Ben-Hur (1959 film) scope and grand spectacle, "Ben-Hur" still ranks among Hollywood's finest examples of pure entertainment." "Ben-Hur" was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won an unprecedented 11. , only "Titanic" in 1998 and "" in 2004 have matched the film's wins. The lone category where "Ben-Hur" did not win was for Best Adapted Screenplay (losing to "Room at the Top"), and most observers attributed this to the controversy over the writing credit. MGM and Panavision shared a special technical Oscar in March 1960 for developing the Camera 65 photographic process. "Ben-Hur" also won three Golden Globe Awards – Best Motion Picture
Messala (Ben-Hur) Messala (Ben-Hur) Messala is a fictional character from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel "", and its film adaptations, where he appears as the main antagonist. Messala is a Roman nobleman and the son of a Roman tax collector; he is also Judah Ben-Hur's boyhood friend and turned into his arch-rival after betraying him. When Messala is reunited with Ben-Hur for the first time in five years, their different views and opinions ultimately end their friendship. Later, Messala betrays his former friend when he accuses him of attempting to assassinate Valerius Gratus. Five years later, Judah, having survived the galleys, seeks revenge