In 1925 the silent film Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ took center stage in the cinematic world. Adapted from Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel by the same name, the film reinforced traditional Christological doctrine and Christian masculinity. Ben-Hur was marketed as a ‘must-see’ for Christians and became the highest grossing film for MGM’s studio. Later banned in China due to its religious content, the film played an important role in cultural engagement with political, theological, and gender debates. This paper will examine how the masculinities of Judah Ben-Hur and Jesus Christ are contrasted and used to convey a message of redemption over revenge. It will argue that the 1925 film Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ served to reinforce not only traditional Christological doctrine but also Christian masculine ideals.
Lew Wallace’s novel was written within the context of D.F. Strauss’ work Leben Jesu (1835, translated to English in 1842). Strauss’ work inspired around 60,000 ‘Lives of Jesus’ works to be written. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Wallace emphasized the miracles and divinity of Christ, reinforcing Christian beliefs in the supernatural. This stood in stark contrast to the naturalist and realist interpretations common at the time. The film adaptation continued in this mission, reaffirming the divinity of Christ in the midst of modernist cultural debates and most notably the Scopes Trial. Future adaptations of the book to film, taking place in 1959 and 2016, provide contrasting perspectives on how the same story can be utilized to speak into differing culture debates using the aesthetics of film. Each film would put forward its own unique perceptions of Christian masculinity and theology, providing clear contrasts to the 1925 film and even the book itself.
The film also reinforces traditional essentialist gender roles. Women are seen as either temptress or damsel in distress, requiring male protection. Yet, Judah’s transformation after his encounter with Christ creates a shift from a warrior masculinity to redeemed genteel masculinity. True masculinity for the story of Ben-Hur is one that offers healing, protection, and comfort in the midst of one’s own suffering. Yet, it is still a manliness of power. Analysis of the 1925 Ben-Hur film within its historical and theological contexts displays that the film functioned both as religious and cultural artifact, one that advocated Christian orthodoxy and essentialist Christian gender roles amid shifting ideologies of the 1920s. In particular, this paper will use the 1925 film as a case study, holding it up in contrast between the 1880 literary work that spawned it and the 1959 version that followed it, to ask how its particular vision of gender and theology was unique to its moment.
Analysis of the 1925 Ben-Hur film within its historical and theological contexts displays that the film functioned both as religious and cultural artifact, one that advocated Christian orthodoxy and essentialist Christian gender roles amid shifting ideologies of the 1920s. In particular, this paper will use the 1925 film as a case study, holding it up in contrast between the 1880 literary work that spawned it and the 1959 version that followed it, to ask how its particular vision of gender and theology was unique to its moment.