Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Oversimplified miscast epic. I didn't like it.:

This 1966 film is one of those Cinerama epics that were popular in the sixties. The stars cast in leading roles, Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier, were popular too. The story is based on an incident from British history when, in 1885, General Charles Gordon was sent to the Sudan to protect British interests. It's over-simplified and filled with Gordon's heroism and I question its historical accuracy. But that was not the only reason I didn't like it.

Charlton Heston is cast as General Gordon. He never... more info

Not "Lawrence of Arabia" But Still Memorable:

"Khartoum" is the story of Charles Gordon, an English general fighting a radical Islamic rebel in the Sudan, who has the audacity to name himself "Mahdi". There is less action but more dialogue and more scheming than in "Lawrence of Arabia", and the picture end up not having an epic feel to it, but it's still a good tale told well. Charlton Heston is Gordon, and Lawrence Olivier is Mahdi; the acting quality is definitely there. If you look for a good film, and don't look for another "Lawrence of Arabia",... more info

"out of the vast, hot, African nowhere...":

Though the historical events in this film took place in 1884-85, there are aspects of it that remind one of today's headlines; this is a sadly underrated film, with a fantastic cast, massive battle scenes, and a beautifully written script about an extraordinary man.
There are scenes that take "artistic license", but the film is quite accurate in its facts on General Gordon; a military genius who hated war, a deeply religious man who worked to end slavery, and who fell in love with the desolate scorching... more info

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