Khartoum (1966)

An epically staged historical drama about the uprising in the Sudan by the Mahdi (Sir Laurence Olivier) and his army of Dervishes against the British Empire. Prime Minster William Gladstone (Sir Ralph Richardson) was initially opposed to committing troops to reverse this defeat, and so instead decided to send as an imposing military figure as he could - General Charles Gordon (Charlton Heston). Respected and loathed in equal measure, he travelled to the war zone and our story tells the tale of his attempts to combat the religious fervour and desire for freedom from this local population. This is a great looking film from Basil Dearden and the scale of the battle scenes are impressive; the acting less so and there is something frankly ridiculous about Olivier's portrayal of the Madhi. It's a long watch, too....