Synopsis

In the aftermath of World War II, Jewish refugees struggle to reach Palestine despite British restrictions. Ari Ben Canaan organizes a daring escape aboard a ship named Exodus, while political tensions, violence, and personal sacrifices intensify. As the emerging Jewish state faces war with its Arab neighbors, the film follows the people and ideals shaping Israel's birth in 1948.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts Leon Uris' 1958 novel, which Otto Preminger and United Artists acquired before its publication.

• Dalton Trumbo wrote the screenplay and received on-screen credit under his own name. Along with his credited work on Spartacus, also released in 1960, the film helped break the Hollywood blacklist.

• Ernest Gold's score won the Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. Its main theme became a popular recording, including a version by Ferrante & Teicher that reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• At 208 minutes, Exodus was one of the era's major widescreen historical epics. Advance ticket reservations reportedly began on the first day of filming.

• Saul Bass designed the opening credits, which use a gradually expanding flame against a blue background.