History Literature / BenHur

The 1959 film, directed by WilliamWyler, starring Creator/CharltonHeston, is by far the best known version. The plot summary (and most of the examples, unless otherwise noted) come from that film.

* HomoeroticSubtext: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxecELnxMYU A deliberate example.]] Director William Wyler and co-screenwriter Gore Vidal told Stephen Boyd, the actor portraying Messala, to play him as if he and Ben-Hur had been lovers as youths and that his vindictiveness is therefore motivated by a sexual and romantic rejection as much as a political one. They did not, however, tell Charlton Heston, who found out years later and was ''not'' pleased. This did add an interesting dynamic to the scenes between Ben-hur and Messala, since Heston's uncomfortable reactions to some of Boyd's behavior came off as reluctance towards his former lover.

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:In the novel Messala survives being crippled at the race and remains a thorn in Judah's side for years (like sending assassins after him), and lives past the Crucifixion, but is murdered by a rejected love interest of Judah.]]
* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler: Judah feels this happens to Messala during the chariot race when Messala gets trampled to death when all Judah really wanted was to humiliate his former friend by defeating him in front of the Roman government.]]

* EmpathicEnvironment: The literal house that Judah's family lives in mirrors the fall and eventual return of its owners; [[spoiler: the crucifixion]] takes place in the middle of a huge storm.
* EpicMovie: Spars with ''GoneWithTheWind'' as the quintessential example. For that matter, the 1925 silent version was the most expensive movie ever made at the time.

** As Ben Hur is dragged off to the slave ship, Jesus gives Ben Hur much-needed water despite the Roman guards threatening to stop him. Later, when Ben Hur sees that the "miracle healer" is Jesus, he tries to return the favor of offering Jesus some water during his tribulation [[spoiler:only for the Romans to successfully stop him.]]

* MadeASlave

* MrFanservice: CharltonHeston and Stephen Boyd both get shirtless scenes.

-->'''Messala:''' By what magic do you bear the name of [[spoiler:a Consul of Rome]]?
-->'''Judah:''' You were the magician, Messala. [[spoiler:When my ship was sunk, I saved the Consul's life]].

* RedemptionInTheRain: A huge thunderstorm whips up during [[spoiler:the crucifixion]] and the [[spoiler: healing of Judah's mother and sister]] takes place at the same time [[spoiler: Judah himself]] gives up on vengeance.

* YouAreNumberSix: Ben Hur being called 'Forty-One' on the Galley.

Full title '''''Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'''''. [[{{Jesus}} Christ]] does have an important role in this story, [[HeroOfAnotherStory but it's often tangential]].

The 1959 film, directed by WilliamWyler, starring Creator/CharltonHeston, is by far the best known version, and the plot summary (and most of the examples, unless otherwise noted) come from that film.

* AcademyAward: Cleaned house. ''Ben-Hur'' was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 11, missing only Adapted Screenplay. The film won Best Picture, Wyler won Best Director, Heston won Best Actor and Hugh Griffith took home Best Supporting Actor for playing Sheikh Ilderim. The 11 Oscars set a record, since tied by ''Film/{{Titanic}}'' and ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings The Return of the King]]''.

* AdaptionalHeroism: In the novel, the plot is kicked off when Judah accidentally knocks a roof tile on the head of a Roman centurion and gets arrested. In the movie, Judah's sister is the one who dislodges the roof tile, but Judah deliberately takes the blame in an attempt to spare his sister. In the novel, when Judah is on a sinking slave ship, and finds himself unchained, he gets the hell off the ship. In the movie, Judah takes the opportunity to punch out a guard, steal his keys, and free all the other slaves on the ship, before escaping himself.

!!''Ben Hur'' provide examples of:

* BedlamHouse: The outdoor version called 'The Valley of the Lepers'.

* EnforcedMethodActing: The stunt coordinator for the 1959 version was the legendary veteran stuntman/director Yakima Canutt; his son Joe was one of the stunt charioteers standing in for Heston. Joe is the one you see driving -- and nearly flipped right out of the chariot -- as the horses jump some wreckage in their path. That was unplanned, and Wyler kept it in, putting in a shot of Heston climbing back into place. Joe was unharmed.
** See the HomoeroticSubtext described below.

* XMeetsY / RecycledINSPACE: The novel has often been referred to as "''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'' meets ''QuoVadis''" or "''Literature/TheCountOfMonteCristo'' in the first century AD".

* HomoeroticSubtext: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxecELnxMYU A deliberate example.]] Director William Wyler and co-screenwriter Gore Vidal told Stephen Boyd, the actor portraying Messala, to play him as if he and Ben-Hur had been lovers as youths and that his vindictiveness is therefore motivated by a sexual and romantic rejection as much as a political one. They did not, however, tell Charlton Heston, who found out years later and was ''not'' pleased. This did add an interesting dynamic to the scenes between Ben-hur and Messala, since Heston's uncomfortable reactions to some of Boyd's behavior came off as reluctance towards his former lover.
** Or one could interpret it as Messala being homosexual and Ben-Hur being heterosexual and being both confused ''and'' uncomfortable with Messala's behavior towards him.
*** Or even further one could interpret Messala as being homosexual and Ben-Hur being bisexual, since he ultimately settles down with Esther.
**** Come to think of it, there seemed to be a little something between Messala and his henchman Drusus as well.

Originally a novel by Lewis "Lew" Wallace, a Union general in the American Civil War and the Governor of New Mexico, published in 1880. It was later adapted for the stage, and there are at least two film versions: one classic silent film from the 1925 starring Ramon Novarro, and one classic Panavision extravaganza from 1959.

* RedemptionInTheRain: A huge thunderstorm whips up during [[spoiler: during the crucifixion]] and the [[spoiler: healing of Judah's mother and sister]] takes place at the same time [[spoiler: Judah himself]] gives up on vengeance.

The 1959 film, directed by WilliamWyler, starring CharltonHeston, is by far the best known version, and the plot summary (and most of the examples, unless otherwise noted) come from that film.

Originally a novel by Lew Wallace, a Union general in the American Civil War and the Governor of New Mexico, published in 1880. It was later adapted for the stage, and there are at least two film versions: one classic silent film from the 1925 starring Ramon Novarro, and one classic Panavision extravaganza from 1959.

* ArabOilSheikh: Ilderim, if you replace oil with gold. Or horses.

Full title: ''Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.'' Christ does have an important role in this story, [[HeroOfAnotherStory but it's often tangential]].

* UnfortunateImplications: In light of the AmbiguouslyGay subtext concerning Messala (see above) some might view his [[spoiler: death during the chariot race]] as gay bashing (made at a time when most people, not just Hollywood, saw homosexuality as some terrible perversion).

Full title: ''Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ.'' Christ does have an important role in this story, [[HeroOfAnotherStory but it's often tangential]].

Full title: '''''Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ.''''' Christ does have an important role in this story, [[HeroOfAnotherStory but it's often tangential]].