Take Out Chinese

Ms. Spenser has been getting a bum deal on the movie selection lately, so she requested Khartoum (1966). How could an epic North African adventure fail?

It starts in the Sudan, late 1800s. An Egyptian force lead by an Englishman is defeated by a local army lead by a mystical Islamic figure, the Mahdi (Laurence Olivier!). In London, there is pressure to show force to support the Egyptians, but Prime Minister Gladstone (Ralph Richardson) doesn't want to get bogged down. They decide to send Charles "Chinese" Gordon (Charlton Heston), alone except for an aide, as a private citizen. Gordon made his name leading a Chinese army in support of the Emperor, and had previously fought to rid the Sudan of slavery. But he was also headstrong, with a strange mystical bent, leading him to frequently disobey orders. 

So he heads out to Cairo and up the Nile. Officially, he is to organize an evacuation of the English and Egyptian citizens of Khartoum. But when he gets there, he starts organizing the defense of the city. The populace welcome him as their savior. He meets with the Mahdi, who treats him with respect, but warns him that he plans to burn the city and murder all within.

He begins a crash course to fortify the city for a siege, but his only hope is the British Army. But will they arrive in time? Or at all?

There was a lot to like about this movie, especially the location shooting in Cairo and on the Nile. Of course, there were a lot of sets, like all of Khartoum, and they were only so-so. The action scenes were amazing. Famed stuntman Yakima Canutt was credited as second-unit director, and you bet there were a lot of horse stunts, most probably unethical. But there weren't really that many action scenes. Mostly tense waiting or political wrangling. A lot was made of Gordon's mysticism, but aside from a few prayers from him, you don't get much. He even promises the Mahdi a miracle, and fails to deliver. 

Plus, of course, there's Gordon's super-power: Imperialism. Everywhere he goes, the simple Africans (only a very few of whom are black) fall all over him. Well, he did outlaw slavery, so a few ex-slaves had good reason. 

Olivier as Mahdi was OK, if you don't mind an Englishman playing Sudanese Muslim. Very portentous and masterful. But he was in the background most of the time. 

I'd say this one is up for a remake, maybe from a Sudanese perspective.