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BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST

1925

Fred Niblo

Ben-Hur: A tale of the Christ

SYNOPSIS

Betrayed by his Roman friend Messala, Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur is enslaved while his family is imprisoned. After surviving the galleys, he returns for vengeance, culminating in a spectacular chariot race and a spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ. Boasting a cast of thousands and massive sets, this MGM production was the most expensive silent film ever made, setting a new standard for epics and featuring one of the most thrilling action sequences in history.

CRITIQUE

Fred Niblo’s epic defined the scale of Hollywood spectacle. With a cast of thousands and the most expensive production of the silent era, it established MGM’s reputation for grandeur. The Technicolor sequences and the heart-stopping chariot race—filmed with dangerous realism—set a benchmark for action that stood for decades. Beyond the spectacle, its handling of the Christ narrative solidified the biblical epic as a commercial genre. It is a monument to the studio system’s ambition, proving cinema could rival the scope of history and religion itself.

SCREENING AVAILABILITY

  • Theatrical screenings

  • Non-theatrical screenings

  • Festivals and cinematheques

  • Educational screenings

  • Television broadcasting

  • Digital platforms and streaming

  • Promotional and editorial use

  • Licensing of graphic and visual materials

AVAILABLE FORMATS

  • DCP

  • DCP with subtitles

  • Apple ProRes

  • MP4 Screening File

  • MP4 Rehearsal Copy for Musicians (silent films)

  • Blu-ray

  • High-resolution archival masters

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

  • Posters

  • Press stills

  • Promotional assets

  • Screening support materials

AVAILABLE SUBTITLES

  • English

  • Spanish

  • French

  • Portuguese

  • Italian

  • German

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