That said, we’ve already seen it and there’s space to fill below, so let’s list the good things about Ben-Hur. No one wants to feel like they’ve wasted their time.
1. Jack Huston plays Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman living in turn-of-the-millenium Jerusalem. Judah Poldarks the hell out of whatever collarless shirt he’s wearing, so feel free to Google that. You’re welcome!
2. There’s a big sea-battle that’s nicely bonkers in a Mad Max: Fury Road kind of way. After Judah is thrown into slavery, he's is forced to row in a Roman galley for five years, a stint that’s interrupted by a good old-fashioned naval battle. Beneath the sound of crashing boats there’s a soft ambient rustling as everyone in the cinema wakes up at the same time.
3. Morgan Freeman plays Sheik Ilderim, the chariot-racing merchant who discovers Judah washed up on a beach. Picking up the cheque with a disdain that has to be seen to be believed, Freeman reads his lines with almost zero inflection, and sometimes his eyes are looking in slightly different directions. His 'performance' (as a man who's been on a coach journey for fourteen hours) has the effect of making everything else in Ben-Hur seem sincere and energetic.
4. There’s a climactic chariot race that wakes everyone up again. Judah faces off against the adoptive brother who had him enslaved. It's just like the boat-battle, but with horses. It's quite entertaining. Almost a shame you won’t see it.
What | Ben-Hur film review |
Where | Various Locations | MAP |
Nearest tube | Leicester Square (underground) |
When |
09 Sep 16 – 09 Nov 16, Times vary |
Price | £determined by cinema |
Website | Click here for more details |