A Jewish nobleman, Judah Ben-Hur, and his adopted Roman brother Messala are best friends despite their different origins. Messala enlists in the Roman army and fights in the Roman Empire's wars in Germany. Ben-Hur also d...
A Jewish nobleman, Judah Ben-Hur, and his adopted Roman brother Messala are best friends despite their different origins. Messala enlists in the Roman army and fights in the Roman Empire's wars in Germany. Ben-Hur also d...
While the film critiques Roman oppression, a theme often associated with left-leaning anti-colonialism, its central solution is rooted in Christian faith, forgiveness, and individual moral transformation, aligning more with traditional conservative values.
The movie demonstrates significant diversity through the casting of a prominent Black actor in a key supporting role that has historically been portrayed by white actors. However, its narrative primarily focuses on traditional epic themes of betrayal, revenge, and redemption, without explicitly critiquing traditional identities or centering modern DEI themes.
The character Ilderim, canonically an Arab sheik in the source novel and previous adaptations, is portrayed by a Black actor (Morgan Freeman) in the 2016 film, constituting a race swap.
The film features female characters such as Esther, Tirzah, and Naomi, who play significant dramatic roles. However, none of these characters are depicted engaging in or winning direct physical combat against male opponents.
The 2016 adaptation of Ben-Hur maintains the established genders for all major characters from the original novel and previous film versions. No significant character's gender was altered.
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