Worship Wednesday
SPOILER ALERT! This post is a review of the new movie Ben-Hur!
After a long week at work, I treated myself to a night out at the movies! Life in a long distance & deployment filled marriage means I'm pretty good at taking myself out on dates. An early Friday showing with dinner while I watched was exactly what I needed.
Ben-Hur is a movie based on the book written by Lew Wallace in 1880. This is a story of Judah Ben-Hur, a prince living in Jerusalem, and Messala, his adopted Roman brother during the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Judah and his family fall far from grace and are stripped of their title and each other. Falsely accused of treason, Judah is subjected to years at sea. When he returns to Jerusalem, he seeks revenge, but an encounter with Jesus and the Crucifixion brings forgiveness and redemption to his life. The reviews of this movie are harsh, and seem to compare this movie to its muti- Academy- Award- Winning predecessor. I haven't seen the 1959 film, so my unbiased opinion would give this movie a 3.5 of 5 stars.
I chose this rating because the quality and the depth of the film were lacking. The action was sufficient for the story and the book was summarized well within the limitations of the movie. Through some research before viewing the movie, learned that Judah Ben-Hur is a fictional hero who lives in the time and area as Jesus of Nazareth. I was disappointed by the lack of biblical references that were more prominent in the outlines I've read of the Lew Wallace book. The movie does show the impact of the Crucifixion on the life of Judah Ben-Hur and the healing and redemption that is granted to Judah and his family.
In summary, this movie is enjoyable but lacking more thorough biblical references which further develop Judah's character. The movie does ignite a desire to read the original book or see the Academy Award winning film! I recommend seeing this movie.
Blessings and Love,
Emily