Khartoum (1966) Online

Heston essays one of his best roles as Charles "Chinese" Gordon, the patriot who thrives on challenge... Gordon becomes a national hero for his exploits in China and his ill-fated defense of Khartoum...

Gordon is a Christian with the Bible constantly under his arm... A national hero who abolished slavery in China... An honest man revered by the British, as well as by the foreigners... A martyr-warrior who ever truly loves the Sudan and cannot, under 'his' God, leave it to the misery and the sickness of which he once cured it...

Gladstone ((Ralph Richardson) decides not to send troops to the trouble area... Instead he will send General Gordon... Gladstone realizes if Gordon is sent to Khartoum and fails to prevent a massacre, it is he who will be blamed; not the Briish government... For heroes are supposed to perform miracles...

En route to Khartoum, Gordon discovers that most of Britain's allies and friends of his former exploits now support the mystic Mahdi... But when Gordon with Col. Stewart (Richard Johnson) finally reach Khartoum, the people give him a warm welcome... They feel their problems must soon be over now that Gordon Pasha has arrived...

Things, however, do not go as planned... Khartoum runs out of food... The Mahdi's men infiltrate the city... And Gordon seek a plan...

Lawrence Olivier is superb as the fanatical Arab leader, Muhammed Ahmed Al Mahdi, the Expected-One... His softly glowing black eyes never blink... His measured voice spreads holy terrors: "I have been instructed by the Lord Mohammed, Peace be upon Him, to worship in the Khartoum mosque. Therefore I must take Khartoum by the sword."

With outstanding color photography, exquisite sets and costumes, "Khartoum" has great moments:

• The bloody and brutal massacre of an entire army in a burning desert...

• The Gordon/Mahdi meeting... The only non-historic element of the film which, in fact, never took place - contributes enormously to the dramatic effect of the motion picture.

• The raid on the Mahdi's own supplies...

• The exodus of all foreigners and Europeans out of the city...

With an Oscar-Nominated script mounted on a grand scale, "Khartoum" is an epic entertainment, a fine and powerful motion picture...

The exploits, the single-handed capacity Gordon Pasha displayed again and again to control large groups of people quite unarmed and alone, is almost magical; quite scary, in fact...

'Khartoum' is a grossly under-rated film that deserves much more.It is an outstanding recreation of the late 19th century war in Sudan where British forces led by the enigmatic General Gordon fought against fanatical tribesmen under the leadership (spell?) of the self proclaimed 'Mahdi'(expected one).Charlton Heston plays Gordon with his usual efficiency but the scene stealer is undoubtedly Sir Laurence Olivier as the 'Mahdi'.His make-up,accent,wardrobe and sheer charisma truly make for heady viewing.The cinematography is excellent and the flavor of the times is captured beautifully.The action scenes are terrific and the score compliments the goings-on perfectly. I would personally rate it on par with the much respected and much loved 'Lawrence of Arabia',which was in much the same mould as this,though made 4 years earlier in 1962.

This large scale epic film is rightly based on historic deeds . Set in the Sudan , in 1884-85 , and deals with the Major General Gordon (Charlton Heston , but Burt Lancaster turned down the role) who participated in Crimea war (1854-56) and vanquished the Taeping's riots in China is assigned by Gladstone (Prime Minister and leader of Liberal party who along with Disraeli -Tory leader- forged the colonial empire) stifle Sudan's rebellious tribes ruled by the Mahdi (Laurence Olivier), nicknamed the ¨expected one¨ . The devout Christian Gordon had been governor of Khartoum for five years and he will have to dominate them but is besieged by the Arabs tribes in 1884 . The Anglo-Egyptian forces led by Major Gordon made a heroic defense during ten months against the invading Muslim army . The expedition of help commanded by Lord Wolsey and the famous Kitchener (who soon after he'd finish Anglo-Boer war and created the first concentration camp) would arrive late .

The picture has extraordinary interpretations from main actors . Charlton Heston as the thoughtful and impulsive General Charles George Gordon is top-notch and Laurence Olivier as the fanatic Muslim is awesome . Heston actually did bear a remarkable resemblance to Major General Gordon , but he was considerably taller than the real Gordon . While Laurence Olivier has an extreme make-up to incarnate the religious fanatic , Ahmed El Mahdi , ¨the Expected One¨ . The support cast is equally outstanding , thus : Ralph Richardson (as Gladstone), Nigel Green (Wolsey) , Peter Arne (Kitchener) , among others . The film was based on facts , though was really criticized for neglecting to mention the many very good reasons why Prime Minister Gladstone was reluctant to send an army into the Sudan . The colorful and shimmer cinematography by Edward Scaife is magnificent , being well reflected in desert landscapes ; it was shot in Ultra Panavision , though was later reduced for exhibition in 70mm and 35mm release prints . Production design is overwhelming , it is the best part of the film , including a giant screen originally exhibited in Cinerama venues . Battles staged by Yakima Canutt are spellbound and spectacular . Frank Cordell's musical score is rousing and impressively adjusted to historical film . The motion picture was perfectly directed by Basil Dearden , though Lewis Gilbert was attached as director at one point . The yarn will appeal to historic epic buffs and Charlton Heston fans . Rating : Very Good . Above average, well worth watching .

The siege of Khartoum and its loss under General Charles "Chinese" Gordon is one of those epic tales the Victorians loved. Gordon was such a flamboyant character that even Hollywood could not match him. "Khartoum" gives us the Victorian Epic while at the same time the seedier backroom Victorian politics that essentially sent Gordon to his death along with the citizens of Khartoum. Charleton Heston is quite good as Gordon ably giving us the many enigmatic facets of the real man's character. But even that falls short as I think Gordon is too complex a character for any actor. Olivier in black face as the Mahdi may offend the political correctness crowd but his performance is excellent, fair and avoids lapsing into carricature. The physical production is quite impressive with 2nd unit director Yakima Canut staging some very impressive battle scenes. If you want a sequel to this film than I would recommend the original 1930's version of "The Four Feathers" (which stared a very young John Gielgud) which takes place some 10 years after the events of "Khartoum" and centers on the retaking of the Sudan. Interesting to have a "sequel" come 30 years before. There is a TV remake of "The Four Feathers". Avoid it like the plague!

Charles George Gordon was one of those eccentric individualists like Lawrence of Arabia who spring up in British history. He was a deeply religious man who spent most of his hard-earned salary (he often accepted *less* pay than he was offered) on charitable work. He helped the poor, educating destitute boys and providing pensions for the elderly. The grafitto 'God Bless the Kernel (Colonel)' was often seen scrawled on walls near his home.

He was also distrusted by the Establishment. A brilliant tactician and commander of troops he was constantly passed over for postings abroad because he was unpredictable. When he was asked to report on the grievances of the Basuto people by the British administration in South Africa, he sided with the Basuto and was shipped home very quickly. As Captain Willard says in 'Apocalypse Now': "They didn't dig what he had to tell them." You have to remember, too, that Gordon was a national hero. This was like firing Norman Schwarzkopf after the Gulf War.

The film fails to touch the depths of Gordon's character and in some cases is well off the mark (Charlton Heston seems far too interested in that Egyptian dancer!). We are shown that Gordon could be ruthless in the pursuit of justice (he executes a servant for theft, regardless of any personal feelings).

The fact remains that Gordon was a man of enormous moral and physical courage. He would not desert Khartoum and leave the people to be slaughtered. It now seems likely (and more in character) that he died fighting to the end.

The film is a tribute to that courage and some of the best moments occur when we are allowed to see the twinges of self-doubt and anxiety that Gordon suffered and overcame. The well-staged action scenes are like decoration on the moral diemmas at the heart of the film. Charlton Heston is physically wrong for the part but gives one of his best performances. He isn't outclassed by Olivier in any way, an achievement in itself.

As a writer and actor, I found "Khartoum" to be a fascinating project. And even if the producers never solved all of the fictionalized biography's inherent questions and problems entirely, the resulting cinematic feature came out I suggest as intelligent, literate, thoughtful, a film very much worth seeing more than once. The chief question about George Gordon, a pseudo-religious colonial general, administrator and enigmatic character is whether he really championed the subjects of Britain's evil Empire or whether he just wanted them quietly subjected; there is much evidence on both sides of the question. In the film, for filmic purposes, we assume he is genuine; that he is in fact jeopardizing his own life at low odds doing something most political experts consider impossible because he cares about the Sudanese and their (we assume) more-hopeful future under British rule than under that of a pseudo-religious murderous and highly-intelligent zealot. Nothing, I suggest, could be more timely for men to consider not long after the 9/11 attacks staged by the Mahdi's equally-repulsive spiritual brethren than the real attitude of the imperialist power of the last century targeted by a rival imperialist have-not Musilim fanatic. If we assume, as the screenplay's author Robert Ardrey would have us believe, that the core truth about Gordon was that he cared about responsibility more than about playing Establishment politics, playing leader or staying alive, then the man is definitely worth making a film about, and worthy his place in history. After an interesting but leisurely exposition of the region and the background to the Nile, the Sudan and its peoples, replete with lovely scenes, and a narration read by the great actor Leo Genn, we witness the destruction of an ill-officered British army by the forces of The Expected One, a dangerous new religious rebel. Back in England, Horace Gladstone, Prime Minister and Machiavellian politician, is appalled. There seems to be no solution to his problem of what to do next, until someone suggests getting General "Chinese" Gordon to risk his life opposing the new fanatic. They believe he would have to be crazy to do so; they tell him so. He agrees to go. So with no plan and what he discovers is a pat hand dealt by Fate against him, he heads to Egypt. He tries to get the slaver whose son he killed and whose power he reduced to be governor of the Sudan; the man refuses, angrily. He finds the Mahdi making headway, but he is received by the British in Khartoum and the populace as a savior. "It's good to be home," he tells them. But in truth, he is in a hornet's nest. Eventually, he has to pack all the foreigners out, and then he must fortify the city on the Nile; wait out the flood season while its heights keeps the invaders away, and eventually also he must conduct a great raid 1. to deprive the Mahdi of supplies; and 2. to provision the city. Then there is a wait--as a relief army by a reluctant Gladstone is trained, and straggles up the Nile to relieve him--three days too late. The film is beautifully-made. My only complaint is that we hardly see Khartoum at all after the initial welcoming scene. Every other scene in the film is to me like seeing history brought to life. The two great invented scenes--a meeting between Gordon and Gladstone and a meeting between the Mahdi and Gordon are the best dramatic scenes in the film in my judgment; if they did not happen, they certainly should have. Basil Dearden's direction to me is admirable in every respect; atmosphere goes past style in difficult and reward-level; this film is frequently atmospheric. The art direction by John Howell and the cinematography by veteran Edward Scaife are both outstanding. Yakima Canutt of Ben-Hur chariot -race fame directed the elaborate battle scenes. Pamela Cornell was the chief set dresser. In the cast are Charlton Heston trying very hard and frequently succeeding as Gordon, even though he cannot quite do a British accent. As the Mahdi, Olivier is award level, making spare but telling use of his wide arsenal as an actor; he used his Moorish success as "Othello" to flesh out a most memorable monster. In the cast, Richard Johnson is very good, Ralph Richardson, Nigel Green, Michael Hordern and Alexander Knox are outstanding. My favorite scene is the great meeting between Gordon and the Mahdi; but there are others--the great roundup, the arrival, Gordon and his servant (Johnny Sekka) in several maddening attempts to gain information, the great reception and the Prime Minister's meeting, the annihilation of William Hicks's army, etc. I find this is a very underrated film, made by adults perhaps too late to find an audience capable of appreciating its full values.

It has been argued that films dealing with historical subject matter always make for bad history. The pedants complain that the historical element has been simplified, or worse changed and therefore because it is bad history it is a bad film. But is it? By that standard Shakespeare's historical plays are bad plays. No one has ever argued that these kind of films can ever take the place of a well-researched book. That is not the point. Both mediums are subject to their form. Books can provide a wealth of information and detail that can and should demonstrate the complexity of history. Film on the other hand is essentially a visual medium, and subject to the demands of dramatic form and structure. The question should rather be, is it a good film even with the simplification of history? The Chorus from Shakespeare's "Henry V" actually provided the best justification for these historical epics; "Can this cockpit hold the vasty fields of France? Or may we cram into this wooden O the very casques that did affright the air at Agincourt? O, pardon! Since a crooked figure may attest in little place a million; and let us ciphers to this great accompt, on your imaginary forces work, turning the accomplishment of many years into an hour glass..." The best historical films, of which "Khartoum" is one, do just that, they fire the imagination, however condensed and simplified the history, and hopefully inspire the viewer to delve deeper into the subject by purchasing a good book on the matter.

Robert Ardrey's screenplay is wonderfully literate and "Khartoum" is a pleasure to listen to as well as watch. The disaster that befell Col. William Hicks in 1884 and would set in motion the chain of events that would culminate in the confrontation between Mohammad Ahmed, called The Mahdi, (Laurence Olivier) and British General Charles George Gordon, called "Chinese Gordon", (Charlton Heston) are quickly detailed in a brief prologue featuring an uncredited voice-over by Leo Genn, and the first of several stunning battles staged by the great Yakima Canutt. Ardrey maintains the essential aura of mystery that surrounded these two fascinating enigmatic individuals. Gordon was nothing if not a very complex man. A solitary non-conformist who craved and despised public adulation, a devout Christian that never allied himself to any church, a reluctant empire builder more often sympathetic to those he had to oppose. Suggesting complexity of character, however was not one of Charlton Heston's strong points and he cannot begin to suggest Gordon's contradictory traits. He is too solid, too commanding, too physically heroic. But he does bring those qualities to the character, and he is an impressive physical presence, unlikely to get lost in the epic production of the film. One only needs to see Colin Ferrell flounder as Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's "Alexander" to appreciate how important a charismatic presence in an epic film can be.

On the other hand, Laurence Olivier as The Mahdi is marvelously equipped as an actor to suggest the subtleties and nuance of his character. With far less screen time he makes every gesture, every vocal intonation, every flicker of the eye suggest layers of depth. He is holy man and realist, opportunist and idealist. His scenes with Heston are among the best in the film. Heston, a more natural film actor, wisely leaves the pyrotechnics to Olivier, and skillfully underplays, so when his big emotional moment finally arrives, it is all the more effective. The pedants will argue The Mahdi and Gordon never met face to face. That is true, but as one of Mohammad Ahmed's relatives told Producer Julian Baustein, "Ah, but they should have!" The two however did correspond at length. The same can be said of Heston's big scene with Ralph Richardson as Prime Minister William Gladstone, they never met face to face either. Both are examples of history being altered to suit the needs of drama and rightfully so for both provide for some high powered acting and make for a better film. Richardson brings to his part all the shrewd, ruthless, deviousness of a savvy political animal determined to survive. Richard Johnson as Col. J.D.H. Stewart, Gordon's reluctant adjutant and later admirer gives a stiff upper lip performance in the best tradition of John Mills, while Michael Hordern as Lord Granville, Nigel Green as General Wolseley and Alexander Knox as Sir Evelyn Baring all give very effective supporting performances.

Too often compared to its detriment with David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" of a few years earlier, in much the same way "Barry Lyndon" was compared unfavorably with "Tom Jones", Director Basil Dearden, (The League of Gentlemen) wisely resists following Lean's lush romantic style and instead opts for a more subdued realistic approach, clean, simple and direct. This approach is reinforced by Frank Cordell's score which is very reminiscent of the music of Edward Elgar and appropriately so. In fact Elgar himself at one point planned to write a symphony on Gordon. In the light of recent world events, this classic confrontation between Western Imperialism and Eastern Islamic fundamentalism makes "Khartoum" more topical than ever.

Most of the events depicted in this movie are based upon fact. On the desiccated sands of the Sudan in 1883, 10,000 Egyptian soldiers commanded by British Colonel Hicks are massacred by warriors loyal to the fanatical Mahdi. Prime minister Gladstone dispatches General Charles Gordon(CHARLTON HESTON)to Khartoum to evacuate European nationals before they and the city's inhabitants are decimated by the Mahdi's forces. The cynical Colonel Stewart accompanies Gordon to Sudan as an aide. As the General oversees the evacuation, Colonel Stewart develops a respect for his superior officer. However, Gordon disobeys orders from London by remaining in Khartoum and fortifying the city against impending attack. As the garrison becomes increasingly constricted by a punishing siege, Gordon engages in a battle of wits with the Mahdi as he fights to save the city he has come to love.

As the title suggests, the film is a depiction of the events leading up to and surrounding the siege of Khartoum as well as the siege itself. The script is great and well written. Although, some significant events have been omitted from the narrative which makes the film feel too restrained. On the other hand though, a couple of scenes have been fabricated for the sake of Hollywood and the movie benefits from this. Khartoum is decently paced and chunters along at a fine speed with adept editing and stunning cinematography. The ever fantastic Charlton Heston embodies the role of General Gordon with commendable ease. Chuck was the king of the period epic and this film belongs to him without a doubt. The illustrious Laurence Olivier was rather hammy in his portray of the Mahdi. As this was the case, it was difficult to take the character seriously and hew wasn't as threatening as he should have been. There are scenes in which Gordon travels to the Mahdi's camp and through engrossing conversation, begins to respect his enemy and vice versa. Now this never happened in reality and was merely invented for artistic licence. The verbal exchanges between the two men were excellently scripted. Khartoum is peppered with robust performances. Richard Johnson gave staunch support as Colonel Stewart, as did Ralph Richardson, Alexander Knox and Nigel Green. Edward Underdown also gave a sturdy, but abrupt portrayal of Colonel Billy Hicks.

Boasting electrifying battle sequences, Khartoum is never short of spectacle. The spectacular action is constructed by Yakima Canutt and his immensely sophisticated stunt team, the same group of people responsible for the exhilarating action scenes featured in the epic Ben-Hur(1959). Unfortunately, the pains of Canutt's labour have been treated with shambolic disregard by the BBFC. In English, the region 2 DVD release has been hacked to smithereens due to "illegal horse falls". This really is a crying shame as the battle sequences are truly epic in scope. Firstly, this has taken the edge off of the action sequences. Secondly, now don't get me wrong, I loathe animal cruelty as much as anyone else, but to cut footage from old films such as this is appalling. I believe it to be an insult to the vigorous work of Canutt and stuntmen like him. There's a taut river ambush in which a steamboat commanded by Colonel Stewart is attacked by Arab forces. This sequence is executed in truly spectacular fashion, complete with bone chilling stunts and special effects!. However, this sequence is tactlessly handled in that half of the battle is left out of the movie. In reality, Colonel Stewart and the surviving Europeans were slaughtered after the steamboat ran aground. The film doesn't show this, merely implying the events towards the end. The narrative prefers to progress after the steamboat begins bombarding the blockade of Arab boats. I was impressed with the ultimate battle of Khartoum. In real life, it was more of a mass slaughter as opposed to the glorious last stand depicted at the film's climax. Still, the end result is fantastic. It reminded me of the epic battle at the end of John Wayne's The Alamo(1960), although the battle shown in Khartoum was smaller and didn't last as long. There were also a few smaller battles in the desert. Memorable as they were, the felt too pressured and suffered most from the unnecessary cuts. The lofty musical score was fine, although typical of historical epics such as this.

Khartoum never fails in providing a colourful 2 hours of entertainment. It just feels rushed with too much restraint placed on the action scenes. However, it showcases an interesting piece of British military history which is often overlooked. 8/10.

This film, which I saw in downtown Detroit when I was eight years old,remains one of my all-time favorites.Its a little talky, a little pretentious, but still grand fun, with exciting battle sequences, wonderful, over the top performances,and a truly stirring, if corny score. Robert Ardrey, notorious theorist of the "territorial imperative",wrote the script, and Basil Dearden directed. Martin Scorsese once listed it among his guilty pleasures.

Khartoum is an account of the 1885 massacre of British General Charles (Chinese) Gordon (played by Charlton Heston) and British Egyptian troops in Khartoum in the Sudan by the hard-line Muslim forces of The Mahdi (The Chosen One), played by Sir Laurence Olivier--good make-up job.

This is an even-handed job (meaning, of course, all the favorable sides of things might have been assumed to be with Gordon, but they are not)--the views of both sides of the struggle are sympathetically represented, and Gordon's vanity is not spared. Nevertheless, he clearly has heroic stature, embellished by dramatic flourishes and some historical bending. Indeed, there is substantial historical detail in the tradition of epic films, much of it basically true, but certain parts are pure fantasy. In a film like this, neither is a problem for me--after all, isn't the point of this event its sheer drama, a white man mystic hero being massacred in a lonely outpost and achieving martyrdom? And I am one who is all for the historical stuff, and a checker of detail. The cadences of the screenplay and the swirling climax are entirely appropriate and make for great entertainment. Although Gordon's conduct in handling the situation was less unobjectionable than presented here (and not to say that there were no criticisms brought to the forefront in the film), it is likely his passion for the Sudan and the Sudanese and his desire for martyrdom are not much exaggerated. One of my favorites.

The war against the Mahdists in the Sudan, the first modern confrontation between the so-called "Liberal/Christian" west and the "Arab/Islamic" east was the subject of several films, but one is KHARTOUM, concerning the initial incidents of the war, and several of the other are the several versions of FOUR FEATHERS, concerning the events leading to the final defeat of the Mahdists in 1898 at Omdurmann. The film THE LIGHT THAT FAILED takes place (in part) in the early part of the war, when the British were slowly re-advancing to Khartoum and Omdurmann.

KHARTOUM deals with the events from 1883 to January 1885, when a fanatical Islamic fundamentalist known as "the Mahdi" arose in the backwater of the Sudan, preaching destruction of the infidels who were controlling Islam, and eventual domination of the globe by a reinvigorated Islam led by himself. This figure was actually Mohammad Ahmed, a Dongolese of Islamic ancestry. He claimed he was "the Mahdi", meaning the awaited one - a type of Islamic messiah who was supposed to restore the glory of that religion in it's pure form. It was not too hard to get support in the Sudan, who were upset at English interference in the slave trade (which was big business in the Sudan) and with the political control given to the Khedive of Egypt. A combination of profit and nationalism gave him his real strength, mixed by religious fanaticism. And it was quite effective. He was able to destroy (literally obliterate) an army of Egyptian soldiers and English officers led by William Hicks in 1883. It sparked the revolt's success.

In lieu of what happened, particularly to Gordon in 1885, one can say that the Islamic forces were truthfully dynamic. Actually, they were blown out of proportion. In 1882 the Egyptian army and government were split by an anti-English revolt led by a Colonel Arabi Pasha. Arabi nearly overthrew the Khedive, but the English finally beat him. But Arabi's supporters included many leading Egyptian officers. Hicks (not the swiftest officer himself) was not in charge of many good officers, and the massacre was easily achieved.

Prime Minister William Gladstone was opposed to imperialist ventures, but he was saddled with the Suez Canal (which the British partly owned). When the Mahdi's threat expanded Gladstone begrudgingly gave into public opinion of sending General George Charles Gordon to the Sudan. Gladstone wanted Gordon to simply close Britain's military mission there. But Gordon, as pointed out in another review on this thread, was a fanatical supporter of Christianity, and an opponent of the slavery supported by the Mahdi. He agreed to go, but he planned to pull Britain's military presence into the area at a stronger pace.

The result was a curious three way tug of war, where the Mahdi occasionally was allied with Prime Minister Gladstone, against Gordon's prevarications and delays, but Gladstone would fumblingly be brought back into line because Gordon was a popular hero and an opponent of the slave trade. Still, his uncertain steps doomed Gordon-the relief of Khartoum (under General Wolsey) began too late and arrived a week after the tragedy played out. Despite all his defense measures, Gordon saw the Mahdi's forces enter the governor's palace. Standing at the head of the staircase facing them he was speared by one of the Mahdists. Gordon became enshrined as a Christian martyr. Gladstone, previously nicknamed the "Grand Old Man" (G.O.M.) became the "M.O.G." ("Murderer of Gordon"). Gladstone was tossed out of office within half a year.

The Mahdi had plans to expand to Cairo, then Constantinople and Mecca, and (eventually) every capital in Europe and North and South America. He presumably did not realize just how far he really could have driven his forces (they just did not have the military hardware for this). In any event, he began to set himself up as an old fashioned Caliph, with a harem. For the next year he sexually enjoyed himself, and got fat. Unfortunately, the area of Khartoum and the new capital of Omdurmann was not exactly cleaned of the remains of battle. Plague soon spread among the Sudanese, and the Mahdi (weakened by his excesses) died. With him really died the first attempt at a universal Muslim Jihad against the west. His successor, "The Khalifa" was not as charismatic.

Charleton Heston plays Gordon as a man of firm conviction, who realizes that his enemy (Laurence Olivier as "the Mahdi") is as capable in checking his moves as any can be feared, and is as firm in the spreading of his religion's power as Gordon is about Christianity. Olivier (as pointed out elsewhere, using the voice he used as OTHELLO) is impressed with Heston as an opponent, but is sure of his ultimate victory - but he intended to save Gordon, and the film ends with his horror at finding that Gordon was killed against his orders. The fury of his followers has overcome his leadership, and brings the world down on his head. Ralph Richardson looks remarkably like Gladstone, and shows the idealist who hated the imperial system left to him by his hated rival Disraeli, and yet was a subtle politician (look at the way he signals to Granville (Michael Hordern) after assuring assistance to Gordon - he does not totally mean it). Richard Johnson is good as Gordon's loyal assistant who tries to rally the Prime Minister's conscience. With a stirring theme music score, KHARTOUM is a memorable historical account for movie audiences.

I just now saw this movie on television for the first time. Somehow I missed it in 1966. I have always been interested in "Chinese Gorden" and they seemed to do his character quite well, though somehow I thought he was a "Teatotaler"! What surprised me about the movie was the flat out way it was admitted that his government abandoned him, expected him to do the job with no support, only caring that "people in the street" didn't know what they had done. In 1966, we didn't yet know that governments did such naughty things. In those days we still believed that the government was still the "good guy". That people liked the movie in spite of that amazes me----5 or 10 years later it would have been a "given".

This is my favorite epic, because every element of the story - religion, politics, tactics, and the clash of two brilliant personalities - is given detailed and intelligent treatment. Heston is great in this kind of role (a Christian patriarch...how very fitting), and Olivier's performance lends the Mahdi considerable nobility, even though he's obviously the "bad" guy.

Post 9/11, this is quite a strange one to watch, since it's not very different from the crisis we face today! Ah, the endless cycles of history.

But I digress. This is literate, fun, and relevant entertainment about a little-known period in history (little known to Americans, anyway). I've done some research on Gordon and the Mahdi, and from what I've learned, I can say that the film is pretty accurate. The Hollywoodized parts, such as Gordon's face-to-face meetings with the Mahdi, were added for the sake of drama. Since they work so well, I think their inclusion was actually a great idea.

The direction is admittedly flat sometimes. Heston acknowledged this once, but maintained that the film is still among his best. What really matters is that the script hums along, the acting is superb (Ralph Richardson!), and the battles are well choreographed. For whatever reason, when all's said and done, this beats the heck out of "Lawrence of Arabia" in my book. I suppose I'm just a sucker for compelling religious conflicts.

I first saw this movie on a flight to Hawaii in 1966 and have watched it many times since, showing it to friends and family who were unaware of it - all of whom enjoyed it immensely. Although slightly dated by today's (2009) standards, don't let that dissuade you from seeing this film, it holds up to the test of time like very few movies do and surpasses most, at that.

So, what's it all about? Khartoum depicts the last chapter in the remarkable life of Gen. Charles "Chinese" Gordon; another one of those larger-than-life-personages seemingly produced uniquely by Victorian England; such as Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) or T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia). To that last personage is the best probable comparison, as they were both considered the best commanders of "irregular" forces of their respective times and like Lawrence of Arabia, this movie barely scrapes the surface of the man's life (but it would take a 6 hour movie in either case to do them justice).

Set in 1884, in what was the Sudanese portion of then Egypt, this is an epic historical movie that succeeds on every level. The conflict centers around an uprising to Egyptian rule, led by the Mahdi and the subsequent attempt to evacuate foreigners from the besieged Sudan's main city, Khartoum, by Gordon. It is epic in scope and production, detailed, believable and almost completely accurate. Political intrigue, minor and major battles, beautiful scenery, top notch acting, this movie has it all. I would place it smack dab between Lawrence of Arabia and Zulu (and much closer to Lawrence because of it's epic nature).

This is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time (and I was at the opening of Ben Hur at the Coronet Theater in San Francisco, which was a lot of movies ago ;-) and watching this film has led me to read several books on this event, including Gordon's own diary written at the time.

Unfortunately, they don't make too many like this anymore.

What a great adventure! Charlton Heston is absolutely superb...unforgettable. Laurence Olivier, as always, is perfect as the Mahdi. His voice's so powerful. It was not easy to play a fanatic but Sir Laurence managed to bring a part of humanity. The story is so clear and that's very good: so the characters are true. Once again the actors served fairly a splendid piece of work. The sets are amazing too. We feel the heat, the loneliness and the death around the heroes. Nobody else can change the things: Gordon and the Mahdi seem chosen to made history. Today the movies are unable to produce dramas of this nature, and with the same strength. Anyway the great actors have disappeared...

Considering recent events in Afghanistan (the Taliban) as well as in Syria and Iraq (ISIS), the events in the Sudan in the 1880s are resonate remarkably today. Once again the world finds itself confronted with Muslim fanaticism, and once again, seemingly, the world replies with little more than "gestures".

This movie has been appreciated rather less than it deserves, probably due to the presence of Charlton Heston in the lead role. His English accent does leave something to be desired, especially when surrounded by such notable British actors as Richard Johnson, Nigel Green and the great Ralph Richardson. I won't even mention Sir Laurance Olivier in that regard since, in his remarkable performance as The Mahdi, he rendered himself almost unrecognizable.

The one indispensable aspect Charlton Heston does bring to this film is his remarkable ability to stand out in an epic scene as few other actors can. When one produces an epic motion picture, the sort filmed on a grand scale with a cast of thousands, it is imperative that the central character should be the sort who can stand out among the multitudes. Few actors have been able to do that the way Charton Heston could. It was no accident that he was repeatedly cast as characters such as Moses, Ben Hur, El Cid, Chinese Gordon, etc.

However, in spite of the epic scale and the cast of thousands, "Khartoum" is a battle of wills between three powerful individuals. The first is The Mahdi, a militant Muslim religious fanatic. The second was William Gladstone, the British Prime Minster who tried vainly to keep steer his country away from what he perceived as a disastrous foreign military entanglement in Africa. The third was General Charles "Chinese" Gordon, the unconventional soldier sent, as a gesture, by Gladstone to try to save the situation in the Sudan.

It's a compelling story, and one that still resonates today more than ever. After seeing Khartoum, one can only hope that history doesn't repeat itself.

In the sixties the historical epic was in vogue,the success of Lawrence of Arabia made General Gordon a subject worth taking a chance on.The film starts with a battle between the Mahdi's troops and a British army,a massacre a disastrous result for Britain.A hero has to be found enter General Gordon,a maverick with a good record.The film stars Charlton Heston as Gordon and Laurence Olivier as the Mahdi,the scenes they share whilst fictitious are very well done.Charlton Heston outshines Olivier ,in fact this could well be Charlton Hestons best screen performance.The supporting cast is very good,Nigel Green,Ralph Richardson,Michael Horden and Richard Johnson all play their parts very well.Directed by Basil Dean,(who sadly died in a car crash) does just enough to keep you interested,the odd lull,followed by glorious action.The battle scenes are well done.This is not the greatest epic ever made,but worth a watch every now and then,preferably on a big TV screen.

Prior reviews capture most of my comments, and indicate that the creators of "Khartoum" may have played a little loose with the historical facts of the city's fall and Gordon's death. Regardless, this is a hugely entertaining movie, made more so by the fair treatment of the Mahdi and the depth of his religious beliefs. Olivier is an odd but effective choice to portray him, but no more so than Heston as "Chinese" Gordon. (Imagine someone of Gordon's stature with a similarly ethnic name like that today...Schwarzkopf, for example.) One has the feeling that Heston does not really capture Gordon's eccentricities, but his performance is still strong. The staging and photography offer great sets and costumes and the "epic" camera work that was prevalent in 60s historical dramas.

Overall, "Khartoum" is an interesting take on British Imperial politics in a period when the practice of diplomacy and empire-building were seemingly more elegant (but were still quite messy and lethal). An "8" out of "10."

Beautiful, excellent movie in widescreen dvd. This is the only way to watch it. I saw it before on vhs and it doesn't compare to dvd in widescreen. Great movie about "Chinese Gordon" and his last stand. A westerner fighting to hold back a muslim menace largely by the force of his own will and fueled by his ideals and ego.

From the first strains of the superb music we know we are in for a superb time, it just takes you there in the thick of it all, the desert and hot sun, where two mighty men have to meet to render the fate of this remarkable region.Charlton heston is great as gordon, and olivier has a lot of fun as the expected one, it has top action scenes. I wonder if there is a soundtrack available for this film, that is if one was ever released, if anyone knows id appreciate it.

This has to be one of the most splendid movies ever to come out of Pinewood Studios. Beautifully directed by the late Basil Dearden this sweeping epic is throughly a classic in every sense of the word. Charlton Heston is masterful as the heroic Chinese Gordon defending the Helpless city of Khartoum. A fine English cast include Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier (as the Mahdi) support Heston in what (except for Ben_Hur and El-Cid) is his greatest role. It is amazing that this film got almost no recognition from the Academy. Heston and Oliver should have been nominated for their performances.

This is a film that one will always watch again and again. History may never have been like this, but it is the way I would like to think it was. Heroic and majestic to the last - just like Gordon.

*Spoiler/plot- 1966, The British Empire and Queen Victoria is influencing the global politics. Queen Victoria's government needs a problem solved in Sudan and calls on a famous principled Christian retired general to solve the problem of a Muslim uprising in the Sudan. This mission is accomplished, just not in the way the politicians want. He succeeds where others fail at the cost of his life but not his career or fame.

*Special Stars- Charlton Heston, Sir Laurence Olivier, Richard Johnson, Nigel Green, Sir Ralph Richardson, Peter Arne, Roger Delgado

*Theme- The British Empire is complex and politics will not necessarily support worthy issues. A Victorian general with Christian beliefs and scruples is asked to solve a political problem that no one will touch without plausible 'deny-ability'.

*Based on- Trivia and historic accounts of Victorian General Gordon exploits.

*Trivia/location/goofs- ONLINE. General Gordon was only 5' 5" and not a towering hero as Mr. Heston. Also the heroic stature featured at the end of the film was moved from Sudan when that country got independence. That stature is now at the Royal Engineer's academy in the UK because General Gordon was a graduate of the Royal Engineers college. In London's St. Paul's cathedral basement cellar crypt area, there is a very regal funeral monument to Gen. Gordon that looks like his tomb, but it isn't. General Gordon was buried in the Middle East. There was a great upstaging competition between Heston and Olivier in their film scenes together. Sir Olivier was in the successful stage play about Moors, Othello. Also in an earlier version of the film, several 'unsuitable' censored removed scenes showing the many decapitated heads of the Europeans ambassadors leaving Khartoum and the killed General Gordon were cut out in the public theatrical print releases. They have never been put back in and rumors say that Mr. Heston use to keep his Gen. Gordon prop make-up death's head in his Hollywood home to scare visiting quests for laugh.

*Emotion- A very enjoyable heroic and well acted film. Tells of an interesting episode of Middle East history and is very relevant today.

SPOILERS.

I first saw this some years ago and found it impressive but maybe I've seen Lawrence of Arabia too often in the interim. It owes a lot of Lawrence, appearing as it did four years after. As in Lawrence,a lone British officer is sent to the desert to set things straight. He's mysterious, a paradox. He rides camels and gets into battles with the enemy. He fails in his mission.

Well, Charlton Heston as "Chinese" Gordon doesn't really seem too mysterious when you come down to it, even though he himself tells us, "My life is not an open book. Not to you, not to any man. Not even to myself." Yet he's a pretty normal guy. People keep calling him "vain" behind his back but it doesn't seem like vanity to me when you're trapped behind the lines and expect the British, who sent you there in the first place, to come and get you out.

Actually Heston is pretty good. His mass is imposing. His uniforms are splendiferous. His acting doesn't shoot out the lights but he's convincing because Gordon is well within his range. Olivier, as the Mahdi, "the expected one," the kind of rabid charismatic warrior that religions seem to generate on a regular basis, gives a little better performance because, let's face it, he's a more efficient ham. You killed to prevent killing, he tells Gorden. "I kill to prevent more killing. Tell me, Gordon Pasha, where is the difference?" And he holds both his hands up and gives them a little twist, while looking slyly out of the corner of his eyes at Heston. For Heston such techniques would be infra dig. Olivier plays this in blackface, by the way. All of the Egyptians, as well as the Sudanese, are in blackface. Man, these Egyptians are dark. Not just swarthy. Not even dark like sub-Saharan Africa is dark, but a shiny bluish-black like a freshly polished boot.

It's not a bad film and it does describe Gordon and his predicament in intelligible terms. We're never at a loss for what's going on. But Lawrence of Arabia, inevitably, keeps springing to mind. And Khartoum seems plodding by comparison, especially in the direction. You may remember, to take a single example, the scene in which Lawrence and his irregulars blow up a train and then puncture the cars with machine gun bullets. Lawrence shouts for them to cease fire because the passenger cars are being turned into lacework. Nobody hears him, so he fires a flare. No one pays attention, so Lawrence must run out in front of his own guns screaming at his men to stop shooting. Finally the firing sputters raggedly to a stop.

There's nothing like that here. In this movie, Gordon generals a battle on horseback with the Madhi's supporters and everybody -- every one of the extras -- runs to his mark and does what he's supposed to. The battles are full of the same extras in long shot, slashing away at each other with scimitars or whatever they are. Nobody seems to get dirty. The dialogue is strictly functional. And one has to think of Lean's USE of the desert setting. That fulsomely ominous vermilion sun peeking up over the flat spirit level of a horizon at dawn. We have the desert here too, but it might almost have been a painted backdrop. It isn't a presence. Dearden uses a lot of swooping helicopter shots as if to say, "Wow -- what a vast emptiness." But we don't get to KNOW it. We don't get to see its rocks or its animals or is leisurely dust devils. It might as well be a studio jungle as a desert.

The score is good, though. It borrows from Eric Wolfgang Korngold but it's effective -- sweeping, majestic, and rife with breast-bursting button-popping imperial sentiment.

In the end it's a watchable epic movie. If you haven't seen Lawrence of Arabia, rent the two of them and show them in succession -- if you can stay awake that long. It's the difference between a good-enough movie and a great movie.

A lot of criticism has been levelled at "Khartoum", with professional critics like Halliwell, Maltin and others of that ilk claiming that it is a dull film. In all fairness, these criticisms are a bit harsh – "Khartoum" has wordy sequences, for sure, but if you actually sit and listen to the dialogue it is quite thought-provoking and engrossing. The spectacular sequences, when they come, are impressively staged… but to state that the film is a waste of time between these moments of spectacle is nonsensical.

An Egyptian army led by an English officer is massacred by Muslim fanatics under the leadership of the "awaited one" – the Mahdi (Laurence Olivier). Back in London, the Prime Minister William Gladstone (Ralph Richardson) is left to clean up the damaged reputation of his country's imperial might. Public opinion, coupled with the very real threat that the Mahdi's followers may seek to spread their campaign, forces Gladstone to send in a soldier of considerable experience to ease the situation. "Chinese" Gordon (Charlton Heston), a dedicated veteran and devout Christian, is instructed to go to the Sudanese city of Khartoum to protect the European and Egyptian people that live there before they fall foul of the Mahdi's forces. But Gordon has his own hidden agenda, and views his mission as an opportunity to wage war against what he perceives to be savage, uncivilised Muslim marauders. He rallies troops to his side and cannily manipulates the situation to win public support. However, Gladstone's government fail to move quickly in supporting Gordon, and time runs out as the Mahdi's forces lay siege to Khartoum. Gordon realises that the situation is going against him so he evacuates many Europeans, but is left to face an overwhelming enemy force with just a small group of inexperienced soldiers by his side. Hoping that the British reinforcements might arrive in time, Gordon fortifies Khartoum and attempts to defend it against the Mahdi's army. It is, tragically, a doomed act. Three days before help arrives, Khartoum falls to the Muslims and Gordon is killed and mutilated.

It is interesting to see an epic film portraying historical events with uncharacteristic accuracy. There are few poor performances in the film, but some actors deserve a mention more than others. Heston is remarkably good as Gordon, giving perhaps his most well-rounded performance in a historical epic (fine praise indeed, considering he also featured in The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, El Cid, The Agony And The Ecstasy, Fifty Five Days At Peking, and numerous others). Olivier's make-up is a little unconvincing, but his performance as the Mahdi is very good in all other aspects. Richardson's portrayal of Prime Minister Gladstone is simply magnificent, and Richard Johnson adds a solid characterisation as Gordon's loyal friend Colonel Stewart. Lastly, there's a short but excellent cameo from Alexander Knox as the British viceroy in Egypt, Sir Evelyn Baring. The film looks terrific throughout, and is sweepingly scored by Frank Cordell. Don't pay too much heed to the "professional" critics on this one – it's much better than their somewhat negative evaluations suggest.

"Khartuom is a mighty film, detailing a man and battle that most Americans are unfamiliar with. Fine acting, especially by Sir Laurence Olivier, Charlton Heston, Sir Ralph Richardson and Nigel Green, who highlight a literate and mostly historically accurate script. The film begins with the ill-fated expedition of a 10,000 man Egyptian army led by an Englishman, Col William Hicks, into the desert where they're ambushed and massacred by the followers of the Mahdi. Thousands of rifles, millions of bullets and dozens of cannon are captured by the Muslims. The Mahdi proclaims his victory as a miracle, the British prime minister, Gladstone, declares it a disaster, and since an Englishman led the Egyptians, feels responsible to find a remedy. Charles "Chinese" Gordon is asked to go to Khartuom in an unofficial capacity to evacuate the European population. Gordon agrees, but decides to defend the city, leading to some great battles and a memorable meeting with the Mahdi. The British belatedly send a relief force. The Europeans flee the city in a steamboat and attempt to sail up the Nile to Egypt, but just when it looks as if they're out of danger, the Muslims stop the boat, and although it's not shown, wipe out the passengers. The Mahdi and Gordon meet, and the Mahdi shows proof that the escape failed. The Mahdi then predicts a miracle, the fall of Khartuom. Gordon replies that he may die from the Mahdi's miracle, but the Mahdi will surely die from Gordon's own miracle. The city finally falls when the Nile recedes enough for the attackers to get to the gates. One of the most dramatic episodes in the movie and in fact in history, occurs. Gordon goes out to meet the attackers with only his cane, he begins to descend the stairs, in near silence inspiring awe among the surviving defenders and the attacking Muslims. Finally, a Muslim flings a spear, hitting him in the chest and he falls from the stairs. The Muslims complete taking the city and bring Gordon's head to the Mahdi. The Mahdi reacts with fear and revulsion, repeating, "I forbade it! I forbade it!" The finish states that the relief force arrived too late. This is a stirring tale of heroism, duty and honor. It's relevant even today, as we look at the situation in the Sudan and the Middle East. 10 Stars