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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.
Ben-Hur (1959) is a history, drama and adventure film directed by William Wyler, released on November 18, 1959 with a runtime of 3h 32m. It stars Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith and Jack Hawkins. Viewers rate it 7.9 out of 10 across 3,253 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Ben-Hur before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Ben-Hur.
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Charlton Heston
as Judah Ben-Hur
Stephen Boyd
as Messala
Hugh Griffith
as Scheich Ildirim
Jack Hawkins
as Quintus Arrius
Haya Harareet
as Esther
Martha Scott
as Miriam
Cathy O'Donnell
as Tirzah
Sam Jaffe
as Simonides
Finlay Currie
as Balthasar
Frank Thring
as Pontius Pilatus
George Relph
as Tiberius Caesar
André Morell
as Sextus
Directed by William Wyler, written by Karl Tunberg and Lew Wallace, produced by Sam Zimbalist.
Average viewer score of 7.9/10 from 3,253 ratings.
Majestic in scope and story telling. The truth is, is that Ben-Hur deserved every award that was showered upon it. It's a titanic film both in structure and scope. It doesn't need me to go over old ground about how much the film cost to make, the number of extras, the number of sets and etc, it's now folklore that this film could have bankrupted MGM such was the investment, but they needn't have worried since the…
Reviewed on December 24, 2018
What can be said about this film that hasnt already been said? I could (justly) use every superlative known and it still does not cover just how amazing this film is. It is the essence of EPIC (and not just historical epic). It is easy to see why it was not matched in the number of Oscars given for 50 years (and those 'equals' did not include any acting oscars and had more categories to choose from). I first…
Reviewed on April 24, 2021
It will probably be remembered for it's chariot race long after all of the rest of it has faded away, but this is more than just that. It is a story about friendship, religion, power and opportunity - it is also about sheer bloody-mindedness and cruelty. It resonates all the more because these are all human traits that abound in all of us to some extent. The film looks truly amazing and Miklós Rósza is on top form…
Reviewed on June 1, 2024
This is one I had never seen before but finally say down for the 3.5 hour running time and found it thoroughly engaging, though after the chariot race scene, felt it slowed down quite a bit. Still, great performances all around and the scale, not just for its time but even today, was amazing. **4.5/5**
Reviewed on March 9, 2026
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Ben-Hur (1959) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Ben-Hur (1959) includes Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Jack Hawkins and Haya Harareet. The film was directed by William Wyler. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Ben-Hur was released on November 18, 1959 and runs for 3h 32m.
Ben-Hur (1959) holds an average rating of 7.9 out of 10 from 3,253 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy history, drama and adventure films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Ben-Hur trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
