Top 10 Biblical Epics

Cecil B. DeMillie’s silent film epic of the last week of the life of Jesus.

BEN HUR ranks among the most honored of films, taking 11 of 12 Academy awards. This beautifully crafted film begins with the birth of Christ and demonstrates a journey of faith of one man, Judah Ben-Hur, who goes from prince to prisoner to champion charioteer to Christian. This is a film that every family should see and cherish as a defender of faith and Christian values.

Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 masterpiece, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS has been restored and put on Blu-Ray. It tells the story of Moses and the deliverance of the Hebrews from the slavery of the Egyptians. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is clearly a magnificent achievement in the history of film, with superb performances by Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner, wonderful direction by DeMille, and a theological, biblical power.

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, Mel Gibson’s masterpiece, covers the time period from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross and beyond. The movie goes beyond most Passion Plays to highlight in stark, dark, and intense terms the spiritual warfare raging around Jesus Christ during His Passion. It is a must-see movie, beautifully directed and powerfully acted.

THE ROBE, the first movie released in CinemaScope, is a Biblical epic focusing on the Roman tribune put in charge of carrying out the crucifixion of Jesus. This powerful, redemptive story is similar to that of Paul who at first sought to persecute Christians but then became one.

QUO VADIS is an epic presentation of the conflict between the paganism of Nero’s Rome and early Christianity, in a story involving a Roman general who falls in love with a Christian woman. This profound story of Christian martyrs is one of the all-time great epics, but it does contain carefully presented images of Christians being killed for sport in Nero’s Coliseum and thus needs a slight caution for young children.

Magnificent entertainment, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT takes animated movies to a new level as it dramatizes the biblical story of Moses and his call from God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. THE PRINCE OF EGYPT combines magnificent art, music, story, and realization to make one of the most entertaining moral masterpieces of all time.

JESUS, produced by some committed Christians, tries to give a contemporary slant to the story by adding some extra-biblical material. It is clear that the intention is to lift up an accurate portrait of Jesus, but the extra-biblical material and some little glitches slightly diminish the attempt.