History
Ben Hur was a film created in 1959 about Jesus Christ. It was directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist, and starred Charlton Heston. Ben Hur was a wealthy merchant in Jerusalem, and he was dedicated to freeing the Jewish people. Ben Hur opened in New York City, and played at the Loew's state theater. The film was three and a half hours long, and it was the most expensive movie of its time. The film cost $15 million to make, and made $75 million[1]. Ben Hur won 11 Academy Awards: Best picture, best Actor (Charlton Heston), best supporting actor (Hugh Griffith), best director ( William Wyler), best colorcinematography, best sound, best score, best film editing, best color costume design, best special effects, and best set decoration[2]. This film was known for its dramatic scenes.
Historical Importance
The significance of the Ben Hur film ushered in a new era in film making. Independent producers took much more of a chance with their films, and it payed off nicely. Ben Hur brought violence to the big screen, with their bloody chariot scene. This film was a true block buster. The film had intelligent acting, dramatic scenes, and a great story line. Although the film had great appeal to the majority of the public, it also had its critics because of the violence the film had. Overall, Ben Hur was a huge success for the film industry.
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