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Khartoum (1966)

Director: Basil Dearden

Average user rating
3 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

A massive all-star cast and a huge budget help to make the more vacuous moments of this epic comparatively painless. It is scripted with a ponderous attention to detail by the notorious pseudo-zoologist Robert Ardrey (author of The Territorial Imperative), but it has some very heavyweight performances, with Heston as General Gordon and Olivier as his bloodthirsty opponent the Mahdi (the face-to-face confrontation between the two is entirely fictitious). There's also Richardson as Gladstone, Nigel Green as General Wolseley, and Michael Hordern as Lord Granville, so despite inadequacies in both direction and screenwriting, anyone interested in the period will probably find quite a lot to enjoy.

Author: DP 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • Col. J. Poofhater-Bigot said...
    Posted on Nov 28 2007 11:49 Mustafa hasn't seen the film but feels empowered to comment on it. How terribly 'Islamic' of him. This wonderful 1966 film portrays the heroic efforts of late nineteenth century Englishmen, trying to bring order and civilisation to the hot and nasty parts of the world. In the end, Gordon is stabbed by a shady, spear toting, Islamist madman.... Nothing changes does it. A film of our times.
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  • Col. J. Poofhater-Bigot said...
    Posted on Nov 28 2007 11:22 Mustafa hasn't seen the film but feels free to comment on it. How jolly Islamic of him. It was an excellent film showing how upright Englishmen tried to civilise savages. I enjoyed it greatly. We need more such films showing how the more developed nations can teach natives how to behave properly.
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  • mustafa said...
    Posted on Aug 31 2007 20:07 i did not watch the movie yet, but naming Mahdi the bloodthirsty opponent, is telling much about the movie !!!
    How come calling this great man bloodthirsty opponent !!! Is it wrong to defend your country against those English bad ppl who came to invade your lands ????
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Cast & crew

Director: Basil Dearden

Producer: Julian Blaustein

Cast: Charlton Heston, Laurence Olivier, Richard Johnson, Ralph Richardson, Alexander Knox, Johnny Sekka, Nigel Green, Michael Hordern, Zia Mohyeddin, Hugh Williams full cast

Duration: 128 mins


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