What is the film Ben-Hur about?

Ben-Hur , released in 1959, tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is betrayed by his Roman friend Messala and enslaved. Ben-Hur overcomes many obstacles, including becoming a famous chariot racer, and seeks revenge against Messala. He searches for his imprisoned mother and sister, and upon finding them in a leper colony, witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which inspires him. His mother and sister are miraculously cured of leprosy soon after. The film was a commercial success and won a record-setting 11 Academy Awards. The chariot race sequence is considered among cinema’s most impressive action scenes.

Who directed the 1959 film Ben-Hur?

William Wyler directed the 1959 film Ben-Hur . Wyler was a German-born American director known for his meticulous approach to filmmaking, often shooting numerous takes to achieve realism and emotional depth. Despite sometimes frustrating actors and studio executives with his methods, Wyler's dedication led many actors to win Academy Awards for their performances under his direction. Ben-Hur (1959) was a massive undertaking, involving the construction of 300 sets, the sculpting of 200 statues, the employment of 8,000 extras, and the importation of 40,000 tons of sand for the chariot race sequence. The film's budget exceeded $12 million, making it the most expensive production of its time. Wyler won his third Oscar for directing Ben-Hur , which took in $37 million at the box office and won 11 Academy Awards.

What is the main story or plot in Ben-Hur?

In Ben-Hur , Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, is betrayed by his Roman friend Messala and sold into slavery. After saving a Roman official, Quintus Arrius, he becomes a skilled chariot racer, seeking revenge against Messala. Ben-Hur learns his mother and sister are in a leper colony. Inspired by Jesus Christ , he witnesses the Crucifixion and his mother and sister are miraculously cured of leprosy. The story highlights themes of betrayal, revenge, redemption, and the origins of Christianity in Roman-occupied Palestine .

Why is the chariot race scene in Ben-Hur so famous?

The chariot race in William Wyler 's 1959 film Ben-Hur is celebrated as one of cinema's most impressive action sequences. The scene, featuring Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, involved up to 15,000 extras and was a major undertaking, with 300 sets constructed and 40,000 tons of sand imported for the track. The immense scale and meticulous production contributed to its fame, even though some critics found the film more compelling as a feat of filmmaking than as a narrative. The 1959 Ben-Hur was a remake of the 1925 silent film , which also had a famed chariot race scene.

What awards did Ben-Hur (1959) win?

Ben-Hur , released in 1959, was a commercially successful biblical epic that set a record by winning 11 Academy Awards. The film received 12 Oscar nominations and won 11 statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler's third win), Best Actor (Charlton Heston), and Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith).

How did Ben-Hur influence later films or movie-making techniques?

Ben-Hur , particularly the 1959 version directed by William Wyler, significantly impacted filmmaking through its epic scale and technical achievements. The film's massive budget of over $12 million allowed for the construction of 300 sets, the sculpting of 200 statues, the employment of 8,000 extras, and the importation of 40,000 tons of sand for the chariot race track. The chariot race sequence is still regarded as one of cinema’s most impressive action sequences, featuring up to 15,000 extras. Ben-Hur set a record by winning 11 Academy Awards, a feat later equaled by Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). The film ensured Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) ’s reputation as a major player in the film industry.

Ben-Hur

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Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, shirtless and grim-faced, rows alongside other enslaved men in the crowded hold of a Roman galley ship in the film Ben-Hur (1959).

Movie director William Wyler, right, stands with actors Charlton Heston, left, and Stephen Boyd, center, on the set of Ben-Hur, with a large arena and statue in the background.

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Awards And Honors:: Academy Award (1960)

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Ben-Hur

film by Wyler [1959]

Written by

Lee Pfeiffer

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 13, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is the film Ben-Hur about?
Ben-Hur, released in 1959, tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is betrayed by his Roman friend Messala and enslaved. Ben-Hur overcomes many obstacles, including becoming a famous chariot racer, and seeks revenge against Messala. He searches for his imprisoned mother and sister, and upon finding them in a leper colony, witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which inspires him. His mother and sister are miraculously cured of leprosy soon after.

The film was a commercial success and won a record-setting 11 Academy Awards. The chariot race sequence is considered among cinema’s most impressive action scenes.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Who directed the 1959 film Ben-Hur?
William Wyler directed the 1959 film Ben-Hur. Wyler was a German-born American director known for his meticulous approach to filmmaking, often shooting numerous takes to achieve realism and emotional depth. Despite sometimes frustrating actors and studio executives with his methods, Wyler's dedication led many actors to win Academy Awards for their performances under his direction.

Ben-Hur (1959) was a massive undertaking, involving the construction of 300 sets, the sculpting of 200 statues, the employment of 8,000 extras, and the importation of 40,000 tons of sand for the chariot race sequence. The film's budget exceeded $12 million, making it the most expensive production of its time. Wyler won his third Oscar for directing Ben-Hur, which took in $37 million at the box office and won 11 Academy Awards.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Ben-Hur
2. William Wyler
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is the main story or plot in Ben-Hur?
In Ben-Hur, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince, is betrayed by his Roman friend Messala and sold into slavery. After saving a Roman official, Quintus Arrius, he becomes a skilled chariot racer, seeking revenge against Messala.

Ben-Hur learns his mother and sister are in a leper colony. Inspired by Jesus Christ, he witnesses the Crucifixion and his mother and sister are miraculously cured of leprosy. The story highlights themes of betrayal, revenge, redemption, and the origins of Christianity in Roman-occupied Palestine.
3 Britannica Sources
1. Ben-Hur
2. Ben-Hur
3. Ben-Hur
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is the chariot race scene in Ben-Hur so famous?
The chariot race in William Wyler's 1959 film Ben-Hur is celebrated as one of cinema's most impressive action sequences. The scene, featuring Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, involved up to 15,000 extras and was a major undertaking, with 300 sets constructed and 40,000 tons of sand imported for the track.

The immense scale and meticulous production contributed to its fame, even though some critics found the film more compelling as a feat of filmmaking than as a narrative. The 1959 Ben-Hur was a remake of the 1925 silent film, which also had a famed chariot race scene.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What awards did Ben-Hur (1959) win?
Ben-Hur, released in 1959, was a commercially successful biblical epic that set a record by winning 11 Academy Awards. The film received 12 Oscar nominations and won 11 statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler's third win), Best Actor (Charlton Heston), and Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith).
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Ben-Hur influence later films or movie-making techniques?
Ben-Hur, particularly the 1959 version directed by William Wyler, significantly impacted filmmaking through its epic scale and technical achievements. The film's massive budget of over $12 million allowed for the construction of 300 sets, the sculpting of 200 statues, the employment of 8,000 extras, and the importation of 40,000 tons of sand for the chariot race track.

The chariot race sequence is still regarded as one of cinema’s most impressive action sequences, featuring up to 15,000 extras. Ben-Hur set a record by winning 11 Academy Awards, a feat later equaled by Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). The film ensured Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)’s reputation as a major player in the film industry.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ben-Hur, American dramatic film, released in 1959, that was arguably the best of Hollywood’s biblical epics. In addition to being a huge commercial success, it set a record for most Academy Award wins (11).

The story traces the plight of Judah Ben-Hur (played by Charlton Heston), a young Jewish prince from an influential family. As the film opens, he is reunited with his boyhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd), who is now a Roman tribune exerting great control over Jerusalem. The two men enjoy reliving old times, but when Messala asks Ben-Hur to help stem the increasing number of protests by Jews against Roman rule, Ben-Hur declines. The resulting rift boils over when an accident leads to Ben-Hur’s being accused of trying to kill a Roman official. Although Messala knows that Ben-Hur is innocent, he allows him to be convicted of the crime; Ben-Hur’s mother and sister are imprisoned. Ben-Hur is made a slave on a Roman galley, and during a fierce battle, his ship sinks. He manages to save a high-ranking Roman official, Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins), who shows his gratitude by adopting him. Ben-Hur begins competing in deadly chariot races, and he gains fame for his courage and skill. During this time, he searches for his mother and sister and is told that they are dead. Seeking revenge, Ben-Hur agrees to face Messala in a chariot race. The contest is particularly grueling, but Ben-Hur emerges victorious. Messala, however, is mortally wounded, and with his dying words, he informs Ben-Hur that his beloved mother and sister are actually in a leper colony. During his quest to save his family, Ben-Hur, who has found Jesus Christ to be an inspiration in his life, witnesses the crucifixion. Soon thereafter, both his mother and sister are cured of leprosy.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gambled $15 million—a budget bigger than that of any previous film—and the financial stability of the studio on this massive remake of the silent film classic (1925); both films were based on Lewis Wallace’s 1880 novel. The payoff was what became, at the time, the highest-grossing film ever released, earning approximately $74 million in the United States. Heston was perfectly cast as the ill-fated hero, although Ben-Hur’s religious transformation rendered the film’s final portion ponderous for some. Heston received an Academy Award for his performance. The famed chariot race is considered among cinema’s most-impressive action sequences, not least because it featured up to 15,000 extras. Ben-Hur received 12 Oscar nominations and won 11 statuettes, a number that, over the following 50 years, would be equaled only by Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).