At first glance, the new movie Ben-Hur is a curious beast. While clearly a reimagining of the 1959 classic film of the same name, its original roots are somewhat obscure. The film tells the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who was betrayed by his adopted brother Massala, a Roman officer, and became a Roman slave. Oh, and Jesus is integrated into this movie, too. So where did this story come from? Is "Ben-Hur" a true story, or is it based on the Bible? Or is this just historical fiction? This movie raises some big questions.
The new version is actually the fifth film to tell the story of Ben-Hur . There was an animated version in 2003 with 1959 star Charlton Heston as the voice of Ben-Hur, but even Heston's classic medieval version wasn't the original story. It's a remake of a 1925 silent film, which itself was filmed after the 1907 silent short. So where does the story begin? In a book actually. "Ben-Hur: A Story of the Christ" is a novel written by American writer Lew Wallace in 1880. Since this is a novel, it means that the story of "Ben-Hur" is 100% fictional and entirely created by Wallace. So what does Jesus do in the story?
Ben-Hur is considered a Christian novel and perhaps the most influential novel ever written. It uses the fictional character Judas Ben-Hur to allegorize the life of Jesus. The two men are depicted as existing simultaneously, both Jews in Roman-occupied Israel, and their lives mirror each other. Much of Ben-Hur 's story is concerned with his journey of revenge. After being falsely accused and enslaved, his family and property were taken away from him, leaving him with nothing. He trained as a charioteer and wanted to take revenge on Masala. But his many conflicts with Jesus at key moments in his quest cause him to change his outlook on life, culminating in him witnessing Jesus' crucifixion and realizing that forgiveness is more valuable than revenge.
The book is one of the best-selling novels of all time, with sales estimated at 50 million copies in history, surpassing classics such as " Gone with the Wind ," "To Kill a Mockingbird " and "The Great Gatsby." It was the best-selling novel of the 19th century and the first work of fiction to be blessed by Pope Leo XIII. Apparently, the book has no shortage of accolades, so it's no surprise that Hollywood is calling for a fifth time.
Image: Paramount Pictures/MGM; HarperCollins
