Ben-Hur poster

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Ben-Hur

1959 · Movie · 212 min
A

MEANRANK

84/100

Averaged across 12 ratings · 612.7K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

Google: Google retired the star ratings it used to show in search results, so this one no longer updates. More on where the numbers come from →

65–92 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is Criticker on 65, highest is Google on 92.

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In ancient Jerusalem, a wealthy Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by his childhood friend, now a powerful Roman tribune. After years at sea as a galley slave, he survives and returns to his homeland, driven by a desire for vengeance. His path crosses with that of a spiritual teacher and leads him to become a champion charioteer, setting the stage for a legendary race against his former friend.

Details

Director
William Wyler
Based on
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
Released
18 November 1959
Country
United States
Language
English
Runtime
212 min
Rated
G
Budget
$15.0M
Box office
$164.0M
Awards
17 wins, 1 nomination

This title elsewhere

Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston

Judah Ben-Hur

Stephen Boyd

Stephen Boyd

Messala

Hugh Griffith

Hugh Griffith

Scheich Ildirim

Jack Hawkins

Jack Hawkins

Quintus Arrius

Haya Harareet

Haya Harareet

Esther

Martha Scott

Martha Scott

Miriam

Sam Jaffe

Sam Jaffe

Simonides

Awards & nominations

See all 18 →

16 major awards won · 17 wins from 18 nominations across 2 ceremonies

32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score Miklós Rózsa Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Sound Franklin Milton Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Picture Sam Zimbalist Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Special Effects Albert Arnold Gillespie Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Special Effects Milo B. Lory Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Special Effects Robert MacDonald Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Costume Design, Color Elizabeth Haffenden Winner
32nd Academy Awards 1960 Best Actor Charlton Heston Winner
Show all 18 awards across 2 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.