AFI | 100: Ben-Hur (1959)

Blake I. Collier —

Review: Like many good hip hop albums, it needs a good editor for its bloated runtime. Cut to two hours, the film could have been a masterpiece. Instead it has a stunning chariot race, some touching moments, but isn’t impervious to glazed over eyes.

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Rating: 2.5/5

Jared Wheeler —

Review: This is the gold standard of Hollywood’s Golden Age Biblical Epics. It has everything (so much so that it will seriously test the stamina of present-day audiences). Come for the bravura set pieces, stay for the surprisingly emotional family story.

Rating: 4.5/5