This is unlikely to be on anyone's list of films that must be seen before one dies and there are certainly directors who would have made a better job of it than Basil Dearden but it remains nonetheless a commendable attempt to depict what must surely be considered a blot(one of many!) on British colonial history.
There are historical inaccuracies too numerous to mention, as critics have been quick to point out, but what do they expect? It is after all, a movie!
It does however boast a literate script by anthropologist Robert Ardrey and a score by Frank Cordell with a suitably Elgarian main theme whilst the action scenes are extremely well-handled .
The two major protagonists General Charles Gordon and Muhammed el Mahdi are played by Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier. Their casting raised a few eyebrows and a blacked-up Olivier as the Mahdi is even more controversial now in this era of political correctness and 'inclusiveness'.
None of us has the least idea of what the Mahdi was like so he is open to interpretation. Olivier's portrayal is not simply that of a religious fanatic but one of slyness, cunning and pragmatism. This clever actor also utilises the bass notes he had acquired for the role of Othello.
Heston is a marvellous presence and conveys well Gordon's 'mysticism', his English accent is pretty good and he more than holds his own in his scenes with Olivier and the splendid Ralph Richardson as Gladstone. Richard Johnson is suitably stiff-backed as Colonel Stewart and there is an immensely strong supporting cast. King of the 'dubbers', Robert Rietty, makes his customary contribution. I confess to being intrigued as to why Peter Arne plays both the Khedive and Kitchener. Couldn't they afford another actor or couldn't they be bothered? Perhaps they assumed that nobody would notice.
Martin Scorcese freely admits that despite its weaknesses, this film remains one of his 'guilty pleasures'. He is not alone in that I'm sure.
There are historical inaccuracies too numerous to mention, as critics have been quick to point out, but what do they expect? It is after all, a movie!
It does however boast a literate script by anthropologist Robert Ardrey and a score by Frank Cordell with a suitably Elgarian main theme whilst the action scenes are extremely well-handled .
The two major protagonists General Charles Gordon and Muhammed el Mahdi are played by Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier. Their casting raised a few eyebrows and a blacked-up Olivier as the Mahdi is even more controversial now in this era of political correctness and 'inclusiveness'.
None of us has the least idea of what the Mahdi was like so he is open to interpretation. Olivier's portrayal is not simply that of a religious fanatic but one of slyness, cunning and pragmatism. This clever actor also utilises the bass notes he had acquired for the role of Othello.
Heston is a marvellous presence and conveys well Gordon's 'mysticism', his English accent is pretty good and he more than holds his own in his scenes with Olivier and the splendid Ralph Richardson as Gladstone. Richard Johnson is suitably stiff-backed as Colonel Stewart and there is an immensely strong supporting cast. King of the 'dubbers', Robert Rietty, makes his customary contribution. I confess to being intrigued as to why Peter Arne plays both the Khedive and Kitchener. Couldn't they afford another actor or couldn't they be bothered? Perhaps they assumed that nobody would notice.
Martin Scorcese freely admits that despite its weaknesses, this film remains one of his 'guilty pleasures'. He is not alone in that I'm sure.