Judah Ben Hur Research Paper

562 Words2 Pages

Ben-Hur (1959), directed by William Wyler, is undoubtedly one of the greatest epics of all time. Boasting an impressive 11 academy awards, Ben-Hur is a fantastic story about love, revenge, action, and spiritual enlightenment. Judah Ben-Hur (Charles Heston), is a Jewish prince living in the famed holy city of Jerusalem. After many years of being apart, Judah is reunited with his childhood best friend and surrogate brother, Messala (Stephen Boyd). This cheerful reunion is displaced by the tension between these two friends when Messala asks Judah for his help in Rome’s imperial mission, a request to which Judah refuses. When the new governor of Judea arrives, loose tiles fall from the roof of Judah’s house and causes a near-fatal accident for …show more content…

Through all this, he remembers his promise to get revenge on Messala for what he did to him. As a Roman, he returns to Judea to confront Messala. When he returns to Judea, he finds Esther, the daughter of his former slave, living in his old home. Judah loved Esther, and she him. But he was too focused on revenge to see what really mattered. Judah and Messala eventually face off against each other in a grand chariot race. Judah defeats Messala and he dies from injuries he sustains from the race. Before dying, he tells Judah that he may find his mother and sister in the Valley of the Lepers. Having once believed they were dead, he finds his mother and sister suffering, his sister on the brink of death. At this moment, he rejects his Roman citizenship and inheritance, blaming them for the fate that has befallen his family. Judah decides to take them to see Jesus Christ in an effort to heal them. Ironically enough, Judah had meet Jesus once before when he first became a slave. Jesus gave him water when it was forbidden to do so by the Romans. That water saved his life. Unfortunately, Jesus Christ’s crucifixion had already begun. Upon the cross, Judah hears Jesus say, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” After Jesus’ death, a rainstorm begins and his mother and sister are miraculously healed. Judah declares, “And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand.” This is Judah’s final transformation in

More about Judah Ben Hur Research Paper

Open Document