Ben-Hur Page #7

in the name of your emperor, Tiberius.

We dedicate them to his glory. . .

. . .and to the glory of Rome. . .

. . .of which you are all part.

Let us honor those

who race for us today.

They come here from Alexandria. . .

. . .Messina. . .

. . .Carthage. . .

. . .Cyprus. . .

. . .Rome. . .

. . .Corinth. . .

. . .Athens. . .

. . .Phrygia. . .

. . .and Judea.

To the best of these,

a crown of victory.

The race begins.

Hail, Caesar!

Come, my children, come!

The Roman pig!

Salute.

A great victory.

You are the people's one true god. . .

. . .for the time being.

Permit us to worship.

I crown their god.

I will send for you.

I have a message from Rome.

A long life, young Arrius

and the good sense to live it.

We cannot wait, tribune.

He will come. He will--

We cannot wait any longer, tribune.

He will come!

He will come.

I've sent for him, and he will come.

If you wish us to keep you alive,

we have to go to work now, tribune.

Do you understand?

To hack the legs off me?

Not yet. Not till I've seen him.

I don't receive him with half a body.

No!

I told you, Drusus. I told you.

Here he is.

Triumph complete, Judah.

The race won. The enemy destroyed.

I see no enemy.

What do you think you see?

The smashed body of a wretched animal?

There's enough of a man

still left here for you to hate.

Let me help you.

You think they're dead,

your mother and sister.

Dead. And the race over.

It isn't over, Judah.

They're not dead.

Where are they?

Where are they?

Where are they?!

Look for them. . .

. . .in the Valley of the Lepers. . .

. . .if you can recognize them.

It goes on.

It goes on, Judah.

The race. . . .

The race is not over.

Is there a way down here?

Are you a madman?

Keep well out of this place.

Man.

I'm searching for two women,

a mother and daughter.

There are many women.

Of the family of Hur.

We have no names here.

For them?

-Why did you say they were dead?

-It was what they wanted.

You must not betray this faith.

Would you do this for them?

Not to see them?

They are coming.

Love them in the way they must need

to be loved. Not to look at them.

Let them be as if you had

never come here. Please!

Is Judah well?

Is he happy?

Yes, he is well.

Your mind can be at rest for him.

He is well, Miriam.

God be with you.

They have gone.

We can go back.

Go back to what?

Judah, they have one blessing left.

To think you remember them

as they were. . .

. . .and live your own life.

Forget what is here.

Forget?

It's as though

they're alive in a grave.

-But what can you do?

-Undo what you've done.

How could you have suffered them

to come here? I must see them.

No, Judah, please! Judah!

Think, Judah, think. It would

tear them apart if they see you.

He is here. I have found Him.

The child has become a man.

And the man, I know it now,

is the Son of God.

The promise is true.

Happy Balthasar.

Life has answered you.

Life has been answered.

God has answered it.

Come. Come with me.

When the Romans were marching me

to the galleys. . .

. . .thirst had nearly killed me.

A man gave me water to drink.

I went on living.

I should have done better

if I had poured it into the sand.

No.

I am thirsty still.

Come and listen.

I have business with Rome.

You insist on death.

Goodbye, Judah.

You sent for me?

I hope I bring you

a good conclusion to your victory.

I have a message for you

from the consul, your father.

-I honor him.

-As you may honor yourself.

You have been made a citizen of Rome.

Do you say nothing to this?

I have just come

from the Valley of Stone. . .

. . .where my mother and sister live

what's left of their lives.

By Rome's will,

lepers, outcasts without hope.

I have heard this. There was great

blame there, very deeply regretted.

Their flesh is mine, Lord Pilate.

It already carries Rome's mark.

Messala is dead.

What he did has had its way with him.

The deed was not Messala's.

I knew him, well.

Before the cruelty of Rome

spread in his blood.

Rome destroyed Messala as surely

as Rome has destroyed my family.

Where there is greatness,

great government or power. . .

. . .even great feeling or compassion. . .

. . .error also is great.

We progress and mature by fault.

Rome has said she is ready to join

your life to hers in a great future.

There are other voices.

The voice, for instance, of Arrius

waiting for you in Rome.

He would tell you,

if I may speak in his place. . .

. . .not to crucify yourself

on a shadow such as old resentment. . .

. . .or impossible loyalties.

Perfect freedom has no existence.

A grown man knows the world

he lives in.

And for the present, the world is Rome.

Young Arrius, I am sure,

will choose it.

I am Judah Ben-Hur.

I cross this floor

in spoken friendship. . .

. . .as I would speak to Arrius.

But when I go up those stairs,

I become the hand of Caesar. . .

. . .ready to crush those

who challenge his authority.

There are too many men

of envy and ambition. . .

. . .who try to disrupt

the government of Rome.

You have become the victor

and hero to those people.

They look to you,

their one true god, as I call you.

If you stay here, you will find

yourself part of this tragedy.

I am already part of this tragedy.

Return this to Arrius.

I honor him too well

to wear it any longer.

Even for Arrius' sake,

I cannot protect you. . .

. . .from personal disaster

if you stay here.

You are too great a danger.

Leave Judea.

You have my word.

I was afraid

you would never come back. . .

. . .afraid of what would happen to you.

But I see you again.

Your father's waiting for me.

Where is he?

What do you mean to do?

Rest, sleep.

For a few hours of the night

let your mind be at peace.

Peace?

Love and peace.

Do you think I don't long for them

as much as you do?

Where do you see them?

If you had heard this man

from Nazareth.

Balthasar's word.

He is more than Balthasar's word.

His voiced traveled

with such a still purpose.

It was more than a voice.

A man more than a man.

He said, "Blessed are the merciful. . .

. . .for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the peacemakers. . .

. . .for they shall be called

the children of God. "

Children of God?

In that dead valley

where we left them?

I tell you every man of Judea is

unclean and will stay unclean. . .

. . .until we have scoured off

our bodies the crust and filth. . .

. . .of being at the mercy of tyranny.

No other life is possible

except to wash this land clean.

-In blood?

-Yes, in blood!

I know there is a law in life.

That blood begets more blood

as dog begets dog.

Death generates death. . .

. . .as the vulture breeds the vulture.

But the voice I heard today

on the hill said:

"Love your enemy.

Do good to those who

despitefully use you. "

All who are born in this land

hereafter can suffer as we have done.

As you make us do now.

Are we to bear nothing together?

Even love?

I can hardly draw breath. . .

. . .without feeling you in my heart.

Rate this script:4.5 / 4 votes