Ben-Hur | Chariot Race | FULL SCENE | Warner Classics

Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) takes on Messala (Stephen Boyd) in an ancient roman chariot race. This scene is one of the greatest stunt feats in film history, choreographed by Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt and shot at Cinecittá Studios, outside of Rome. The scene took nearly a year to film and over 70 horses were bought and imported for the scene.

About Ben-Hur (1959):
The winner of 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, Ben-Hur stands as one of the greatest Hollywood epics ever filmed. A member of the Jewish nobility living in Jerusalem, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) lives a religious life and peacefully opposes the tyrannical occupation of Judea by Rome. When a boyhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd), returns to the region as a Roman official, he and Judah become estranged due to Messala's fanatical loyalty to Rome and ruthless indifference to the fate of Judea. Casting friendship aside, Messala fabricates a charge of treason against Ben-Hur, his sister and mother, all of whom are arrested by Roman soldiers.

[tommoore]

No CGI or green screen. The real deal. All the stunts and the risks. Real film making. Top notch acting. Top cinematography and film editing. We will never see the likes of this again.

[edreid]

I'm 64, and have heard about this scene a million times, never saw it, and I caught the tail end on television.. It took my breath away.. So now I'm here.. This is what the internet is made for..😂

[ManishThaker-po]

The greatest fifteen minutes ever recorded in film history

[florence]

I am a 76 year old woman and I have to say, I have seen many many movies over my lifetime and this show has to be the best of all. This race scene has always been the most well done of all. I always watch this show whenever it comes on. I would love to own it, but never do. Number one to me always. I hope others enjoy this movie as I have through the years. Well done, good acting and wonderful actors.

[raghuramang]

I am 92. I have watched this fantastic film many times. Direction, action settings, etc etc are superb. Even after so many years and with all the modern computer graphics etc none of the present pictures do come any where near BEN HUR.

[Supernaut]

I doubt we will ever see movies filmed like this ever again. Truly spectacular on all levels. Charlton at his finest.

[LTDLimiTeD]

No quips, no snarky reaction shots, no computers, slow-mo, no prolonged gore as abrupt but natural depictions of equestrian brutality is sufficient. No witty sayings, no ugly words. Hardly a word is uttered at all after the race begins. Such a thing could never be in modern cinema.

[DIJo]

This entire movie is amazing, but this part is masterpiece! I mean the camera angles alone are amazing! I was like, “How did they do this?”

[Hannah-feyf]

Having watched all three Ben Hurs they go down in quality as time goes on, this one will never be topped

[jimmykovalak]

No computer, no green set. Actors, horses, stadium and all real.

[MORGANNAW]

No matter how many times I have been watched since my childhood.
It makes me feel like I was just there.
The tension
Judah Ben Hur vs Messala
The good and the bad
This movie is a jewel
Endless

[dhall]

An entire year to produce this amazing scene. Thousands of actors. Stephen Boyd was absolutely incredible in this role by the way. Came a long way for a young movie theatre usher. RIP Stephen Boyd

[irfanimp]

Am I the only one who thinks Charlton Heston looks like Arnold?Truly excellent shooting techniques for its time. Flawless.This is real cinema. CGI is killing cinema and art. This film is a masterpiece of labor, dedication, effort and love of art. There is a spirit and belief!: This is respect for art and the audience.

[mohammadwaseemkhan]

The real orignal photography through non digital cameras, when there was no concept of computers and digital editing. A masterpiece in the history of cinema which shall be remembered ever in future. ❤

[Tx]

That scene where the black horses and the white horses are neck and neck racing is intense!! 🫡

[nirmalchaturvedi]

Benhur, Ten Commandments. These two movies I saw first in my twenties. Now over seventy. In last over 50 years could not like any other movie which could surpass these two masterpieces. Every re-release in a hall I never missed. Every time I liked it as much as the first time. Both enriched my life.

[johnhernandez]

This is the greatest Action sequence in film history!! STUNNING!!

[cafeabasedecinema]

Probably the best action sequence ever written and filmed

[LordHoth_]

The set: glorious, the actors: superb, the horses: magnificent. A perfect scene.

[SuperMrBlaze]

I am Hungarian and I am always proud of the Hungarian connections of this scene. Miklós Rózsa composed the soundtrack and Andrew Marton was one of second unit directors of the chariot race. Both of them were born in Budapest, Hungary.