If you are like me, maybe you remember your parents watching Charleton Heston in the original depiction of Ben Hur, and perhaps you did not understand what it was. I remember during the 80s watching Ben Hur with the parents not having any idea. It was written off in my mind as just another Jesus film. That’s what we called the religious pictures that depicted the life of Jesus. Of course, now that I am older, I realize that Ben Hur is so much more.
The newest release of Ben Hur came out in theaters on Friday, August 19th. The film is an adaptation of a book written by a man named Lewis Wallace. Sources state that Wallace began to study about Christ with an indifferent attitude toward the understanding of Christ’s divinity. In an attempt to disprove Christ, Wallace studied about him, and became more and more convinced that Christ was and is who he says he is.
He was stirred to write the story Ben Hur. Ben Hur was later produced into a major motion picture starring Charlton Heston in 1959. Today, the movie makes a comeback with a very powerful message that tells the story of two brothers. One of the brothers is a Jew, and the other a Roman soldier. Both brothers struggle to a degree to find their places in the Roman empire. One of the brothers is falsely accused and taken to be a slave. He wonders what has become of his wife, sister, and mother that were left behind.
Without giving the whole movie away. The movie covers themes in the Christian life such as suffering even while having done nothing wrong, the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. The movie is set during the time of Christ. Thus, pictures of the suffering of Christ are shown in the film paralleling just how needful the work of Christ is in our own personal walks with the Lord. There is even a love story interwoven between the film. The film offers so much that it is too much to tell. It would be better to just watch the film. When this film comes out on video, I will definitely be purchasing it. It is not your average religious film. You will have to just see it for yourself!
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