Movies

An epic about the Boxer rebellion from 1963. During the early part of the 20th century, different countries had established embassies in China but when the Empress decides to rid the mainland of the foreign devils, the said embassies' defenses have to band together to fend off the onslaught. Starring Charlton Heston, David Niven & Ava Gardner & directed by Nicholas Ray (who physically had to be whisked from the set due to the pressures of the shoot) does what he can in a genre he was most uncomfortable in & it shows since this material would've been better suited for those in tune w/the spectacle (David Lean, maybe Anthony Mann). Another pet peeve is the annoying casting of non-Asian actors in Asian parts (ScarJo this means you!) which takes away from the reality of the interactions between the characters on screen.

Others have used a fine comb to go over the plot details so I needn't repeat it here. Quite simply, this is an action movie intended to entertain, not educate as some would prefer. One needn't look for drop-by-drop authenticity since purportedly they didn't use a speck of African soil when filming "Casablanca" either, although no one would ever guess it.I was surprised to note Flora Robson as the Dowager Empress as I felt sure it must have been Gale Sondergaard, being her kind of role. There's a superb cast and well-moving script, some of the mannerisms were overdone but then that's what acting is about at times. It's good entertainment and deserves more than one viewing to absorb it entirely.