故事发生在古罗马时期,护民官米撒拉(史蒂芬•博伊德 Stephen Boyd 饰)回到了故乡,重遇了儿时的好友宾虚(查尔登•海斯顿 Charlton Heston 饰)。宾虚家是犹太人的豪门,在犹太人中享有相当高的待遇,为了控制犹太人,使他们安份的臣服于古罗马帝国的统治之下,米撒拉希望宾虚帮忙。但宾虚不肯出卖自己的民族,于是两个好友决裂了。随后,米撒拉找了借口治了宾虚一家谋反罪,宾虚被卖到一艘军舰上当奴隶,而他也失去家人们的信息。一次偶然机会,宾虚立了战功,得到了古罗马的皇帝接见,他回到了故乡,也开始了他的复仇之旅!
◎获奖情况
第32届奥斯卡金像奖 (1960)
最佳影片 萨姆·津巴利斯特
最佳导演 威廉·惠勒
最佳男主角 查尔登·海斯顿
最佳男配角 休·格里夫斯
最佳改编剧本(提名) 卡尔·顿伯格
彩色片最佳摄影 Robert Surtees
最佳剪辑 Ralph E. Winters / John D. Dunning
最佳特效 Milo B. Lory / Robert MacDonald / A. Arnold Gillespie
最佳音响 Franklin Milton
彩色片最佳艺术指导和布景 William A. Horning / 爱德华·C·卡法诺 / Hugh Hunt
彩色片最佳服装设计 Elizabeth Haffenden
剧情/喜剧片最佳配乐 米克罗斯·罗兹萨
Supplements
• Commentary by Film Historian T. Gene Hatcher with Scene Specific Comments from Charlton Heston
• Music-Only Track Showcasing Miklos Rozsa’s Score
• Charlton Heston: A Personal Journey (78 min) [HD] – Hosted by Heston’s son Fraser and including exclusive, never before seen home videos from the set, which were filmed by the actor’s wife, Lydia, whilst shooting in Rome. This rare footage displays a different side to Heston, who is shown to be a warm and loving father and husband, who is also dedicated and passionate about his work.
• Ben-Hur: 1925 Silent Version, from the Thames Television Restoration with Stereophonic Orchestral Score by Composer Carl Davis (143 min)
• 2005 Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema – Current filmmakers such as Ridley Scott reflect on the importance and influence of the film on modern epics (58 min)
• 1994 Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic Hosted by Christopher Plummer (58 min)
• Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures – Audiovisual recreation of the film via stills, storyboards, sketches, music and dialogue
• Screen Tests (30 min)
• Vintage Newsreels Gallery
• Highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards Ceremony
• Theatrical Trailer Gallery