Sunday, 7 October 2012

Peking into Chinese history


55 Days at Peking (1963)

Directed by Nicholas Ray this film stars Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven. During the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 international diplomats are besieged in the Chinese capital.

As a spectacle this film has some great sets, locations and impressive battle sequences which form the back drop for the story. Despite being based on real events the characters are largely fictional, replacing real people to give a story that fits the studio. When it comes to the question of imperialism and outside influence in China the film tends to leave the morals of the situation somewhat forgotten.

3/5

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