Ben-Hur, the 1959 movie directed by William
Wyler, is the third film version of the American Novel, “Ben-Hur: A tale of the
Christ” written by Lew Wallace in 1880.
The Author
A lawyer by profession, Wallace was Adjutant
General of Indiana at the beginning of the American Civil war. Latter he became
a Major General in the union army and governor of New Mexico Territory. As a lawyer, he served on the tribunal that
tried the Lincoln assassination conspirators and presided over the one that
convicted Henry Wirz, the commandant of the notorious prison camp.
The book was inspired by a conversation on a
train trip to Indianapolis with Col. Robert Ingersoll, one of the best
known atheists of the time. He was so
ashamed of his inability to answer the Ingersoll’s question on Bible, Religion and
God. So he decided to study the Bible. In trying to imagine how to make the
task more compelling, he decided that he must write a book detailing the
religious and political situation of the world that "would demonstrate a
necessity for a Saviour”. The last part of Ben-
Hur was written in the Palace
of Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Film
The film
went on to win a record of eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a
feat equaled only by ‘Titanic’ in 1998 and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return
of the King’ in 2004. It was also the last film to win the Oscar for both Best
Actor and Best Supporting Actor, until nearly 44 years later when ‘Mystic River’
achieved the same feat.
Judah
Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem, who
lives with his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott); his sister, Tirzah (Cathy
O'Donnell); their loyal slave, Simonides (Sam Jaffe); and his daughter, Esther
(Haya Harareet).
His
childhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd) a Roman citizen, is now a tribune.
After several years away from Jerusalem, Messala returns as the new commander
of the Roman garrison. Messala believes in the glory of Rome and its imperial
power, while Ben-Hur is devoted to his faith and the freedom of the Jewish
people.
At first they are happy to
meet after a long time but their different political views separate them.
During the welcome parade of the governor, a roof tile falls down from Judah
Ben-Hur's house and injures the governor. Although Messala knows they are not
guilty, he sends Judah to the galleys and made him a slave and throws his
mother and sister into prison.
However, destiny was in
favor of Ben-Hur. During a Maritain combat, the chief of the Roman Navy,
Quintus Arrius’s (Jack Hawkins) ship met with an accident. Ben-Hur saved Arrius
from death and Arrius adopted him as the Young Arrius. He came back to Judea as
‘Young Arrius to meet Messala.
On the return to Judea, Ben-Hur meets Balthazar
of Alexandria; one of the three men who followed the Bethlehem star and put
gifts before a newborn baby Jesus. Balthazar introduces him to his host , a
wealthy Arabian horse trainer Sheik Ilderim who is training his four splendid
white horses for the upcoming chariot races. Judah impresses the Sheik with his
"keen eye" and knowledge of horse racing. The sheik invites Ben-Hur to
being his charioteer.
Ben-Hur wins the chariot race. Pilatus, the
Roman Governor, places the crown of victory upon his head and declares Ben-Hur
the cheering crowd's "one true god, for the moment". Messala is mortally injured after
being trampled in the chariot race.
Judah visits Messala at his death bed.
With a grim satisfaction Messala asked him,
“You think they are dead, your mother and
sister?............... The race is not over Judah, they are not dead”
Finally, he said; “It goes
on… Judah……the race…. Look….. Look for them in the valley…….of Lepers”
And died.
The beauty of the story is
that, there is a parallel story-telling, of Jesus Christ as a sideline, from
the birth up to the crucifixion.
The Novel
The novel starts as a short story, narrating the meeting of
three travelers, the Greek, the Egyptian and the Indian, meeting in a desert.
The Greek said; “The spirit brought me first; wherefore I know myself chosen to
be the servant of my brethren. The tent is set, and the bread is ready for the
breaking”.
And then they started a prayer. With the last word of the
prayer they raised their eyes and looked at each other in wonder.
Each had spoken in a language never before heard by the
others; yet each understood perfectly what was said. They entered into a
conversation. The Greek spoke about ‘Faith’,
the Hindu about ‘Love’ and the Egyptian about ‘Good Works’.
They were the three wise men following the ‘star’ to
Bethlehem.
The novel goes up to the
early Christians and the emperor Nero.
Ben-Hur, now married Esther,
and a Christian, set out to Rome and
accepts a martyrdom. The novelist claims that his body buried at the Catacombs
of St. Callixtus at Rome.
“If any of my readers
visiting Rome, will make the short journey to the Catacomb of San Calixto, which is more
than that of San Sebastiano, he will see what became the fortune of Ben-Hur,
and give him thanks. Out of that vast tomb Christianity issued to supersede the
Caesars”
With these words, the Novelist concludes the
story.
Wallace
