Description: Academy AwardÂ(r) winners* Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier face off in this epic, stirring drama of two men and two empires. Filmed in glorious CineramaÂ(r), with stunning desertbattles staged by the creator of the Ben-Hur chariot race, Khartoum is a "magnificently staged action spectacle [with] outstanding portrayals" (Boxoffice) and breathtaking cinematography. In 1883, British Prime Minister Gladstone (Ralph Richardson) dispatches General Charles Gordon (Heston) to Khartoum, Sudan, where thousands of civilians are threatened by a Muslim fanatic, the Mahdi (Olivier), and his army of followers. Gordon gains the Mahdi's respect but can't prevent the Mahdi's men from laying siege to the city. Now, as history hangs in the balance, Gordon faces the fight of his life defending the ancient city of Khartoum. *Heston: Actor, Ben-Hur (1959). Olivier: Actor, Hamlet (1948); Lifetime Achievement (1978); Outstanding Achievement as Actor, Producer and Director on Henry V (1946)
Amazon.com essential video: Set in the expanse of the Sudan desert in the midst of holy war, Khartoum (1966) plays like an attempt to work the Lawrence of Arabia magic on the (mostly) true story of eccentric British general Charles "Chinese" Gordon in 1884 North Africa. The magnificent opening desert battle suggests David Lean's epic sweep, at least until the film settles into a more modest story of political games, military standoffs, and a battle of wits and wiles between two fierce leaders. Charlton Heston plays the wily Christian soldier as cocky, unconventional maverick, and Laurence Olivier (behind heavy make-up and a thick black beard) is almost as good as his cagey nemesis the Mahdi, the Islamic holy warrior on a mission of annihilation. More talk than spectacle, the film falls short of Lawrence but is nonetheless a compelling story of colonial politics, cynical maneuvering, and the unconventional heroics of another colorful British maverick abroad. --Sean Axmaker
Clash on the Nile Based on a true story from the 1880s, Khartoum tells of the clash between General Charles George Gordon and "The Madhi". The movie isn't always true to history. For instance, the two men never apparently met face to face and the desert campaigns are oversimplyfied. That said, the film is magnificent. There are no less than five large battle scenes from a truely epic clash near the beginning when the Madhists wipe out thousands of Egyptian soldiers to an armed riverboat fighting its way past a town to the final epic fall of the city. Oh yes, a battle I believe meant to represent Abu Klea (and perhaps another fight) was more accurate then the recent "Four Feathers" film in that the British actually hold off the Islamic assault. The battles were done by the man who executed the brilliant stunts in the "Ben-Hur" chariot race. The musical score is appropriate for the film and the cinematography is pretty good. The acting is really what helps the movie though. Charleton Heston presents a sympatheic though complex Gordon. Excentric, devoutly Christian, brave, at times ruthless when he feels he needs to be, and truely caring for the mostly Muslim population of the city; all of these fit the character Heston portrays. Olivier does an excellent job protraying the fanatical and ruthless "Mahdi" determined to sweep across the Islamic world in a wave of fury. The resulting clash between these two powerful men ultimately makes for a good story. I recommend it.
Oh, there are a couple of Osprey campaign series books on the Sudanese war if anyones wishes to look them up on Amazon. They are "Khartoum" and "Omdurman".
Ecellent Widescreen This is great in widescreen at last! Had to depend on USA for that. Well acted naturally with Charlton Heston and Sir Laurence Olivier.No comp spec effects, real people real action and good history. To day it would have got the Pte Ryan treament, but still comes across "battle gore". Very well filmed and beautifully presented film.
Heston's doomed hero vs Olivier's Mahdi In the wake of Heston's death, I decided to revisit this film in its original format on the big screen, in Ultra Panavision 70mm (2.75) and it was fabulous!! Although no "Lawrence of Arabia", "Khartoum" still holds up as a very fine literate adventure thanks to Heston and Olivier's performance along with a solid supporting cast (Richard Johnson, Nigel Green & Ralph Richardson). Their final confrontation scene which historically never took place is a study in brilliant acting!! Perhaps a 3 and half star should go to this '60s epic but do see it for the acting of Heston & Olivier whose speech weirdly reminds me of Osama bin laden!!
Khartom If you are a fan of history and Charlton Heston you will need to watch this movie. True to the actual facts of what happened there.
Good Buy
Z
Another Heston Epic In the wake of Charlton Heston's death, I decided to have a marathon viewing of his films. I rewatched many of my favorites and sought out some of those I had never seen.
"Khartoum" was one I had not watched before. As he often did, Heston plays a real-life character, General Charles Gordon, who tried to defend the city of Khartoum from the attack of a Muslim fanatic, played by Laurence Olivier. It is one of those epic historical films Heston specialized in, and it does a good job of conveying that time and place.
One of the things I like about these films is that they were made pre-CGI, so they were generally shot on location and much of the spectacle was actually staged for the cameras (No computer-generated armies here).
The story focuses on the political maneuvering on both sides. It's striking how leaders are willing to sacrifice thousands of lives for some political purpose. The script is intelligent and the dialogue sharp, especially in the scenes between Gordon and the Mahdi (although Olivier's unconvincing dark make-up was somewhat distracting). Both actors do well in their roles.
Some viewers might find the film slow because there is a lot of talking and not a lot of action for a 2:15 running time. When the battle scenes come along, they are characteristically massive, but stiffly edited. And I was concerned for the poor horses that were constantly sent sprawling in the attacks.
All in all I would recommend "Khartoum" to anyone who likes Charlton Heston and big historical films. As they say, they don't make `em like this anymore.
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