Spiritual | 4 Star Films

Ben Hur, directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, tells the tale of Christ in connection with the young nobleman-turned slave, Judah Ben Hur. We follow Hur as a friend turns against him and he and his mother and sister are imprisoned. Soon he is doomed to a life rowing on a galley but on the way there a kind , mysterious stranger gives him a drink to quench his thirst. It takes a few years but Hur’s fortune turns and he is no longer a slave but a great chariot racer. The time comes to seek revenge and he beats his former friend in the ultimate chariot race. However, his victory is shorlived since he learns his kin are now lepers and the man who showed him kindness years before is now to be crucified. Returning the favor, he gives the suffering man water before He is hung on the cross. Despite the man’s death, miraculously his mother and sister are freed from leprosy. This epic is monumental and tells a wonderful story intertwined with the Gospel.

5/5 Stars

In honor of these London games I thought I would review one of the best Olympic films in Chariots of Fire .

Telling the intertwining stories of two runners, Eric Liddel and Harold Abrams, the film leads up to their trials and triumphs in the 1924 Olympics. Liddel is a Christian Scot who believes he has been called to run and he takes his faith very seriously. Abrams on the other hand is a proud Jewish runner who wants to be the best. Liddel is faced with the prospect of running on the Sabbath which goes against his beliefs. Abrams is extremely afraid of failure because running is his life. With those problems they enter the Olympics and end up flourishing for Britain. After the two men are deceased two of their mates reflect on those great days that they experienced together. This film may seem simple but that does not make it any less powerful. The main theme reverberates through your head hours after wards. What more of a compliment do you need then a Mr. Bean parody at the London games?

4.5/5 Stars