Directed by Basil Dearden and written by Robert Ardrey, Khartoum (1966) is a historical epic detailing British General Charles Gordon's (Charlton Heston) 19th-century mission to Sudan to confront Muhammad Ahmad (Laurence Olivier), a leader known as the Mahdi. This large-scale, all-star action-adventure, featuring notable performances from Heston, Olivier, and Ralph Richardson as Prime Minister Gladstone, depicts the political intrigue and military conflict of the era.