Richards’ Analysis of “Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ”

Richards introduces the film Ben-Hur with a thorough production history, explaining the film's circumstances in the early 1920s; history that increased my appreciation for what was produced despite the turmoil. Most of what Richards summarizes isn't necessarily disputable, and I appreciated the reminder of what occurred in the film. I agree with Richard's take away of the film: "The film is structured around the conflict of values between Christianity and Imperial Rome." This is clearly at the heart of Ben-Hur, as most of Judah Ben-Hur’s  scenes include his supposed hatred of Imperial Rome because of their values and treatment of his religion. Something I wished Richard's had discussed in more detail is the development of Ben-Hur's character due to his feelings of hate, revenge, and then ultimately Christianity. I feel as though that was one of the more central idea's of the film, as Hur's journey toward "enlightenment" and peace through Christ is the overall message that the audience receives and/or resonates with; Christ's journey itself is not the main focus of the movie, but rather context to Ben Hur. Ben Hur has a realization that revenge and monetary gain do not give him purpose and satisfaction the way that believing and following Christ do. As for Richards' comparisons to the 1959 adaptation, I myself have not seen that version yet, and can neither agree nor disagree with his conclusion that the silent version is superior.