Year of Release: 1963Country of Origin: USA
Director: Nicholas Ray
Cast: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven
Plot outline: A dramatization of the Boxer Rebellion which took place in 1900 China (IMDb).
The screenplay presumably adheres to the historical basics in its description of the violent rebellion of the Boxers against the major powers of the period - Great Britain, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States - because of their commercial exploitation of tradition-bound and unmodern China. These market-seeking nations have in their Peking outpost gallant fighting men who, although only a few hundred in number, withstand the merciless 55-day siege. David Niven is the British embassy head who stubbornly refuses to surrender, risking the safety of all about him, including his wife and two children. Both he and Charlton Heston perform with conviction, Heston as the American Marine major who commands the defense. Ava Gardner's role is not too well conceived. Hers is the part of the widow of a Russian bigshot who killed himself upon learning of his wife's infidelity with a Chinese official. Lynne Sue Moon gives a poignant performance as an oriental 12-year-old whose American father, an army captain, is killed in battle. Flora Robson appears strikingly authentic as the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi whose sympathies lie with the outlaws. Jack Hildyard's cinematography is excellent, particularly in getting on the big screen the savage attack scenes which take up the major part of the picture. Dimitri Tiomkin provides engaging music. (V)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
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