Tear Jerker / Ben-Hur (1925)

• Judah revisits the old Hur ancestral home and sleeps on a block beside the gates. His mother and sister, now lepers and newly released, also revisit their home before they leave for the Valley of the Lepers. They recognize the sleeping Judah. This reunion is heartbreaking, as they want to embrace and kiss Judah but can't for fear of infecting him with their leprosy. Nor can they wake him up to have him discover their affliction. All they can do is let him sleep in ignorance. The only physical affection his mother can give him is a kiss on the stone step below him.