The second best epic ever filmed, second only to “Lawrence of Arabia.” During the times of Ancient Rome, a Jewish prince finds himself unjustly accused and sentenced to slavery. Both exciting spectacle and intelligent drama, “Ben-Hur” works on every level with standout performances by its two lead actors, one of the most convincing portrayals of Jesus Christ (whose face we never see), and arguably the most thrilling cinematic sequence ever—the chariot race. Real men, real horses and the lead actors really driving chariots at high speeds beat anything CGI can produce; it’s a scene that has been imitated (including in “Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace”) but never equaled.

Extra:

• It would have been a greater movie had the hero experienced the very obvious and meaningful conversion to Christianity that he did in the original novel; but such is secular Hollywood, even in the 1950s.