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| Khartoum | 
 enlarge | Directors: Basil Dearden, Eliot Elisofon
Actors: Charlton Heston, Laurence Olivier, Richard Johnson, Ralph Richardson, Alexander Knox
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $3.97
You Save: $11.01 (73%)
New (21) Used (18) from $3.93
Avg. Customer Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 11292
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 128
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D1003431D
ISBN: 0792852559
UPC: 027616875808
EAN: 9780792852551
ASIN: B000062XF0
Theatrical Release Date: June 15, 1966
Release Date: May 7, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
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| Customer Reviews:
Another Heston Epic April 30, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In the wake of Charlton Heston's death, I decided to have a marathon viewing of his films. I rewatched many of my favorites and sought out some of those I had never seen.
"Khartoum" was one I had not watched before. As he often did, Heston plays a real-life character, General Charles Gordon, who tried to defend the city of Khartoum from the attack of a Muslim fanatic, played by Laurence Olivier. It is one of those epic historical films Heston specialized in, and it does a good job of conveying that time and place.
One of the things I like about these films is that they were made pre-CGI, so they were generally shot on location and much of the spectacle was actually staged for the cameras (No computer-generated armies here).
The story focuses on the political maneuvering on both sides. It's striking how leaders are willing to sacrifice thousands of lives for some political purpose. The script is intelligent and the dialogue sharp, especially in the scenes between Gordon and the Mahdi (although Olivier's unconvincing dark make-up was somewhat distracting). Both actors do well in their roles.
Some viewers might find the film slow because there is a lot of talking and not a lot of action for a 2:15 running time. When the battle scenes come along, they are characteristically massive, but stiffly edited. And I was concerned for the poor horses that were constantly sent sprawling in the attacks.
All in all I would recommend "Khartoum" to anyone who likes Charlton Heston and big historical films. As they say, they don't make `em like this anymore.
 Outstanding Movie April 8, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Khartoum is one of the better lesser known movies done by C.Heston.
It is worth the money and time. There is a strong historical component to this rousing adventure.
The Imperial Debate April 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this as a compelling movie in its own right, before checking the historical background in any detail.
I concluded, after some historical research, that the great issue in the film was the debate regarding imperialism (represented by Gordon in a "White Man's Burden" sort of way) versus the resistance to "foreign entanglements" (represented by Prime Minister Gladstone). The battle with the Mahdi was really a secondary theme historically.
Gladstone was presented as a wily politician which I think did him a disservice, although many of his views are still represented fairly. Gladstone consistently through all his administrations favored self-rule and not imperialism. A major passion in his political career, for example, was for the movement to home-rule in Ireland and the avoidance of becoming entangled in foreign wars and the affairs of other nations generally. In this endeavor he was thwarted by the growing imperialism of many of his countrymen who often seemed to have, like Gordon, the most altrusistic of rationales. The affairs depicted in this film occurred in Gladstone's second administration. He had been returned to power after Disraeli (the former and decidedly imperialist Prime Minister) had obtained control of the Suez Canal in Egypt.
The movie is relevant today not so much in the sympathetic viewing of a previous Christian-Muslim scrap, but in raising the whole issue of latter-day imperialism versus a more sober refusal to become embroiled in foreign brawls.
The hero of the film in my eyes was Gladstone and the message has yet to be deduced by many of today's politicians.
In the spirit of Lawrence of Arabia February 4, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This film was made on a very large scale, but not quite the epic scale of Lawrence of Arabia. Also, the dialogue is not quite as sharp as David Lean's Lawrence. There's a depth there that's missing here.
Still, this is a perfectly good combination of action, history, and political maneuvering. A very enjoyable evening's entertainment.
Although Ben-Hur is my favorite film, and Chuck Heston will be best remembered as Moses, I believe Chinese Gordon is one of Heston's best performances on film. He's even better in A Touch of Evil, but very good in Khartoum.
This story is tragic, but Gordon's heroism and determination make it seem more triumphant than tragic. As a man of conviction and honor who stood up to Muslim fanatics, even without the support of his government, he stands as a lesson for today. He did not cower in the face of barbarism. He confronted it head on, no matter the personal cost.
I don't know how many Disney movies I've watched with the trite theme "Follow Your Heart." "Chinese" Gordon followed his heart. A very large heart it was, loyal to the land and people he loved, to the bitter end.
Ranks With The BEST of Them December 1, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is one of the great spectacles, the likes of which you are not likely see again. No absurdly exaggerated computer graphics here. The thousands of extras ARE thousands of extras. The photography, costumes, script direction and uniform performances are all top drawer. I never much cared for Charlton Heston. To me he was a better educated John Wayne type. But I have to admit, he's at the top of his game here. Ralph Richardson is the big scene stealer and should have gotten an oscar nod for his performance. Olivier, as always, is a marvel to watch. There's never a dull moment with either drama or action. It's a pity it got so little reception in its initial release, but thank God for DVD. Otherwise this masterpiece might have been lost forever.
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