Richards' Take on Ben-Hur: Tale of the Christ

Richard's take on Ben-Hur is solid overall. He covers many of the important aspects necessary for a short review, such as the plot, important character, some main themes, and important production details. I especially like all of the trivia, like the one with censorship. However, there was so much more information he could have added that would have made it more interesting. He mentions the censorship of the film in Fascist Italy due to the demonization of the Roman Empire. He could've added on how this could also tie into the regime's hatred of Jews as another reason, as an example of antisemitism. He also fails to mention the infamous chariot crash and how, potentially, how some extras died. One thing I disagree with is how he claims Christianity is the one in conflict with imperial Rome throughout the film. While, yes, it is a theme present throughout the movie, I feel like it isn't the main focus of the film, often times distracting from Ben-Hur's pursuit of revenge. In some cases, it feels shoehorned into random moments. I don't know how prevalent the imagery of Christ was in the original novel, but the only time I felt that it blended well was when Ben-Hur directly interacted with the main characters. This is about the only qualm I have, though. Richards otherwise does a good job analyzing this cinematic marvel.