In first century Jerusalem, two childhood friends - Judah Ben-Hur, son of a noble family, and Messala, A roman that has returned to the city as an officer of the Roman legions – clash over Judah’s ambitions for independence. Exiled to Rome, he becomes a champion charioteer and plans his revenge. Ben-Hur is the pinnacle of the cinematic epos. William Wyler is renowned for his refined and sensitive dramas, and he brought these qualities to this epos. With vast cinematic scenes full of extras and action, and the stunning depiction of the journey from revenge to redemption, the result is one of the great cinematic achievements of the 1950s.