleries: Vintage Newsreels Gallery Additional Product: Book - A BEN-HUR Bible Study Guide written in partnership with Grace Hill Media and the Crystal Cathedral Ministries
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'Ben-Hur' is one of the richest and grandest of all Hollywood epics, and certainly was the most successful film William Wyler ever made, though not his best, that honor would go to The Best Years of... Read the whole review at MatchFlick
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Ben-Hur is one of the best films ever made, in every way, the story is breathtaking, the acting is superb and the action is timeless. This 1959 film doesn't feel dated at all, it's definitely... Read the whole review at MatchFlick
Ben-Hur 4-Disc Set Collector's Edition; Includes Book DVD
