Khartoum (BLU-RAY)

US import

Director Basil Deardon (The Assassination Bureau, Sapphire) brings pomp, spectacular set pieces and breathtaking Ultra Panavision 70 cinematography courtesy of Ted Scaife (The Dirty Dozen) to Khartoum, one of the last great productions in the waning days of the roadshow.

Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, The Hawaiians) stars as General Charles Gordon, a veteran British soldier enlisted to save the city of Khartoum from the divinely inspired annihilation of its inhabitants by Muhammad Ahmed, "The Mahdi" portrayed by Laurence Olivier (Marathon Man, Hamlet). The supporting cast includes Ralph Richardson (Long Day's Journey Into Night), Michael Hordern (Alexander the Great) and Richard Johnson (The Haunting).