You know how, when you've watched a movie so many times, that you become over-critical of it?
I've watched this movie annually for over 50 years, and there's not a single line, or shot I would alter in the least!
Every subtle nuance in each actors' expression is intentional and necessary!
Simply the best movie of all time!

The 2016 remake, should have been named differently, simply for the sake of the posterity of the 1959 version; or at least out of respect for the pure genius of director William Wyler!

Writer Lew Wallace should have lived to see it!

The original music by Miklós Rózsa, in my opinion, is also the best movie score of all time!

So few movies get the full 5☆ mark on Amazon; it pleases me to see this Gem does!

This is one of the most amazing Charlton Heston movies ever made, besides maybe the Ten Commandments. You really have to sit back and enjoy the "Real" acting that took place in these movies. It's almost as though they are in a play, and it was filmed for motion pictures. The actors and actresses are simply outstanding. Can't say enough but it is biblical based, and really tugs at your emotional feelings.

This film when it was released in 1959 saw it's studio MGM teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and the fact that this film cost in 1958 close to $15 Million dollars was most assuredly a make or break film for the studio.
William Wyler the film's director, in order to make this film unique as if a running time close to four hours was not enough, filmed it in an aspect ratio of 2.76:1 using what was called MGM Camera 65, an Ultra Panavision process.
This film was one of only two films that were filmed in that process which is the widest of processes used in film to date.
Filmed utilizing 8000 extras, 300 sets, and over 100,000 costume changes this film epitomizes the word grand and released a few years after the Ten Commandments, it helped quench the public thirst for Biblical films.
This new DVD release is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and the LFE channel(Low Frequency Effects) is apparent on two standout scenes, the Sea Battle scene, and the now infamous chariot scene which last close to 11 minutes.
There are quite a few special features on this DVD release most of which appear on side two of this disc including a documentary, Ben Hur: The Making Of An Epic, which is just under an hour long.
There was an open casting call for the lead role in this film and they have included on this DVD the original screen tests by Leslie Nielsen, and Cesare Danova which are interesting to see even though the quality of the audio and video are not up to the level of the film itself.
Also included are storyboard art and posters as well as film biographies of the cast with pictures of them in character from the film.
Overall this film is an incredible piece of work and presented in it's original aspect ratio with the enhanced sound combines to make an experience that should not be missed.
This film on the small screen does lose a little bit of it's lustre especially if your television is under 27 inches in size but this film begs to be seen in it's broad presentation, so even if you would normally shy away from widescreen presentations, this is the only way to view this film in my honest opinion.
On a rating scale of Bronze to Platinum...This film receives my highest rating.....Platinum!!!! Run don't walk to pick this DVD up!!!

I watched this movie from my Dad's VHS collection of old films in California. I was so impressed with it so that I decided to also own this movie in DVD format which I purchased from Amazon. My friends and I were just inspired by it that we decided to give it 5 stars.
The actors Charlton Heston,Stephen Boyd,Jack Hawkins,Haya Harraret,etc,etc did wonderful performances in our opinion. The movie's beginning shows two childhood friends Messala the Roman and Judah Ben Hur the Hebrew who met each other again as adults. Messala this time became a Roman Tribune. A serious conflict between the two arose when Ben Hur refused Messala's offer to help him capture suspected Jewish conspirators against Rome. Ben Hur refused to be treacherous to his own people or be branded as a traitor.
One day, a loose tile from the roof of the Hur house fell and accidentally hit a Roman official on the road below. Although innocent, Ben Hur together with his mother and his sister were arrested and imprisoned. BenHur was then sent to the Roman ships (galleys) as one of the enslaved oarsmen. On the way to Rome, the entire ship sank. Ben Hur managed to save the life of the Roman Ship Commander named Arrius until they were rescued by other Romans. Arrius then later adopted him as a son. This led to his becoming in charge of the horses in the stables and eventually to the magnificent breathtaking 4-horse chariot races in the Circus Maximus (wherever) with BenHur as one of the charioteers.
It so happened that Messala the Tribune was also a charioteer and the two former childhood friends met again as enemies. Since this is a movie review, I will not go further to tell the end or the events leading to the movie's ending.

One has to watch this movie from its beginning to its ending to fully appreciate its magnificence and beauty. BenHur's encounter with Jesus Christ earlier and then up to His crucifixion is unquestionably very inspiring. It is also fascinating to watch officials climbing certain steps to get to the top of the magninicent buildings (there were no elevators of today then) in order to give the signals that the race is about to begin. The blaring of multiple Roman trumpets to announce the appearance of the Roman emperor was very majestic. Then during this brutalizing race, there were chariot accidents with serious injuries (even being trampled). The appearance of the Roman "paramedics or ambulances (very ambulatory indeed) " to get the injured safely out of the tracks are thrilling to watch. One reviewer actually said that one of these Hollywood stuntmen sustained serious injuries during the filming. The filming it was said was made in Rome or somewhere in Italy (not Hollywood) and no "green screens" were used. At that time there were also no computer generated tricks that could be used. The closeups and the audio and the editing,etc,were just amazing as the risks taken to film the chariot race.

Some reviewers are actual movie filming technology experts and some of their criticisms appear valid. The task of judging the movie for its PRECISE OPTIMAL TECHNOLOGY belongs to these professionals which certainly is not me or not most of us. However,the good quality of the video-audio of my DVD copy (not BluRay) as well as the MESSAGE that this movie brings are sufficient enough for us to give it 5 stars. We recommend young or old to watch this outstanding movie. We believe that however old the movie maybe, it will never be forgotten.