Khartoum
by Eliot Elisofon, Basil Dearden
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alexander Knox, Charlton Heston, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Richard JohnsonDirector: Basil Dearden, Eliot Elisofon
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 136 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-05-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of Khartoum
Movie Review: Clash on the Nile
Summary: 5 Stars
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".
Summary of Khartoum
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 AxmakerAcademy Award?(r) winners* Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier face off in this epic, stirring drama of two men and two empires. Filmed in glorious Cinerama?(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)
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