This review contains only very minor spoilers.
I've only seen this version of the movie (I believe there are others from 1925 and 2016). It isn't a bad movie, though the acting of most of the main characters is atrocious (Stephen Boyd as Messala, and Jack Hawkins as Quintus Arrius being honourable exceptions) but is very slow, especially considering that much of the novel was omitted or changed. The book, though initially hard to read, is, quite simply, the best book I've ever read, and I say that as a committed atheist. It could easily have been made into a trilogy of 2-hour movies, each with much faster pacing than this one, with a better beginning and conclusion. The main faults I have with this movie are :-
1. Balthasar, Simonides and Malluch were important characters justifying much of the plot in the book, but were only minor characters in the movie.
2. Judah's unchaining from his galley bench was logically explained in the book, but seemed completely illogical in the movie.
3. Judah's infatuation with Iras (Balthasar's daughter) was completely absent, together with her admiration for Messala. I guess that the budget didn't stretch to hiring a beautiful big-name female star.
4. Messala didn't die straight after the chariot race in the book, but attempted to organise the assassination of Judah - why change it?
5. Miriam & Tirzah's cure from leprosy was explained much more logically in the book as a miracle resulting from an act of faith, rather than as a miracle concurrent with Jesus's death (remember, I don't believe in miracles anyway).
In summary, probably worth seeing at least once, then read the book, being patient for the first few chapters.
I've only seen this version of the movie (I believe there are others from 1925 and 2016). It isn't a bad movie, though the acting of most of the main characters is atrocious (Stephen Boyd as Messala, and Jack Hawkins as Quintus Arrius being honourable exceptions) but is very slow, especially considering that much of the novel was omitted or changed. The book, though initially hard to read, is, quite simply, the best book I've ever read, and I say that as a committed atheist. It could easily have been made into a trilogy of 2-hour movies, each with much faster pacing than this one, with a better beginning and conclusion. The main faults I have with this movie are :-
1. Balthasar, Simonides and Malluch were important characters justifying much of the plot in the book, but were only minor characters in the movie.
2. Judah's unchaining from his galley bench was logically explained in the book, but seemed completely illogical in the movie.
3. Judah's infatuation with Iras (Balthasar's daughter) was completely absent, together with her admiration for Messala. I guess that the budget didn't stretch to hiring a beautiful big-name female star.
4. Messala didn't die straight after the chariot race in the book, but attempted to organise the assassination of Judah - why change it?
5. Miriam & Tirzah's cure from leprosy was explained much more logically in the book as a miracle resulting from an act of faith, rather than as a miracle concurrent with Jesus's death (remember, I don't believe in miracles anyway).
In summary, probably worth seeing at least once, then read the book, being patient for the first few chapters.