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. Subscribe to Warner Classic: 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.