+ BLU RAY

Khartoum ( Eureka) In his best-selling biography, In The Arena, Charlton Heston cites Khartoum (1966) as one of the three finest films of his career, singling out his knighted co-stars, Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson, for special praise. It’s not difficult to see why. Shot on Ultra Panavision 70mm (the last film to do so before Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight), this epic adventure finds Heston well cast in the role of Charles George Gordon, the English general sent to Sudan in the 1880s to defend the city of Khartoum from the Mahdi (Olivier), an Arab leader who was fighting against Anglo-Egyptian rule. Featuring riproaring action sequences directed by stunt legend Yakima Canutt, Khartoum is notable for avoiding Boy’s Own-style values; rather it asks pointed questions about English colonialism and the nature of heroism and sacrifice. Bonus features include audio commentary with film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman; an exclusive new video interview with film historian Sheldon Hall and a collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by Phil Hoad, alongside a selection of rare archive images.