Such a frustrating disappointment

Good movie but grossly overrated

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Seeing the movie in 21 century, at first glance the production seems to be very good considering there was no CG at the time so they had to construct the whole stage. They did a good job as other epics of the same period but the positive aspect of the movie ends there.Aside from the fact that we see obvious white actors poorly made up to look like Chinese, the screenplay lacks the slightest dramatic factor to incite any emotion in audience as a result, watching this long movie to the end in one session would be a torture! Obviously Matt Lewis (Heston) is the hero but what's likely about him besides being played by Charlton Heston? Nothing. He is an American marine who is where he shouldn't be and is defending a wrong cause. They are occupational forces who humiliated Chinese and try to extend their influence in their land. So what's likely about about him? What's the difference between him and a WWII Wermacht major in Russia? I guess the difference is winning and losing otherwise there is no difference in action. The loser would be evilized and the winner would be patronized but at the end, there is no difference between them. The support would be Arthur Robertson (Niven) who's rudely after realizing the imperialist agenda of British Government and since the movie is from British point of view, he leads the pack of other diplomats. The love is Baroness Ivanoff (Gardner) which her cheesy affair with Lewis is flat and boring as there is no chemistry between them.It was tried to depict the Boxer Rebellion at the dawn of 20th century on big screen. They failed to deliver an epic valuable work as the story was conceived on grossly arrogant and misleading British point of view. It could be tolerable to some degree if there was a good underlying love story which never was.It was a awful movie, not only it failed to faithfully picture the Boxer Rebellion but it is extremely boring and worst that it is an insult to Chinese people. Where they Killed thousands of Boxers but when a captain got shot, Lewis in the field hospital says "What are we doing here? Was it worth it?" or something like that as all those Chinese were dogs and the lost life of a captain was of great value. Really disgusting movie.

Wonderful action epic from 1963 starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner and the cast of thousands as they say.Based on a real siege during the"Boxer rebellion"from 1899 to 1901 in which China attempted to force the occupying Imperialist powers out,its a stirring action film that takes great pains not to politicize the time or pass judgement.Rather the film tells the classic old chestnut of love and loss set against the backdrop of war.What makes the film relevant today is the mere mention of historical events that seem long forgotten but shouldn't be.How many youngsters even know Beijing was once known as Peking or that the US had a presence there so many years ago?? Now at that larger than life actor Heston,and well sit back and enjoy.The only flaw is the old Hollywood prejudice against casting Asian's actors in leading roles.A film about China without Asian actors in key roles is laughable at times.

Heston, Gardner and Niven star in film about China's historic Boxer Rebellion and the subsequent siege of the foreign legation section of Peking (now Beijing). Filmed in an era when Hollywood was awash in epics, the most successful of which was the previous year's Lawrence of Arabia, the movie seeks to add human drama to a tragic time in the intersection of Western Colonialism and Chinese history. Epics were conspicuous in Hollywood fare for nearly another 10 years, but this one is quite mediocre, at best. Naturally, the story is told mostly from the view of Western colonialists, and conveniently omits some of the savagery that accompanied the Western 8-nation relief force, which included murder, rape and pillaging. This is not to excuse the Boxers themselves, who were also very brutal, but there were atrocities on both sides. The fictional human drama of the story tries to capture passion, romance and tragedy, but it falls flat, with no chemistry between Heston and Gardner. Heston is particularly wooden in his romantic performance. There is also a peculiar plot element added, that of a pretty young Chinese child who seems mysteriously drawn to the strong, wooden soldier Heston, but no real connection between her and the Western military man is ever satisfactorily established. Niven and several other characters seem to exist merely to give the story an international flair. The Chinese are not cast in a favorable light, though it was the Chinese who bore the brunt of Boxer savagery. The Dowager Empress, Cixi, is portrayed by a Western actress--typical of that era of film making--and is calculating and cruel. Some of the "Chinese" music and singing we hear in the film sounds more like the contrived chants from an Indiana Jones movie, to induce, one assumes, a more "exotic" mood. The Chinese generally in the movie have a role not substantially different from that of the Indians in your typical 1950's or 60's wild-west movie. Any attempt to give a realistic depiction of the historical complexity of this event were sacrificed in favor of clichéd Hollywood drama.

In 1900 Beijing (as Peking), wicked Chinese people are murdering Christians and white people. Many good citizens of the world gather to make the land safe for women, children and kind foreigners. Leading the charge is American epic hero Charlton Heston (as Matt Lewis), who rides in tall on his horse. Romance for Mr. Heston is provided by Russian Baroness Ava Gardner (as Natalie Ivanoff), looking like a movie star returning to the screen in full diva mode. But beautiful young Lynne Sue Moon (as Teresa) gives Heston his best moments. Ambassadors of good will from France, Germany and other concerned countries are also present; dependable David Niven (as Arthur Robinson) represents the British...The strengths in producer Samuel Bronston's "55 Days at Peking" are found in the wide-screen scenes, directed by Nicholas Ray and his replacements; their battle sequences are especially exciting. The story is laughable, though, with the three big stars essaying their typical characterizations. While not exactly Asian (casting no surprise), regal dowager Flora Robson (as Tzu-Hsi) and princely Robert Helpmann (as Tuan) are more impressive. In what looks like thousands and thousands of actors, what stands out the most are Kurt Kasznar's sideburns. If you last for the film's entire running time, you'll hear Andy Williams sing the film's ironic theme song "So Little Time" which peaked at #115 on the Billboard record charts...***** 55 Days at Peking (5/29/63) Nicholas Ray ~ Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, David Niven, Flora Robson