Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ

Arguably the best version is the 1925 silent version directed by Fred Niblo (The Mark of Zorro) and starring silent screen heartthrob Ramon Novarro. At nearly 2½ hours long, the 1925 version is still an hour shorter than the 1959 version, yet the story is essentially the same, and the scale similarly impressive.

The set piece everyone remembers from the 1959 version, of course, is the chariot race. The 1925 version is at least comparable here — but it excels in the story’s other key action sequence, the epic sea battle in which the title character escapes his fate as a galley slave.

The 1925 version also arranges some events differently from the 1959 version, to superior dramatic effect. For example, the escape of Ben-Hur’s mother and sister from prison, and Esther’s discovery of their condition, is postponed until as late as possible, avoiding the dramatic inertia of the 1959 version, which leaves us too long with a “problem” whose eventual solution is all too obvious. The events leading to the chariot race make more sense here, too.