Ben-Hur

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Christian M @chriss17eu May 26, 2026 I didn’t want to admit it, but watching this film in 2026 felt like a personal challenge: over two hours, silent, black and white, and centered on a religious backdrop that doesn’t naturally interest me. Yet it surprised me. Fred Niblo turns it into a visually hypnotic, immersive experience that feels far more alive than expected, with striking imagery, impressive production design, and a pacing that rarely feels heavy. What I admire most is the how rather than the what: the story itself isn’t especially fascinating to me, but the way it’s told keeps me engaged. The performances also carry a force and credibility that exceed my expectations. Some abrupt ellipses occasionally disorient me, and even the chariot race feels slightly less overwhelming than anticipated, but the film always regains its footing. I didn’t love it, but I left with the feeling of having experienced a work whose cinematic power goes far beyond personal taste. See more Bob Z @Bobzacamano76 Jan 19, 2026 They killed over 100 horses. FJB! See more David Manuel R @RT45103128 Aug 18, 2025 This movie is impressive, especially for 1925 silent genre See more georgan g @RT98616417 Apr 10, 2022 While this movie is impressive, especially for a 1925 silent genre, there was too much I could not tolerate. Humane filming is not totally done even today, but nearly 100 years ago it was grim & cruel. The horses killed during the chariot race was horrendous. See more Jun 6, 2021 I was lucky enough to see this film with a live orchestra with Stuart Copeland of the Police. He's worked with this film many times, and you should beg him to come to your theatre and perform it again because it is mesmerizing. I have never had an experience at the theatre like that in my whole life, and I saw Chaplin's "City Lights" with a live orchestra. This is what you pay money to see, musicians sweating out the old time capsule in its full regalia. I had to remind myself to breathe while in the theatre with this beast, as it was breathtaking. There was quite a bit of horse abuse in the making of this film, and as someone who's sensitive to that, I thought it might be too much to see. I had searched before the film "How many horses died?"...Up to 150 is that answer. Jesus Christ! is right. However, if the jackasses were gonna kill like that, at least they made a powerful film. It shakes the soul, and still is an effective and very emotional artifact. The urinals exploded in our theatre the night this was performed, as the tension of the piece was too much for even the plumbing to handle. See more Ethan S @RT80629691 Mar 2, 2021 A visual treat with a compelling story and excellent action sequences. The physicality and expression of the acting helps to eliminate the need for a lot of intertitle exposition also, though probably my familiarity with the later Heston sound-version of the story might make me a little biased in that respect. See more Read all reviews

Ben-Hur

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