Pros: Heston, Olivier, supporting actors, sets, costuming, direction
Cons: Suspect history but still a fine adventure story.
The Bottom Line: Watching Khartoum will give you insight into political machinations that you will not learn in a college course. An epic that will stand with any other. Watch Khartoum!
Deep in the heart of Africa, at the junction where the White and Blue Niles converge to form the Nile River flowing towards Egypt, lies the Sudanese city of Khartoum. The city sits on the land between the two rivers and forms a strong point that is well watered in that barren country.
Khartoum details the events preceding and leading up to the death of General Charles George Gordon, a colorful figure who earned the nickname "Chinese " in his earlier exploits during the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64).
In 1884, Gordon was appointed military governor of Khartoum by Prime Minister Gladstone. His commission was to evacuate the Egyptians from the Sudan. But General Gordon saw the plight of Khartoum and refused to leave. A year later Gordon met his death at the hands of a Muslim army led by Mohammed Ahmed el Mahdi, "the Expected One" when they stormed and took Khartoum.
Charlton Heston, in one of many fine performances, plays Gordon, a Christian eccentric, sent to Khartoum by the British government. Prime Minister Gladstone (Ralph Richardson, in a savory performance) wanted to distance himself from the impending uprising he was sure would follow the disaster of November 5, 1883 wherein the Mahdi destroyed an Egyptian army of 10,000 men, led by British Colonel William Hicks. His solution is to send Gordon, as minister without portfolio and without any official support. "We sent Gordon, what more could we do?" Gladstone advises his cabinet. It is clear from the movie that it was intended as a mere empty gesture which would protect Gladstone politically (at Gordon's cost) while not putting another British army at risk.
Sir Laurence Olivier, in full makeup, delivers an excellent performance as the Mahdi, a Muslim holy man, descended from the Prophet. His performance is believable with the sing-song dialect of the era, but never over the top. It shows the tremendous ability of Olivier to play non-standard characters.
The contrast between Muslim and Christian is continually emphasized throughout the movie. This makes for some interesting scenes, particularly as Director Basil Dearden has Gordon and Mahdi meet face to face in two scenes, something that almost certainly never happened but added to the drama. The dialog between the two leaders is priceless and really sets up Gordon’s dilemma.
Khartoum gives a peek behind the curtain of British politics during the Victorian era, and the sight certainly isn't pretty! There is enough skullduggery to satisfy the most hardened cynic.
Great battle scenes and dramatic interludes are presented by some of the greatest British actors ever to be captured on celluloid -- Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Nigel Green, Richard Johnson, and Michael Hordern.
The sets and costuming are flawless, bringing the Victorian Era to life.
As in most Hollywood "history" productions, the historical accuracy of the movie is questionable, but the entertainment value is immense -- four stars!
I own Khartoum on both VHS and DVD. The DVD is in 2.35: 1 widescreen, actually filmed in Cinerama, and is crystal clear both in video and audio. The VHS is in full screen but it is well framed and I learned to love this movie watching the Full Screen version. The widescreen version only made me love it better! This is a film that should be on the top shelf of your video cabinet - it is on mine!
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