(YELLS)
Ya!
Messala. Whoa!
(SCREAMS)
Messala!
Messala.
Messala?
Did I win?
No, but you nearly killed yourself trying to. Come on.
Is there any other way to race?
Tell that to my mother.
One, two, three!
(PANTING)
I should have a line of slaves behind me.
And one beside you, whispering in your ear that you're a man, not a god.
Is that not the Roman way, Octavius Messala?
Whoa! Whoa!
What happened to the other cart?
We went over some rough ground.
They're not racing chariots, you know?
I told him that.
We'll repair it, Mother. I promise.
Mmm-hmm.
Where have you two been all day?
Why didn't you take me with you?
Because you are child and not proper company for young men.
Tickle her severely, Messala.
(LAUGHING)
Judah.
A messenger from the Garrison delivered this.
It's for Messala.
We always knew this would come.
But it's been five years,
more, since his mother died.
Would you prefer his father had sent for him immediately?
Tirzah will be most unhappy.
None of us will be happy, Judah.
And Simonides has arrived.
You must change your clothes before you greet him.
Yes, I forgot he was coming.
I'm sorry. I should have been here to meet him.
Yes.
It's time for you to take up your responsibilities,
and for Messala to face his.
Childhood only lasts so long.
So our childhoods end on the same day, his and mine.
And our lives go in different directions.
Different directions,
but the same journey to manhood
and all its rewards and responsibilities.
And I know that you will meet whatever lies ahead
with a good heart and a brave spirit,
for you are your father's son.
Hmm.
And my mother's.
No mother was ever more blessed in a child.
Go now, Judah, and tell your friend playtime's over.
So it would seem.
What's the secret?
You just have to be ready.
Who is it from?
From my illustrious father, Senator Marcellus Agrippa.
You read it.
It's a private letter, Messala.
I don't think you'll be embarrassed by too many intimacies.
Remember, the secret is to expect it to fall every single moment.
"To Octavius Messala.
"You will leave Jerusalem with the next military convoy to Caesarea
"where transportation has been arranged for your journey to Rome."
Is that all?
He's a man of few words, Marcellus Agrippa.
I sometimes envy you having a dead father.
(BELL DINGING)
Judah, how good to see you.
Forgive me for not being here to meet you.
It is of no matter.
You are well?
Yes, yes, thank you.
And you? Your journey was not too tiring?
The distance from Antioch does not grow shorter,
and I do not grow younger.
Judah, I think you know
that your father, of blessed memory,
hoped that one day we would unite our families
in more than mercantile matters.
The painter does my daughter no justice.
Esther is not simply a face, but a mind and a spirit of rare quality.
I hope your father's and my aspirations will be fulfilled.
Yes, yes.
It has to be your wish also.
And Esther's?
Of course. Of course.
Thank you.
No, no. It is for you
until you meet in person.
Come with me.
Would if I could.
Where you are going is the center of the world, Messala.
Things that would never be possible here will come your way.
Will you write to us?
I doubt it. I am no hand with a pen.
But I'll think of you, all of you. And I'll miss you.
And I will come back.
Promise?
You be safe, Octavius Messala.
We will race again.
God willing.
SOLDIER: Forward march! Left, right. Left, right. Left, right, left.
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right, left.
RUTH: Judah! Judah!
This came for you.
Messala is here.
Open it.
What does it say?
"Judah Ben Hur is ordered to present himself
"to the Garrison Commander upon receipt of this notice."
Well, it's to the point.
Probably written by a scribe.
It certainly wasn't written by a friend.
Well, you better not keep the Garrison Commander waiting.
Halt.
I see you forgot nothing I taught you.
You know what the emperor Octavius said of Rome?
He said, "I found this city built of bricks, and I left it made of marble."
That is what I intend to say of Jerusalem.
That is a remarkable aspiration for a garrison commander.
I won't always be a garrison commander
anymore than Pontius Pilate will always be the Governor of Judaea.
We could do great things here together, you and I.
Marcellus Agrippa's got plans for me.
He spent a great deal of money and influence advancing my career.
Only shows his regard for you as his son.
No.
No, it's his regard for his own future.
He wants a strong man on his side,
someone with military renown to his name.
Yes. And he's chosen you, Messala.
No, not quite. I mean, he still hasn't given me his name.
I am still his unacknowledged bastard.
Begotten of a mistress he abandoned when he found someone younger.
No. My father, the senator, is a cruel, cunning, capricious man,
and those are some of his better qualities.
He's given me this chance, which I am determined to take.
The trouble is it's earned me the enmity of Pontius Pilate.
So I must tread carefully.
You can be of help to me, Judah.
Of course, in whatever way I can.
This festival of the Passover.
Now should you know of any elements
that plan to disrupt Pilate's arrival,
I'd want to know of them.
It would reflect badly on me, you understand?
Are you asking me to become an informer, Messala?
I'm asking you to help preserve the order of a Roman province.
This is my career, Judah.
I can't afford mistakes. Not now, not at the start.
Pilate, he'd have me removed
or demoted, given a chance.
All I'm asking, between friends,
is if you know, or hear, or suspect anything,
just let me know.
Believe me, it saves much worse
if such things can be nipped in the bud.
Speaking of nipping in the bud,
which of these do you prefer?
I give you first choice.
I'm nothing if not a generous friend.
If you will excuse me.
Shouldn't have thought you suffer from the Greek affliction.
Judah, when may I pay my respects to your mother?
She's well I hope?
She is.
She's looking forward to seeing you.
And Tirzah, she must be married by now at her ripe age?
No. Tirzah has set her standards so high
that none of her suitors can meet them.
So there is hope for me yet.
Come and eat with us.
It's good to see you, Judah.
We'll do great things here, you and I.
A great thing has already come to pass.
You are here with us again.
Hey! Let's hurry up. Get a move on.
He's a surly bugger, that foreman of yours, Judah.
Saves me from having to be one.
Yes.
Well, that's what I'll be doing
under the new Garrison Commander.
What do you mean?
I'm being forced to step down a rank for some child.
Well, he must have the qualifications,
or he wouldn't have been given the post.
It's not what you know. It's who you know.
The Governor's none too pleased.
He wanted to make me permanent.
Mind you, I wouldn't trust Pilate's judgment either.
It's all politics with these buggers.
That's it then, David.
All done.
You intend to enter the chariot race, Gaius?
Is there any other reason to live, Judah?
You'll be safe laying a talent on me.
It wouldn't do for a Jew to wager
against his own team, now would it?
Suit yourself,
but you'll be throwing your money away. (CHUCKLES)
Shalom!
You see? Didn't even count them.
We've already done that, haven't we?
Never hurts to rob those bastards when you get a chance.
When you have a business of your own, David,
you'll find out how well it pays
to cheat your customers.
Romans are not customers.
They're bloody conquerors.
Sometimes I think you forget that.
You know, I appreciate your animosity, David.
Your brother suffered at their hands.
Suffered? Nailed up on a stick is how he suffered.
Three days it took.
He killed a Roman soldier, did he not?
Whose side are you on, Judah Ben Hur?
It is not a question of sides.
We are under Roman occupation.
Now that may be unfortunate,
but it's a fact.
Well, we'll see about that.
You know, a time is coming when
you'll be asked to say where you stand.
Are you threatening me?
No.
I'm just telling you how it is.
You'll see what happens
when the Governor shows up at Passover.
Don't involve me in your conspiracies, David.
You know my position.
Pay your taxes and collaborate.
You know, you have a way with an argument
that turns into a quarrel.
I wondered when you'd be back.
You know, we have Simonides arriving, bringing you your bride.
That is not funny.
You know there has been no understanding between Esther and myself.
That's not what Simonides thinks.
Anyway, it's about time you were married. Give us an heir apparent.
David Ben Levi was at me again today.
Why don't you get rid of that man? He's a zealot.
No, Tirzah, he's an excellent overseer,
and he knows the business as well or better than I.
I will not dismiss him for convictions he holds as genuinely as I do my own.
Do you never get tired of being
so reasonable and even-handed, Judah?
People like David Ben Levi are dangerous.
They make life impossible for people like us.
You know, he as much as told me
there would be a demonstration against the Governor at Passover.
Well, then denounce him.
You forget yourself, Sister.
(SIGHS)
We do not denounce our fellow countrymen.
(GENERAL CHATTER)
MAN: There'll be soldiers everywhere.
You start something, and there will be a massacre.
We should take note of those who welcome him.
Put them on the list.
We must be prepared to take advantage of any situation.
All of us should be armed so we may strike a blow.
(LOUD KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Leave us.
So, you came.
To warn you.
Judah, we are already warned.
Every day we see our enemy. We know who they are.
The new Garrison Commander is determined
that nothing interfere with the arrival of Pontius Pilate.
He will be on the alert, and he will take action,
drastic action, in the event of any disturbance.
You think this is news to us?
I know this Garrison Commander,
and he will not risk his reputation on such an occasion.
You know him?
Octavius Messala is my friend.
That friend, you don't want anything to spoil his big day.
I don't want to see any more men crucified or sent to the galleys.
Very well, you've done your part. You've warned us.
Now can I have your word you will not betray us?
Were that in my mind,
it would have been a Roman
who knocked at your door.
He must have changed to speak in such a way to you, his best friend.
Of course he has changed, Tirzah.
He is a man, a soldier. He has been to war.
But he never forgot us. That much I know. And he is glad to be back.
What of his father? Did he speak of him?
Not with any great affection, I'm afraid.
He referred to him always as Marcellus Agrippa or the senator.
Poor boy.
And when can we expect an audience with the poor boy?
He will dine with us in a few days.
And I hope you will manage a more welcoming manner, Sister.
I have not invited him under our roof to have him mocked.
You will see for yourself how much he has changed
and how much he is still the same Messala we knew and loved.
For we did love him, did we not?
Yes. Yes, we did.
Yes.
And we shall again.
Judah!
Here they are at last.
Greetings and welcome.
Let me present my daughter.
Esther.
Welcome, Esther, daughter of Simonides.
It is my honor and my family's.
Welcome.
I saw her face, Judah.
Saw what?
That she was not disappointed.
I do not like to see birds kept captive,
but my father says they are never free of the chains of the sky.
Indeed.
You need not approve my father's nonsense, Judah.
Do you really think these creatures
would not wish to fly away at this moment
if I opened their cage?
Perhaps.
Although they might not survive for long.
If I were they, I should wish to
have the choice.
(SIGHS) How happy I am to see Jerusalem at last.
To you it is a familiar sight, I know.
But I, too, often stand here and admire this view.
It is the city of our faith, and while we have it,
we have our center, our heart.
Forgive me. I have a tendency to pontificate.
I do not mean to...
No, no, go on. Please, continue.
Esther, I realize
your father has certain expectations
as did my father,
and you should know that
I am not opposed to their wishes.
But you think we should make our own choice
in a matter so important?
As you say.
Be you betrothed to me with this, my wealth.
MESSALA: For the first couple of years I was in Rome,
I didn't even see Marcellus Agrippa.
It was all military training.
Poor Messala, learning how to be a soldier.
It has its compensations. The ladies of Rome are very patriotic.
Did you teach them to catch the stick?
Your father must be so proud of you.
No. I wouldn't go so far as to say that.
He's expectant, maybe, but...
I'm not ungrateful.
He has given me so much advice,
advice which has stood the test of reality.
"He over whom you have no power has power over you."
That's his motto.
Power, he says,
is the only currency worth hoarding.
It never loses its value.
But there are powers other than those Marcellus Agrippa speaks of.
Of faith, of family, of friends, fair dealing.
In Rome, no such powers prevail.
Even Tiberius, our emperor,
gave up his beloved wife and his three children
to make a dynastic marriage with his brother's widow.
Everyone applauded his wisdom.
I think that not wisdom but an affront against God.
Whose god? Yours?
Rome and its values are not for you, Esther,
nor my friend, your husband-to-be.
But they're for those whose
ambitions remain unchecked by conscience,
whose loyalty can be purchased by advancement and coin.
And have you become such a one, Messala?
I have.
I mean, I think I have.
But such is my fate.
We are all in the hands of the gods,
are we not?
Such is our belief.
So have you given any thought to what I said earlier?
Regarding provocations, disturbances and so forth?
It is as I have told you.
I will have no hand in any demonstration against Rome.
I know.
I talk of hearsay, rumor.
Nothing?
Why do you question your friend's word?
He hasn't given me his word.
Have you?
Is it so much to ask assurance of a friend?
Come, you need only ask Gaius Antonius
to know that the Hur family have always cooperated with Rome.
I'm asking Judah.
It does Rome no credit to impugn a friend under his own roof
while in receipt of hospitality.
I impugn no one. I do as my duty requires.
Is it so much to ask for Judah's word?
I give you my word. Thank you.
Shame on you, Octavius Messala,
to speak so to those who love you.
Daughter, Messala is a guest and our friend.
Apologize to him. No.
I should apologize. I spoke out of turn.
Thank you, Judah.
It's of great comfort to me.
To all our futures.
May they be happy and prosperous, however brief.
She's got a mind of her own, Esther.
You should have a care, Judah.
When she takes the reins, she'll ride you hard.
And your sister.
You should know I've contrived
to have Pilate's procession pass here in front of the house
so you'll have the chance to see me in all my pomp.
I'll be the handsome one on the white horse.
Forgive me.
You know, half my performance is to convince myself.
Messala, no need of forgiveness.
Go with God and be yourself tomorrow.
All will be well.
SOLDIER: Forward!
March. Left, right. Left, right.
Left. Left. Left.
Have a care, Judah.
He could be a dangerous enemy.
And a more dangerous friend.
MESSALA: At the first sign of any trouble,
any demonstration from the crowd, quell it.
Use the butt end to begin with,
but if that proves unavailing,
give them the blade.
Is that understood?
SOLDIERS: Yeah!
We should be bringing Pilate to the Garrison direct.
Keep him on the main streets.
We'll have clear space on either side.
The lower city is too narrow.
You make it seem as if I were sneaking Pilate through the back door.
I don't think he'd appreciate the caution, Gaius.
I think he might find it an affront to his vanity.
Your job is to protect, not to flatter.
There speaks a voice with no concern for politics.
And who thanks the gods for it.
(CROWD SHOUTS INDISTINCTLY)
MAN 1: Go home, Romans.
MAN 2: Keep on riding.
MAN 3: Go back where you came from.
WOMAN: Have respect, Romans.
You have no respect.
A sullen lot, these Jews.
Better to be obeyed than beloved, Excellency.
Drop back a length.
MAN: Go home, Romans.
WOMAN: Have some shame, Romans.
Go on.
There's Pilate at the front, gleaming like a brass pot.
Messala does look splendid, I must say.
Look out!
(SCREAMS)
(CROWD CLAMORING)
Do something.
Seize him!
Arrest Judah.
Move!
It was an accident. A tile fell from...
(GRUNTING)
It was an accident. Please! It was an accident!
Judah.
Tirzah.
It was an accident! Judah!
In broad daylight, an attack on Rome's emissary.
Tiberius will hear of this
and of your incompetence,
you place-bought fool!
I will have you removed, you hear?
Sent to the furthest reaches of the Empire!
(INHALES SHARPLY)
Am I not injured enough?
I could have been killed.
Those responsible are under arrest, Excellency.
Crucify them!
The weapon could have pierced my skull.
Well, what are you waiting for?
I said crucify them.
Excellency, it is the feast of the Passover.
I know that!
That's why I am here to make Rome's presence felt.
Who are these rebels?
One of the foremost of the Jewish families in Jerusalem.
Judah Ben Hur and his mother and sister.
Well, make an example of them.
Crucify the man and garrote the women.
Do you hear me?
(SCREAMING)
Thank God. Are my mother and Tirzah safe?
You have more to concern you than their welfare.
You attempted to kill his Excellency, Pontius Pilate.
Messala, it was an accident.
A tile fell from the roof.
When the governor of a Roman province is attacked in the street,
it is not an accident.
It is a rebellion against Rome.
Have you gone mad?
You gave a signal for the riot to begin.
You cannot believe that.
My family and I are your friends.
You and your family have destroyed me!
Do you understand that?
Messala, I knew nothing.
Liar!
You lied last night. I saw it in your eyes.
Admit it.
Give me the names of the other plotters,
the ones you signaled, you and your family!
Don't threaten my family.
They are even more blameless than I.
Let me go before Pilate and explain.
He wants you crucified,
and your mother and sister
to be executed by strangulation.
No! No! Hear me, Judah.
You have destroyed the house of Hur and me with it.
Messala, listen to me.
No, you listen to me.
Where there is a war, someone must go to it,
and it will not be me.
Messala! Messala! Messala!
GUARD: These two are going to get the wire.
(GUARD LAUGHING)
Be assured my report will make clear that it was your incompetence
that led to this insult to the Emperor.
Excellency...
Silence!
I'm dismissing you as Garrison Commander
and reinstating Gaius Antonius.
And trust me, your patron, Senator Agrippa, will not intervene this time
to keep you in a post for which you are manifestly unfit.
Get up! Up, come on. I said get up!
All right, get out of here, you.
Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
For they know not what they do. Forgive them.
(MOANING)
(SCREAMING)
(SOBBING)
(GROANING)
Simonides! Simonides! Simonides!
Am I not to be crucified?
No such luck. Your sentence has been changed.
You're for the galleys.
A year from now, you'll be wishing they'd put you up on a stick.
You are now under the command of Quintus Arrius,
commander of the Southern Fleet
and victor of the Battle of the Corinth Straits.
You have been chosen to carry His Excellency
to receive reward for his service
from the hand of the Emperor Tiberius himself.
You may consider yourselves honored
and will acquit your duty accordingly,
or by the gods, you will answer to me.
Honored, do you hear?
Silence! Silence at the oars.
Let every man know that any infraction will be severely dealt with.
Severely dealt with just for a change.
Prepare to increase.
And stroke. And stroke. And stroke.
Quintus Arrius. (SCOFFS)
He is the one who cleaned out the pirates,
and honored we are to be rowing him to Rome.
You feeling honored, Number 40?
They killed my wife,
and my daughter, and my son.
They create a wilderness and call it peace.
Every night I dream, my friend.
Then I wake up, but I'm still Number 41.
Do you ever think maybe it's all a bad dream,
and death is when you wake from it?
Go to sleep, Antegua.
Dream of killing Romans and kill one for me, Number 40.
(CHUCKLES)
(WHIP CRACKING) (MAN EXCLAIMS)
ARRIUS: They have two anklets.
Is one not enough?
I switch the rowers from port to starboard
on a regular basis, Excellency.
It keeps them better balanced.
It requires being able to chain them
to battle stations whichever side they are rowing.
And does the result outweigh the cost for the extra anklets?
Yes, sir, they are better oarsmen for it.
Well, commendations, Hortator.
Thank you, Excellency.
He did not tell you it was Number 40's idea.
Silence at the oars!
Whose idea was it, Number 41?
Number 40's.
Is this true, Number 40?
Would Number 41 lie to Quintus Arrius?
He mentioned it to me, Excellency.
And you took the advice of a galley slave?
Congratulations on having an open mind.
(GRUNTS)
The thing of it is,
I am not afraid of death.
Either it will be better than this, or it will be nothing,
which will be better than this.
What are you afraid of?
Nothing.
I am afraid of going down in the chains.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
On your feet.
We're only just off the oars.
You're wanted up top.
You're going to see His Excellency.
You mind your mouth in there.
I don't want any of your smart opinions about how to run a galley.
Is that clear?
Come on.
MAN 1: Pull them out.
MAN 2: Pull out! Pull it.
MAN 3: Watch the side.
MAN 4: Right ship, turn!
Come.
Number 40, Excellency.
Hmm.
I don't suppose you know much about naval strategy, do you, Number 40?
Mine is not the best place to learn.
Then why would you suggest the hortator
switch the rowers from side to side?
I believe he explained the reason.
The rowers would be better balanced. Yes, he did.
But why would you care?
Efficiency is better than its opposite,
even for a galley slave.
Hmm.
How long have you been at the oars?
Almost three years.
Well, you are certainly thriving on it.
How long did you get?
There was no limit put on my sentence.
And what did you do to deserve that?
I was betrayed by a friend.
Oh, well, that usually carries
a maximum penalty.
Are you going to tell me now that you are entirely innocent?
Hmm.
Well, if we lived in Rome it wouldn't be worth comment,
so commonplace it would be.
That is little consolation
when you have been wrongfully accused
and convicted without a hearing,
your family destroyed, and all on the word of one who was your friend.
Mmm.
Ah! Well, I'm surprised
that a man with your education and intelligence has lasted so long.
This work is for unthinking brutes.
I've had encouragement in that direction.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Come. Come.
Sir. Three ships sighted.
Just put out from the headland.
They are pirates for sure.
They have the land breeze, but they're no match for our rowers.
We can outrun them.
Outrun? No, no, no, no.
Outmaneuver, outthink, outfight, but not outrun.
In case the news gets back to Rome,
and it's converted to running away.
Quintus Arrius does not run away.
Off you go, Number 40, and take the grapes.
It will sweeten your stroke.
What is that?
Trumpet calling us to battle stations.
I was dreaming I was in a garden drinking sherbet.
I can taste it.
Battle stations.
Three pirates came out to greet us.
May they capture us and kill all the Romans.
May we kill those they leave behind.
MAN 1: We're going to port.
MAN 2: It's your lucky day, isn't it, Number 40?
Battle stations!
Oars out!
And stroke.
And stroke. And stroke.
Port! Hold!
Port, oars in! Hold!
MAN: Coming about.
MAN 1: Secure port.
MAN 2: Hold steady!
Port, withdraw!
And stroke.
And stroke. And stroke.
And stroke.
And stroke. And stroke.
Give me speed!
Stroke. And stroke. And stroke.
MAN 1: Archers at the ready!
MAN 2: Ready arrows. MAN 3: Hold formation.
Hold your position.
Starboard in.
Release!
HORTATOR: Oars out!
And stroke.
And stroke. And stroke.
Port, in!
Hold!
How many?
Two more.
Port, withdraw!
And stroke, and stroke.
And stroke.
Ramming speed!
And stroke.
And stroke. And stroke.
And stroke.
And stroke. And stroke.
(ALL SCREAMING)
Back oars. Back oars! Back oars!
ANTEGUA: Judah, unlock the chains!
The chains!
Quickly, Judah.
(GRUNTING)
Judah.
(GASPING)
It's no use.
Go, Number 40, and kill a Roman for me.
Don't let me drown in these chains.
(EXPLOSIONS IN DISTANCE)
(GRUNTS)
You?
Number 40.
Who else?
Are there other survivors?
There's been no sign.
(GROANS)
This needs to come out.
Not if it's barbed.
Try.
One good pull.
It's an order, Number 40!
(GRUNTING)
It's very clever.
Detach blade so it stays in the body.
(LAUGHING)
The Great Quintus Arrius adrift with a slave in his hour of triumph.
You are still alive.
You mean I am not dead.
There's a difference.
I know the difference.
Well, the gods have their own sense of humor.
I trust you still believe in your god.
How can I say other when I am delivered from my chains?
Not by a god.
Before each battle,
I unchain one rower.
Why?
Call it a reminder of humility, an antidote to hubris,
or simply habit.
Why me?
Maybe I like the way you eat grapes.
What?
What is it?
A sail.
I will not be taken by pirates.
If this is a pirate ship, you must not let them take me.
So having saved your life,
I should take it to save you from the oars.
If this is a Roman ship,
I will not let them take you back.
You will come to Rome as my slave.
This is a better form of servitude.
You have my word on it, Number 40.
My name is Judah Ben Hur.
You have my word, Judah Ben Hur.
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey!
Their chieftain is here as you ordered.
MESSALA: His family?
The women killed themselves.
He was only taken alive with great difficulty. It cost us three men.
(YELLING)
Will we crucify him, sir?
No. Keep him alive.
I have a better idea.
MARCELLUS: My son will receive his reward
at the hands of Tiberius himself
when he returns to Rome.
Such are his triumphs against the Thracians.
Well, I am glad that your son has finally made you proud.
You've waited a long time for a return on your investment.
Bastards got on mistresses need time to prove themselves.
And at least I will have a son to carry on my name.
So, Marcellus, you've seen fit to bestow it on him.
MARCELLUS: I need Tiberius' approval.
Well, you know how he likes a man to die without heirs,
so that all his estates are subject to his decree.
Well, let's pray he survives you
to carry on your illustrious name.
Quite so.
I hope to prevail on Tiberius
to grant Octavius Messala the governorship of Judaea.
Replace that wretch who did so much to obstruct his advancement.
And Tiberius will grant this favor?
There are ways to influence an emperor.
My Thracian will take his fancy,
and of course, Athene can be most persuasive.
(BELCHING)
Oh, gods.
I feel the need of a little intestinal relief.
Excuse me.
(COUGHING)
I can give you something to dull the pain.
And how do you feel about being on loan to our Emperor?
I am a whore. How should I feel?
(GRUNTING)
So which is your galley-slave-turned-gladiator?
The blond one.
But he's no gladiator. He's my body servant.
MARCELLUS: Skilled in arms.
What, does the victor of the Corinth Straits fear assassination
that he must go guarded in the streets?
He's beautiful, your body servant.
Indeed.
You pick well, Quintus.
We chose each other.
Chose each other, did we?
Enough! Enough!
You improve day by day.
(GRUNTS)
A fine looking specimen.
What say you match him against my Thracian before the Emperor?
There is no likelihood of that.
I value him too much to see him butchered for your amusement.
I'll give you odds.
He's learning well, and he's learning fast.
Could you have killed him? Today?
Only about a half dozen times.
(CHUCKLES)
I am Athene.
Judah.
So you are a Jew, and I am a Greek.
Both of us conquered peoples subject to the will of Rome and Romans.
We should make a common cause while we have the chance.
If you'll excuse me.
Did you...
The Greek, did she take you to her bed?
She's not to my taste.
Judah, no...
(CHUCKLES) Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much.
(COUGHING)
Go to her.
Are you asking me to sleep with this woman?
No. I'm ordering you to.
It will not be such a hardship.
(CHUCKLES)
Why would you wish it?
Because Marcellus Agrippa wants it.
Marcellus Agrippa?
Hmm.
He uses her for his ends,
few of which are carnal.
She will inquire of things he wants to know.
Such as, what you are to me,
how long you think I will last,
and who are my heirs.
Why does he want to know these things?
Because in Rome, knowledge is power.
And he over whom you do not have power has power over you.
I see you've learned the ways of the Imperium.
I had a good teacher.
Hmm.
(GRUNTS)
Have your physicians no remedy for your pain?
No, I have had my fill with them.
When my time comes, I will take the pink bath.
The Roman way.
Yes. (COUGHS)
Come, rest now.
All will be well.
(COUGHS)
Judah, I will have you as my heir
to have at your disposal
my estates, my name.
And to go with them, Roman citizenship
and a full pardon for all charges held against you.
What of your kin?
I have none, saving you now, Sextus Arrius.
Sextus was my son.
He died many years ago
in a plague with his mother.
You do me honor to give me his name.
Then all I ask is
you do not disgrace it.
No more than I would my own father's.
Then we are both well pleased, my son.
Come.
You know, I cannot rest until I've had my revenge
upon he who killed my mother and sister.
Octavius Messala.
MARCELLUS: Emperor, my sources report that Pontius Pilate is inept,
incompetent, and corrupt,
and that Judaea, were it administered properly,
would contribute five times the sum
you presently receive from its taxes.
Octavius Messala would assure these revenues.
Indeed, I will guarantee them in advance,
such is my confidence in his abilities.
I was never handsome.
My mother said
I was her least favorite child.
Do me justice but no favors, do you understand?
Tell me, Marcellus, is this not the same Octavius Messala
who not four years ago was sent abroad in disgrace by Pontius Pilate
for conspicuous neglect of his duties?
A contrivance against him
so that Pilate could re-install
his own favorite.
Messala knows these Jews.
He's lived amongst them. He speaks their language,
knows their customs. He has assured me...
I will consider it.
I could ask no more.
What's this I hear about some gladiator you own?
Ah!
Yes. My Thracian.
Sent to me by Messala.
Already he has three kills to his credit.
I shall like to see him in action.
By your decree, Emperor.
But I am having difficulty in finding him opponents
or perhaps I should say victims.
I challenged Quintus Arrius to put his young protege up against him,
but he prizes him too much.
I think perhaps there is more to that matter than meets the eye.
There usually is.
But I doubt Quintus Arrius uses bum boys as gladiators.
Well, we must find some way
of having your prodigy entertain us at my next gathering.
At the Emperor's command, it shall be done.
I didn't expect virginity along with virility.
But I am honored to receive it.
You must allow me the privilege of advancing your education.
And why would you do that?
I might teach you to pleasure me as well as yourself.
And some day you might have a wife
who would appreciate such skills.
And it would give you the time to find out
whatever Marcellus Agrippa bid you learn.
You may tell me what you please or not.
But did not Quintus Arrius bid you do the same?
We will not quarrel over this.
Marcellus Agrippa.
He has a son.
Octavius Messala. Do you know him?
A great hero by all accounts.
No doubt, I will have the chance to judge for myself.
I see I have your attention again.
This time, keep in mind that it is not a sprint.
Look at this.
I would exchange it all to be once more on the battlefield.
Did you not find it so, Quintus Arrius,
that war is so much simpler than life?
But one cannot make war forever.
There comes a time when you have to put the sword down.
Especially when you can't hold it.
(COUGHING)
My dear Quintus, you look worse than I do.
Shall I send for my physician?
He has not killed me yet.
No, I have made my own arrangements.
But I thank the Emperor.
Then what can I do?
For me, nothing.
But I would have your approval of my intention
to leave all I possess, including my name,
to someone of whom I have become fond.
To whom, indeed, I owe my life, what is left of it.
This is your galley slave?
Mmm.
The one who Marcellus speaks of
as your catamite?
He is my companion, nothing more.
(LAUGHS) My dear Quintus,
you are at liberty to bequeath your name, and its fame,
and all you possess to whom you choose.
Your service to Rome and its laws
grant you that.
But in Rome, the supreme law is yours.
So how is it a galley slave saves the life of an admiral?
By the will of the gods.
(LAUGHING)
Indeed,
we do amuse ourselves in the most peculiar fashion sometimes.
Very well.
If that is what you wish.
But I must meet this fortunate young fellow.
Bring him to my next masque.
I am in your debt.
I may require you to acknowledge that
before you slip anchor.
I wouldn't delay your request long.
I wouldn't want to disappoint my Emperor.
(COUGHING)
May I... You may.
(CONTINUES COUGHING)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Emperor.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Emperor.
I have the honor of presenting to you my son,
Sextus Arrius.
Well, let me have a look at the paragon.
Take off your mask, Sextus.
I hear you are no mean man at arms.
I am but an apprentice at the trade, Emperor.
Well, I hope to have some evidence of your prowess.
I would have your new-found heir
display his skills for us, Quintus Arrius.
In what manner?
Why, by combat.
I hadn't thought that such a display would be necessary.
Did I not say that you were in my debt,
and did you not tell me I must make haste to have it repaid?
I am the Emperor's to command.
What of the Thracian of yours?
At the Emperor's pleasure.
Emperor, this was not my understanding.
There is no understanding but mine, Quintus Arrius!
Replace your mask.
You do not have my permission to show your face!
Sword against spear, the best of all the pairings.
Is it to your satisfaction?
If they know how to use them.
I can assure you my Thracian does.
And what about your Sextus?
(GUESTS EXCLAIMING)
(GROWLING)
Emperor, Emperor, I beg you.
(GUESTS SCREAMING)
Kill him.
Emperor!
It seems you were right.
The gods amuse themselves in a peculiar way.
Emperor. The man was mad. Emperor?
Hmm.
(COUGHING)
Your god, he sets his hand against self-slaughter, does he not?
Hmm.
It is hard to tell with gods
whether they care about our ways,
or whether, indeed, they are anything but our fancies
writ large.
Well, I shall know soon enough. Or not.
For waiting for me is
maybe a sudden darkness.
(EXHALES)
Do not grieve unduly.
I have had about as much life as one can live.
You have a long way to go, my son.
Do not spend it all in vengeance.
Do not sour it with hatred.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Oh!
Maybe there are no gods.
Maybe one lives on in others.
So when you eat a grape,
you think of me.
(GASPS)
(SOBBING)
Your grief does you credit.
Who would not grieve such a man as Quintus Arrius?
There are many dry eyes, I assure you.
Yes. Well...
Marcellus has other concerns, does he not?
Has he managed to placate the Emperor?
We are doing our best.
He's persistent, my master.
We are headed to Jerusalem to meet his son at the games.
He means to have him installed there
as his new governor.
My condolences on your loss.
But you'll soon feel better, Sextus Arrius,
now that you have your late father's estates.
Perhaps we will meet again in more cheerful circumstances.
At your son's investiture in Jerusalem?
What would take you to that godforsaken place?
Jerusalem is not forsaken by God, Senator.
Oh, you're a Jew.
Well, certainly if you come for the chariot racing,
you will meet Octavius Messala.
I will live in hope.
I will miss you, Judah.
Farewell, Quintus Arrius.
I promise you
I will not disgrace the name you gave me.
But I will have my revenge.
No matter the cost.
JESUS: ...and yet forgive them. Once? Seven times?
No. Not once.
(PEOPLE EXCLAIM)
Not seven times,
but 70 times seven.
We've heard it said, "An eye for eye, a tooth for tooth."
I say to you, do not fight those that wish to harm you.
If someone hits your left cheek, offer them the right.
If they ask for your tunic, give them your cloak as well.
Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
For they know not what they do. Forgive them.
If they say, "Walk this mile with me,"
walk two miles.
As you've heard it said,
"You should love your neighbor, and hate your enemy."
But I say to you, love your enemies
and bless those who curse you.
Please, can you help a leper?
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
SOLDIER: Step back!
(CLAMOR CONTINUES)
You are under arrest!
SOLDIER: Stay!
Stay there.
(SCREAMING)
And what brings you to this armpit of a country?
I've come for the games.
(GRUNTING)
Come. Empty your mind of what troubles you.
David.
Esther. Leave me alone.
What's happened to you?
My sentence was life at the oars!
MARCELLUS: When does Octavius Messala arrive?
Octavius Messala will be here?
I told you your replacement was on his way.
MARCELLUS: My son has many good qualities,
but patience is not one of them.
Have some care there.
So that is your son?
MARCELLUS: Yes, of course. You have not met.
I will meet him tonight.
What was it, the name of the family you lived with?
Who cares?
Welcome, Marcellus.
Most especially Octavius Messala.
What's this game, Judah?
This game is one that you will lose.
I should have had him crucified as Pilate ordered!
What stopped you?
I'll challenge him to race me in the games.
Judah Ben Hur!
I mean to see the light go out in your eyes.
The race can be to the death as easily as to the line.
These damn games were not trouble enough.
It will only rouse the populace, like this zealot in town.
Wait until after the race and hand him over.
Forgive him.
I have no forgiveness in me.
And Judah Ben Hur.
That is a bitter finish line indeed.
The knot is tied and cannot be undone but with a cut.
(SPECTATORS CHEERING)
(YELLING)
Ya! Ya!
BEN HUR: "To Octavius Messala.
"You will leave Jerusalem with the next military convoy to Caesarea."
We will race again.
You know, we have Simonides arriving, bringing you your bride.
Be you betrothed to me.
Messala is here.
You can be of help to me, Judah.
Whose side are you on, Judah Ben Hur?
It is not a question of sides.
We should be bringing Pilate to the Garrison direct.
Look out!
Seize him!
It was an accident! Judah!
Get up!
Crucify the man and garrote the women.
No! No! Hear me, Judah.
You have destroyed the house of Hur and me with it.
Messala!
You are now under the command of Quintus Arrius.
Silence!
How long have you been at the oars?
Almost three years. I was betrayed by a friend.
That usually carries a maximum penalty.
Three ships sighted. Pirates for sure.
Battle stations!
Back oars! Back oars!
If this is a Roman ship, I will not let them take you back.
But I must meet this fortunate young fellow.
Emperor. I have the honor of presenting to you my son, Sextus Arrius.
Marcellus Agrippa. He has a son.
Octavius Messala. Do you know him?
Farewell, Quintus Arrius. I will not disgrace the name you gave me.
But I will have my revenge. No matter the cost.
...and yet forgive them. Once? Seven times?
No. Not once.
Not seven times,
but 70 times seven.
We've heard it said, "An eye for eye, a tooth for tooth."
I say to you, do not fight those that wish to harm you.
If someone hits your left cheek, offer them the right.
If they ask for your tunic, give them your cloak as well.
Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
For they know not what they do. Forgive them.
If they say, "Walk this mile with me..."
...walk two miles. As you've heard it said,
"You should love your neighbor, and hate your enemy."
But I say to you, love your enemies
and bless those who curse you.
Please, can you help a leper?
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
(SCREAMING)
MAN: This way.
I heard you've only just returned. Where were you?
Went outside the city to hear the Nazarene.
"Blessed are the weak. The poor shall inherit the Earth."
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
I think that is wisdom.
"The pure in heart." And who are they?
You'll not find many in 100, is all I know.
Then you must try harder.
Is that what I must do to win you, Esther? Try harder?
No. You must let me decide, David.
I would make the right decision,
for once made, it cannot be undone.
I heard of your father's death.
It was that of a true Roman and an example to us all.
You must be proud of him.
He has my undying respect.
(CHUCKLES)
And what brings you to this armpit of a country?
I've come for the games.
Games. (LAUGHS)
There are games of a sort. Nothing like Rome.
A chariot race with teams from all around. Arabs, Syrians, Nubians.
This Garrison puts up a team which always wins, if you call that sport.
It's enough to bring Senator Marcellus Agrippa from Rome.
And little these Jews will thank him.
A fractious bunch of malcontents.
There's one such abroad just now, wandering the hills.
They spring up like weeds, and like weeds, we must cut them down.
Ha!
There was another set-to at the Joppa Gate.
Soldiers everywhere.
I mean, it's Passover. They should know by now
the Romans are on the lookout for trouble.
Just telling Esther about the fighting.
And you were not tempted to join in?
DAVID: And where would you and your daughter be
if I was to join in and get myself arrested?
We're indebted for your consideration.
Oh, you're indebted for more than that.
Who else do you know would have the pair of you under his roof
after you lived with the lepers?
We were purified in accordance with the law.
And who paid for that? SIMONIDES: And what did you pay with?
If not the proceeds of the business Judah and I once owned.
Judah Ben Hur had you crucified in his place.
You do not know that.
I know what I saw!
And I know I gave you both a home,
so let's have no more of your sarcasm
and your complaints.
You would be best to take heed.
I will not wait forever on you, Esther.
Daughter of Simonides.
I'm sorry.
When I'm in pain, I speak without thought.
There's no need to apologize, Father.
You are welcome, but where will you stay?
The Senator's retinue will arrive soon, and I must accommodate them.
Well, I saw a house across the way
closed by order of the governor
for some considerable time by the looks of it.
I know the place. It was a scene of an attack on me
when I first arrived four years ago.
I had the perpetrators executed
and the house left empty as a warning.
Well, then it has served its purpose.
You've not been attacked since.
When I make an example, I make an example.
Hmm.
Perhaps you might sell the house to me.
Well, it seemed a pleasing prospect beneath the neglect and decay.
(LAUGHS) You want to buy a house here in Jerusalem?
Oh! No doubt I will sell it at a profit later.
But you have no objection to benefiting from my whim in the meantime, do you?
I suppose not.
Well, then, we shall consider it a mutual understanding.
Shall we say 50 talents?
All right.
So, Governor, tell me,
how much longer do you think you'll be required to serve in this...
What did you call it? "Armpit of a country"?
Are you covetous of my position?
Because if you are,
I could put in a good word for you with the Emperor.
(LAUGHS)
(LAUGHING)
ESTHER: How is your pain?
It hurts only when I laugh.
(CHUCKLES)
It's been a long time since that last happened.
We're alive, and we are together.
Yes.
Father, David is insistent I give him an answer.
Even if it be no?
It cannot be no.
As I know he will turn us out.
We will survive.
Back with the lepers, begging at the caves?
But you do not love this man.
David knows that.
I have no interest in what David knows.
It is you, Esther.
Could you bear to marry such a man as that?
And he has prospered.
Forgotten his hatred of the Romans,
the hatred he used to vent on Judah.
On those who tried to live in good terms with their conquerors.
Giving up his hatred is not to be held against him.
He gave up nothing. He just saw where his profit lay.
David Ben Levi has hatred enough in his heart.
Then maybe I can erase that
by being a wife to him.
Do not overestimate the power of love, Daughter.
It does not work miracles.
(GENERAL CHATTER)
Saw all the work going on. Thought I'd introduce myself.
David Ben Levi.
I have a business. We do many things. Tiles, for one.
You need quite a few up there by the look of it.
Yes, I believe you were here when one fell
some four years ago.
Judah. Judah Ben Hur.
Sextus Arrius now.
Sextus Arrius?
I have a Roman name for when it serves.
But I am who I ever was. Judah, son of Jacob, of the house of Hur.
What if you're discovered?
I'm in no danger of discovery.
I am a Roman citizen now with all the benefits of that state.
Then it is true.
They said you were taken away, protected by that friend of yours, Messala,
you and your mother and sister.
I have not seen them since that day.
You remember that day, David?
Of course. I was there.
I know.
I saw you when you stabbed a soldier.
In self-defense.
In the back.
An incident which turned into a riot,
for which my family was blamed.
I did not give your name when I was taken,
or else you would have joined Simonides
on the cross.
So you knew of that, then?
I saw him as I was
being led away in chains.
His daughter, Esther.
What happened to her?
Do you know?
No.
And now it is rumored I'm to release all common prisoners.
In truth, I should be locking more up.
But the Senator must have his visit marked
by a gesture of magnanimity.
Do you know him? Senator Marcellus Agrippa?
Indeed. He's never forgiven me
for having exposed his bastard son
as an incompetent and sent off to learn his trade.
But enough of that. How is your house coming along?
Oh.
It'll be ready to welcome the Senator and his son.
And yourself, Governor, when the time comes.
So who will compete in this great race, then?
Anyone who can fasten four horses to a cart,
and don't imagine there'll be any shortage of them.
All manner of rabble will mount up
for the chance to embarrass or injure Rome.
Ye gods and fishes, how I hate this Passover.
(INHALES SHARPLY)
(EXHALES)
So what's your answer? Hmm?
I'm not a man you may play with in this way.
I'm not a woman you may threaten.
You've given my father and me a roof over our heads.
For that, you have my gratitude.
But gratitude is not love, David.
And I do not love you as a wife should.
But I love you.
I love you enough for both of us,
and love will come.
And if it does not?
If you had my child,
your heart would warm to the father.
I know it.
You'd come to be all a wife should.
You're not a woman that does things by halves.
Take one step. The other will follow.
Very well, then.
I will marry you.
PILATE: I hope you will find your quarters comfortable.
I do not use this place much. I'm usually on the coast at Caesarea.
They will suffice.
I am here only to oversee the games in the Emperor's name.
He's adamant that by such displays, Rome will be loved.
I think he'll find himself mistaken in the case of these Jews.
You can explain that to him when you are recalled to Rome.
I've yet to see the Emperor's orders
under his seal.
You will have them. Never fear.
They're on their way, carried by your replacement.
Sextus! Sextus Arrius!
I saw you arrive. And what a splendid sight it was.
And you are the most agreeable prospect
I have seen since we left Rome.
So you were not in jest about coming to this place.
Sextus Arrius has bought a house here.
He seems to find Jerusalem far more congenial than I do.
I suggested he might consider relieving me.
I did not know you had political ambitions, Sextus.
Whose magnificent horses are these matched blacks?
MARCELLUS: They're my gift to the Emperor.
After they have triumphed at the games,
they will go to him for his stables.
When does Octavius Messala arrive?
Octavius Messala will be here?
I told you your replacement was on his way.
Ah!
Let's hope his entrance is better than his last.
If you will excuse me, there is much I must attend to.
What a popinjay.
(SCOFFS)
I marvel that he has lasted as long as he has.
So you've bought a house here?
I should have thought that your estates in Umbria surpassed by far
anything that you might find in this land.
I once lived here a long time ago.
As did your son if I'm not mistaken.
Until I brought him to Rome.
And his life truly began.
It'll be interesting for him to return,
I imagine, to the scene of former triumphs.
When can we visit you in your new house?
I plan a banquet to celebrate you all being here
as soon as Messala arrives.
Well, I will leave you to recover from your journey.
What is that man doing here?
I do not trust him. Upstart.
Perhaps you should let me ask him.
Or are you saving me for your son?
Very well. A slice from a cut loaf is never missed.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Tell your master Sextus Arrius is here.
And to what do I owe this honor?
You spoke of repairs to my house.
And you're offering the work?
Or you would prefer I went elsewhere?
I can't supply your needs. I'm sorry.
You were at the house only days ago, soliciting.
Or did you lose interest in profit
when you discovered I was not a Roman?
I said I can't help you.
David! David!
That woman! Stop her!
Stay there!
Esther, thank God you're alive.
I asked David if he knew where you were, and he told me he didn't.
That will be all. Thanks, sir.
Why did you run?
Do not touch me.
If you must detain me, have them do it.
Esther, wait. What's the matter? What's happened to you?
Esther!
Leave me alone. Leave me alone!
Why did you spit on me? What have I done that you spit on me?
Why would I not spit on someone
who bargained my father's life for his own?
I had nothing to do with your father's death!
Then how is it that you are a Roman, and he is a cripple?
Simonides is not dead?
No thanks to you.
He was crucified on the eve of the Sabbath,
and they took him down at sunset before he died.
Or am I to be grateful that you Romans allow us these privileges?
I saw him as I was being taken to the galley in chains.
My sentence was life at the oars!
You seem to have rowed your way to freedom.
You once professed to know what was in men's souls by looking into their eyes.
Look into mine.
I had no part in it.
If you don't believe that,
then you can believe what you will.
(SCREAMING)
He denied his part in your crucifixion, of course.
Said he had nothing to do with it.
And you did not believe him?
He is a Roman, father.
Soldiers obey him. Even looks different.
He is not the Judah Ben Hur I knew.
And to whom you are betrothed.
All that is in the past.
But he is here, now.
How is it that someone sentenced to the galleys for life
is now wealthy enough to buy back his old home?
Unless, of course, he was protected by his friend, Messala.
Did you look into his eyes, daughter?
Yes.
And?
Could not see out of my own.
(SIGHS)
I must speak with him.
Do you think he will confess to you what he denied to me?
Perhaps my eyes will see clearer than yours.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
DAVID: Esther, it's me.
What do you want?
I want to see Esther! Open the door.
This is not the time.
I say open the door, you will open it.
This is my house! You and she live here at my sufferance!
What do you want?
To see you. That you were safe.
I am safe. What else?
Do I still have your word?
(GENERAL CHATTER)
You give short measure
now that the business is yours, David Ben Levi.
I've had no complaints from those I deal with.
The Romans?
Those whom you swore to resist and drive out?
Have a care, Sextus Arrius, that I do not reveal you for what you are.
And what am I?
An imposter, a traitor, one who bartered another's life for his own.
(GRUNTING)
Will we go to Pontius Pilate,
and you can tell him your lies,
and I will tell him mine,
and we will see who is believed?
This man once worked for me.
I and my family were ruined by his actions against Rome.
He is a liar, and a coward, and a hypocrite.
And he still stabs from behind.
It is one thing, a man's heart not being in it,
but when his body is equally absent...
What ails my beloved?
Do whores have beloveds?
The whore's heart longs for un-bought kisses.
Marcellus is curious as to why you are here.
And he sent you to find out?
This is so you know I am not trying to poison you.
Yes, he sent me to find out, but you have told me nothing.
You have poisoned at his command?
I have indisposed a few in my time,
but I save the best for myself.
For when I have had enough of this monstrous world.
But your secret is safe with me, Judah,
if you were to share it with me.
Come to where there are no lies,
no secrets, no words.
Empty your mind of what troubles you,
of why you are here and what you must do.
SIMONIDES: We are here to see Judah Ben Hur.
Stay here.
It's my pleasure.
Simonides.
Judah, God's blessing on you.
Simonides, you must believe me.
I believe you.
Daughter, come.
Look in his eyes.
Look and see.
The curfew will begin shortly. I will find you an escort.
I have permission to stay out all night.
It is better that you return.
You have found a replacement?
I saw the girl and how you were with her.
She and her father were once friends of my family.
I thought they were members of it
from the warmth of your greeting.
But perhaps she was something more.
I met Esther once before in my life,
and she was but a child.
Well, she's a child no longer.
I wish you joy of her.
You and I are more alike than you suppose.
We make our way in this world by our wits.
You should trust me,
Sextus Arrius or Judah Ben Hur.
Whoever you are.
SOLDIER: Left, right, left, right...
MESSALA: The decree recalling Pilate is in that scroll.
Do not present it until these games
and the Passover have concluded.
Let that be Pilate's last duty.
The other is the edict authorizing
the release of prisoners for the festival.
He can have that now.
How was the Emperor when you left him?
He's grown over-reliant on his commander of the Praetorian Guard.
Sejanus, he's a dangerous man.
He needs to be the gate through which all must enter.
It's no bad thing that the Emperor grows used to such a gatekeeper.
Then he will not notice it so much
when one is replaced by another.
And how long will that be? I don't mean to spend my whole life here.
Did you not live here when you were younger?
Exactly, so I know whereof I speak.
MARCELLUS: We must have patience.
It would be as well if you applied yourself here.
It would help your reputation should some outbreak need putting down
to show Rome she has a man of action.
I'm sure an outbreak can be both raised up and put down with great ease.
There was talk of some King of the Jews proclaiming himself
as we came in from the coast.
I had forgotten what a barbarous people they are.
Ah! Gaius Antonius.
This is Octavius Messala, come from Rome with the Emperor's orders.
Messala and I are acquainted.
Still here, Gaius? Yes.
I congratulate you on your successes in foreign lands.
That's an order from the Emperor
requiring the release of all prisoners for the festival.
The locals will not thank us for dumping
murderers and the diseased into their midst.
Pilate will not be pleased.
MARCELLUS: Pilate will not have much longer
to be pleased or displeased.
Octavius Messala will replace him when the festival is over.
So you managed it.
I did not give much for your chances after the last time.
You know that was no fault of mine.
You were Garrison Commander as I recall.
Do not make an enemy of me before it is necessary, Gaius.
Let there be no talk of enemies.
Gaius Antonius will be our champion in the chariot race.
He will ride the Emperor's four to victory, and we will all rejoice in it.
Indeed. I've heard of the famous four.
Perhaps you'll indulge me,
allow me to complete a circuit or two behind them?
It is never a good idea to confuse such thoroughbreds
with different drivers before a race.
MARCELLUS: I do not think you need overly concern yourself, Gaius.
There are no animals comparable to these in all Judea.
Then you have not seen Sheikh Ilderim's team. Senator.
(SPEAKING IN ARABIC)
Cannot that young fool control himself?
There's no point in offending Gaius Antonius
before he's even taken office.
My dear Gaius, forgive him.
My son has many good qualities,
but patience is not one of them.
Ya!
Have some care there.
Nor his concern for the horses if that's how he begins.
I fear he learnt his charioteering in war not in the circus.
Splendid animals. They belong to you?
Uh-huh.
My name is Judah Ben Hur.
I knew a Ben Hur. Jacob.
He was my father.
He was spoken well of for a Jew.
That is all a Jew can ask.
(LAUGHS)
So what is the son of Jacob Ben Hur doing dressed as a Roman?
Has he forsaken his faith and his people entirely?
Not entirely.
But among the Romans, I'm known as Sextus Arrius.
Ilderim, Sheikh of the Howeitat.
Sextus Arrius. You are studying the form then.
Indeed.
I have a fancy for Sheikh Ilderim's four. Are they not magnificent?
You are Sheikh Ilderim. I'd heard you would be here.
Perhaps we can have a wager on the outcome?
Perhaps. Come now, Sheikh.
Are not your steeds famous throughout the East?
Even in Rome we have heard of them.
I will venture a sum on the Sheikh's four.
We are beginning to see your true colors, then,
now that you've come home.
Just to add a little spice to the event, Senator.
I will be happy to take your money, Sextus.
BEN HUR: So that is your son.
Yes, of course. You have not met.
Let me call him in.
It's time he gave the reins back to Gaius.
I will meet him tonight.
Do not spoil his gallop.
You will find my house easily, but should you have any difficulty,
ask the way to the Hur house.
Octavius Messala may even know it
from his time spent in Jerusalem.
A well-known Jewish family lived there then.
(EXCLAIMING)
They're splendid. Far too good for an emperor.
Certainly one who'll never ride them.
We're going to the house of Sextus Arrius tonight.
I told you of him, did I not?
He was the slave adopted by Quintus Arrius,
who then conveniently died and left him his name and fortune.
Almost as good as being the illegitimate son of a senator.
Would you like some bread?
Here you go.
For you.
Some bread for you.
For you.
Would you like some bread?
How long have you been his whore?
He bought me when I was 13.
Ha!
My mother was 12 when he bought her from her father
at a fair price, he told me,
just so I wouldn't think I was the bastard of a bargain.
She's dead, your mother?
Buried just outside the city.
The Jews wouldn't let her be with them. She wasn't a Roman,
so they put her in a field somewhere.
How old were you when she died?
A little older than she was when she was sold.
So where did you live?
Until he sent for me,
with some Jews in Jerusalem
for almost five years.
Do they still live here?
No, they're gone.
Do you remember their name?
What was it,
the name of the family you lived with?
Who cares?
What's wrong, Messala?
What's this? Why are we here?
This is where Sextus Arrius lives.
Welcome, Marcellus, Athene,
most especially Octavius Messala.
You remember this game, don't you?
The trick is to expect it to fall at every moment.
I thought you did not know Octavius Messala.
I knew him once. When we were boys, we were one another's best.
He lived with us after his mother died.
With my mother, Ruth, and my sister, Tirzah.
We were a family, were we not, Messala?
What's this game, Judah?
This game is one that you will lose.
What is this? Who is this man?
Tell him who I am, Messala, and do not be modest about your part.
Messala?
Get out of the city, criminals. Thank the new governor.
Filthy leper!
What is going on here? I demand to know.
Your son condemned me to death,
crucified my friend,
and murdered my mother and my sister
all to protect his own position.
And I am here to have my revenge.
Would any Roman do other?
Sextus Arrius is the same man you sent to the galleys?
I should have had him crucified as Pilate ordered!
What stopped you?
A qualm of conscience.
Did he not share his home, the fellowship of his family?
Even you, Marcellus, might have paused.
I'll have no qualms of conscience this time.
He is a citizen of Rome, and a rich one.
You think you can order him executed or sent into slavery?
I'll challenge him to combat.
I have seen this man in combat.
He killed the Thracian you sent to me.
I don't care how many Thracians he's killed.
I'll meet him. One of us will die.
There's more than one way to skin this cat than by combat.
Let Athene tincture his wine.
You think I'd have him poisoned by a whore?
I'll challenge him to race me in the games.
You do not have a team.
Let Athene use her skills to indispose Gaius Antonius.
I'll take the Emperor's four.
It will be as we said when we were youths.
We dreamed then of competing in a chariot race before a great crowd
with laurels to the victor, and death to the loser.
So it was for revenge that you returned.
Not to search for your family.
Esther, they are dead.
I believed your father dead and you lost to me forever.
Yes, I came back for revenge.
And when you have it, what then?
If you do not die attempting it.
Then it will be done,
and I will leave this prison
I have lived in for four years.
And will you be free then?
Will Ruth and Tirzah be alive,
or my father live without pain?
Esther, the knot is tied and cannot be undone but with a cut.
Do not be afraid.
I have provided for Simonides and yourself.
No matter what happens.
I would rather beg than have such a promise made to me.
It would make me part of your madness,
Judah, and do not tell me you are not mad.
I've seen it, and I've heard it.
Ya! Ya! Ha!
He drives like a soldier.
Well, that is what he is, Gaius Antonius.
Well, this is not a war.
Senator, please, I fear for the horses.
You're right. He drives them too hard.
Drink up, Gaius. I will call him in.
I have food for you.
I am unclean.
Take it. Please.
You've been newly freed?
After four long years.
Next time, I'll bring you clean clothes.
I am with my mother.
I'll bring something for her also.
Thank you.
Where is your mother?
She is ashamed to be seen.
No, it is no shame. Only misfortune.
Tirzah?
Tirzah! It is me, Esther!
Tirzah?
Tirzah, is Ruth here?
We are not clean.
God be praised. You're both alive.
Would that it were not so.
No, Ruth, don't say that.
I've seen Judah.
He is also alive, and he's here in Jerusalem.
(EXCLAIMS)
(SOBBING)
How long will it take?
He will be unwell today
and worse tomorrow.
Will he die?
What did you use on him?
Powdered glass. It will wash out.
But the danger is if he falls into the hands of physicians,
they will purge him and make things worse.
You're a dangerous woman, Athene.
How else could I have survived in a world of dangerous men?
To think of seeing Judah once more.
He must not know.
What do you mean?
You can't tell him you've seen us.
He mustn't know we're like this.
Mother, Judah is alive.
He's here.
And God be praised for it.
But would you have him ruin his life forever
by revealing our plight to him?
Judah believes we're dead.
Let us be a memory to him,
not a living nightmare.
But how could I not?
How could I not in all my life?
How could I not speak of it?
RUTH: Promise me.
Promise me, Esther.
I ask this not for myself, not for Tirzah,
but for my son.
For him. Promise me.
Judah! Judah Ben Hur!
Judah, you must forgive me. I left so hurriedly last night.
You had me at a disadvantage. That won't happen again.
Speak your piece. What's your desire?
To see you dead by my own hand.
Spoken like a Roman.
I'll meet you on the track. Find yourself a team. We'll settle it there.
I have not come to win a chariot race.
I mean to see the light go out in your eyes.
A race can be to the death as easily as to the line.
So be it.
Good. It will be like old times.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(SPEAKING IN ARABIC)
Forgive my uninvited presence, Sheikh Ilderim.
Do you remember me? I am Judah Ben Hur.
Those who come in peace are always welcome.
Sit.
So what do you want of me, Judah, son of Jacob?
To drive your chariot in the games.
I already have a charioteer.
I am willing to pay well to take his place. Name your price.
Why this urgency?
You made no mention of it when we met before.
It is a matter between one Octavius Messala and myself.
Ah! The madman who will soon rule over us.
So you wish to compete against him in this race?
This will not be a race.
It is a contest to the death.
To the death?
That is a bitter finish line, indeed.
If I were to explain myself...
Before you begin, it is not my decision to make.
I thought that Sheikh Ilderim was sovereign in his own house.
In such matters, there are others who are more important.
It is they you must persuade.
Come. Come.
Water! Get me some water!
He needs to be purged of the humors that gripe him.
I will prepare an emetic.
Will he recover?
If we act quickly.
What of the race?
He's too weak for that.
Already there is blood in his stool. It's a bad sign.
Very well. I will leave him in your care.
Well?
He's in the hands of the physician.
He means to purge him.
Tell him not to. It'll make him worse.
It is not my place to tell physicians their business.
They're sufficiently ignorant of it themselves.
(GRUNTING)
These are they who must decide. My beauties.
Antares, Atair,
Aldebaran, and Akaba.
Come. Let them know you.
So, Judah Ben Hur, what is this story I must hear?
(GROANING)
And the physician can do nothing?
He's purging him as we speak,
but he assures me that he will not be well enough
to compete in the games.
PILATE: As if these damn games were not trouble enough.
It will only rouse the populace
if some Syrian or Arab wins the race.
They'll take it as another sign, like this zealot in town.
Can you hear them? Preaching the Kingdom is at hand.
Fortunately, we have a replacement to hand.
Do not tell me the next governor will risk his precious skin.
What better way to announce my arrival?
Your son has sufficient skill?
Chariot racing is no amateur sport,
and should he compete and fail to win,
it would be worse than not competing at all.
I'll win. You needn't concern yourself on that score.
So be it.
If you'll excuse me, I must attend to other matters.
You're sure this will settle the matter between you and the Jew?
It will for me.
And since he'll be dead, I should imagine it will suffice for him also.
(YELLS)
Whoa!
You have their trust.
Do I have yours?
I would rejoice to see any emissary of Rome defeated.
But I ask myself,
"What will it benefit me or mine
"to make an enemy of Marcellus Agrippa, a Roman senator?"
Two hundred talents.
Two hundred?
I will give you 200 talents to wager
at whatever odds you can obtain.
If I win, you pay me back and keep the rest.
You hate expensively, Judah Ben Hur.
(LAUGHING)
Two hundred talents? You must be mad or under-taxed.
If you're not confident you are going to win, I understand entirely.
It is not a lack of confidence.
Only surprise that one such as yourself, Sheikh,
should have such a fortune to lose.
And let me understand. You're wagering against my horses and my son?
In favor of my own rider and my four.
Take his money. Yours is safe.
Very well.
What odds? MARCELLUS: Odds?
You want odds as well?
If you are so sure of winning, what difference do odds make?
This is Judah's doing, is it not?
This is his way. He means to destroy you, too.
He's a dangerous young man, this Judah Ben Hur.
ATHENE: It seems his strategy is to humiliate Rome.
Would you have it known that you refused the challenge?
Five to one.
We are agreed.
And the Sanhedrin are demanding his arrest.
What do you think?
On what charge, Excellency?
Charge?
He chased the money lenders out of the temple, isn't that enough?
The temple is not under Roman jurisdiction.
If they want him taken,
why don't they do it themselves?
(COUGHING)
It will not be easy to find him
with the city crowded for the Passover.
Well, they have one of his followers who will deliver him.
Wait until after the race is over,
then take this rabble-rouser
and hand him over. (COUGHS)
I remind you of a good, brave man, eh?
Yes?
Do not be afraid. They can sense it.
Come. Let him breathe you in.
Why are you here?
To ask you not to do this, Judah.
It is too late for that.
What if...
Esther, speak to me tonight of if and maybe.
Until then it is in God's hands.
What God is that, Judah? The God of an eye for an eye?
Is there another?
There is the God who forgives us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
I do not know that God!
But He knows you, Judah.
He loves each and every one of us.
Leave this be now!
Must you go through with this race, Messala?
Do you think I can let him mock me
the way he did?
Do you think Marcellus Agrippa would allow it,
given all he's done,
all he's spent?
Damn Judah Ben Hur.
Is it true? You and he were once friends?
We were one another's best.
But it's as the gods have willed it.
The gods. They must have their games, too.
Who are we to deny them?
Ruth, what if he should die in this race?
For Messala means to kill him.
Die and never know that you and Tirzah are alive?
And, Ruth, what if he does not die?
Do you expect me never to tell him
even if he and I, God willing, should marry?
Mother, listen to Esther.
If he knew we were alive, he might not do this thing.
Go. Go now.
Halt!
To Jupiter, greatest and best, Juno, his consort,
and Minerva, the mightiest one's mightiest offspring.
May this race represent our sacred vow
offered on behalf of he who subjects the whole width of the Earth
to the rule of the Senate and people of Rome,
Tiberius Julius Caesar, the August.
May these, his subjects, strive to do him honor,
whatever lot the gods may choose.
In first rank, from Ecbatana, Artostes Thuxra.
(CROWD CHEERING)
In second rank, from the Eternal City, Octavius Messala.
In third rank, from Nineveh, Tukulti Esarra.
In fourth rank, from Meroe, Taharga Shebitku.
In fifth rank, from Jerusalem, Judah Ben Hur.
(CROWD CHEERING)
CROWD: Judah!
Senator, shall we begin?
Ya! Ya!
(CROWD CHEERING)
(LAUGHING)
Ya!
(SCREAMING)
(CROWD CHEERING)
Ya! Ya!
(SHOUTING IN MERIOTIC)
Come on! Come on!
Whoa!
(LAUGHING)
Did I win?
(WHEEZING)
(CROWD CHEERING)
Twelve years I have wasted on that fool,
and he ends up making a laughing stock of me
in front of a hoard of barbarians.
Not to mention putting me in debt to an Arab.
I shall not pay, of course.
Well?
PHYSICIAN: He's going to die.
That's all you have to say?
He has internal injuries I can't mend.
He's in great pain, and it will get worse.
So what do you suggest?
PHYSICIAN: I suggest you alleviate his suffering.
Sorry. I can do no more.
At least he did not have the nerve to ask me for a fee.
You have something in your pouch
that will do what is necessary?
I am curious, Marcellus. Have you no affection for your son at all?
My feelings for him are not your concern.
Now if you wish to see him spared worse, find a cure.
I must consult with Pilate.
Must be something we can do about that Jew.
Judah.
I must see him.
Do you feel better now you have taken your revenge?
I feel nothing.
Except that it is over.
There is something you must know.
It can wait.
This cannot wait.
Why are you here?
To bring a message from Octavius Messala.
He still lives, then?
Not for long.
He asks for you.
I have nothing to say to him.
Judah, go to him. Forgive him.
Esther.
I have no forgiveness in me.
I am sorry to hear that.
Judah... Esther.
It is done.
Let it be now.
My mother and Tirzah are avenged.
Let us hope it makes them happier than it does you.
Would it have made a difference, Judah,
if you'd known they were alive?
What are you talking about?
I have seen them.
What?
I have seen them, talked to them.
When I tried to persuade you not to enter the contest,
I knew where they were. You lie!
Then look into my eyes, Judah, and see the truth.
Why did you not tell me?
I was sworn not to.
By who?
Who would ask that you agree to such a thing?
Your mother.
No, she would never ask that of you.
Why would she not want to see me? I am her son.
She's a leper, Judah.
That is why.
(GASPS)
(SNIFFLING)
(SOBBING)
Messala, take this and spare yourself.
You asked him?
He will not come.
You told him I was soon for the ferryman?
I must have offended him
more than I thought.
I would have him know I wronged him.
I've never forgiven myself.
Only he can do that.
Then this will ease all remorse.
A little weariness,
and then a long, long sleep.
I've been here almost an hour.
You forget I am still the governor, Senator.
I'm dealing with other matters. What can I do for you?
It's a matter concerning Sheikh Ilderim,
he who lent his horses to that Jew imposter.
He has a claim against me.
A wager.
So you owe the Sheikh money. How much?
(SCOFFS)
One thousand talents.
That is a very great sum.
Oblige me by not stating the obvious.
Does the Sheikh have witnesses to this?
Not for long.
Oh.
So it is to be the word of a Roman senator
against that of a Bedouin Sheikh?
Who can doubt which is to be trusted?
Bear that in mind,
and you may yet keep your position.
(GRUNTING)
Forgive them,
for they know not what they do.
Forgive me.
You know, half my performance is to convince myself.
SOLDIER: Move! Go!
Go on! Faster!
Faster!
Move!
I don't know why or how, but he's been waiting for you.
Judah.
You came.
I knew you would.
You knew more than I did.
Forgive me.
Please, forgive me.
(SNIFFLING)
I forgive you, Messala.
You caught me unawares last time
with the stick.
Try me again.
No, rest yourself.
There's time enough for that, Judah.
Just try me again.
The trick is to expect it to fall at every given moment.
Are you ready?
Ready.
(SIGHS)
Very nearly.
It is done.
You have to go, Judah.
One un-bought kiss
before you go.
Go, Judah.
I commiserate with you on your loss.
I do not intend to pay that Arab.
Oh.
Yes, well...
Who knows if he was even mine? His mother was a whore. Like yourself.
We are leaving this accursed place, so make haste.
(EXHALES)
For the ferryman.
Have him seat you next to your father.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)