Messala (Ben-Hur) friendship with Judah and loyalty to the Romans. In the end of film, he reconciles with Ben-Hur. The character was portrayed by Toby Kebbell. 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
Ben-Hur (2016 film) as "Misguided, diminished and dismally done in every way". "Rolling Stone" labeled the film "A Remake Disaster of Biblical Proportions." "Empire" summarized it as "Passable for the most part, but laughably inept in places." Sister Rose Pacette wrote a positive review for the "National Catholic Reporter", objecting only to the anachronistic costumes worn by Jewish women in the film. The movie has resulted in a court fight about labor agreements. Ben-Hur (2016 film) Ben-Hur is a 2016 American epic historical period drama film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley. It is the fifth film