Discover
The kind of lavish, rousing historical adventure spectacle that doesn’t seem to exist anymore, Khartoum is a majestic, star-studded, BAFTA and Oscar-nominated epic that finds director Basil Deardon (Victim, The Assassination Bureau) delivering a feast for the eyes, as well as a pointed study of English colonialism, religious fanaticism, and the nature of heroism and sacrifice.In 1880s Sudan, thousands of British-led Egyptian troops are massacred by the forces of Arab fanatic Muhammad Ahmad (Laurence Olivier), who believes he is the Mahdi, and nothing less than Mohammed’s chosen warrior in battling against Anglo-Egyptian rule. Legendary Major General Charles George Gordon (Charlton Heston) is sent by Prime Minister William Gladstone (Ralph Richardson) to save the city of Khartoum from the Mahdi, but given only one aide (Richard Johnson), limited support from the British government that sent him there, and a fearless opponent determined to create a new empire, Gordon sees that further bloodshed is imminent.With impressive battle sequences given greater weight by philosophical and moral debates about the righteousness of military action, Khartoum is a widescreen extravaganza and was the final film to be shot using Ultra Panavision 70 (and screened theatrically in Cinerama) until Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight in 2015.
Original Release
06/09/1966
US Release
06/15/1966
Links
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Charlton Heston | Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon / General Charles 'Chinese' Gordon |
Laurence Olivier | The Mahdi / Mahdi |
Richard Johnson | Colonel J.D.H. Stewart / Colonel Stewart |
Ralph Richardson | William Gladstone |
Alexander Knox | Sir Evelyn Baring |
Johnny Sekka | Khaleel |
Michael Hordern | Lord Granville |
Zia Mohyeddin | Zobeir Pasha |
Marne Maitland | Sheikh Osman |
Nigel Green | General Wolseley |
Directors
Writers
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Charlton Heston | Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon / General Charles 'Chinese' Gordon |
Laurence Olivier | The Mahdi / Mahdi |
Richard Johnson | Colonel J.D.H. Stewart / Colonel Stewart |
Ralph Richardson | William Gladstone |
Alexander Knox | Sir Evelyn Baring |
Johnny Sekka | Khaleel |
Michael Hordern | Lord Granville |
Zia Mohyeddin | Zobeir Pasha |
Marne Maitland | Sheikh Osman |
Nigel Green | General Wolseley |
Hugh Williams | Lord Hartington |
Ralph Michael | Sir Charles Dilke |
Douglas Wilmer | Khalifa Abdullah |
Edward Underdown | Colonel William Hicks |
Peter Arne | Major Kitchener |
Alan Tilvern | Awaan |
Michael Anthony | Herbin |
Bill Brandon | Soldier on Parade |
Roger Delgado | Sheikh Abdul Rahim |
Leo Genn | Narrator |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Julian Blaustein | Producer |
Editors
Year | Type | Category | Won |
---|
1967 | Oscar | Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen | Nominated |