10 Movies That Were Condemned On Religious Grounds
10. Ben-Hur
The film Ben-Hur is synonymous with the golden age of Hollywood epics. William Wyler's sprawling tale - the largest and most expensive production ever at the time of filming - has become something of a staple of Christmas television scheduling. It recounts the story of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a rich prince and merchant who ends up in the galleys following an accident and vows to take revenge on the governor who imprisoned his mother and sister. After years as a slave he befriends a powerful Roman and becomes a champion charioteer, where he faces off against the childhood friend who years before betrayed him. A pivotal encounter with Jesus teaches Ben-Hur about peace and forgiveness, after he is reunited with the woman he loves. Most audiences remember Ben-Hur for the legendary chariot race sequence, arguably the first blockbuster action scene in Hollywood history. The Chinese, however, saw the film differently. Authorities banned Ben-Hur on the grounds that the movie was "propaganda of superstitious beliefs, namely Christianity." The Canton Censor Board allowed a version of the film, albeit with heavy cuts of scenes relating to Christ, describing them as "absurd and fictitious" which tended to undermine the government's "social program". Given the mass killings of the Cultural Revolution which was to come in the following years, perhaps Christ's fundamental message of "peace and forgiveness" was at odds with Mao's idea of the Chinese Great Leap Forward...
