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Khartoum Page #6
- APPROVED
- Year:
- 1966
- 128 min
- 606 Views
confirm or deny...
Gordon's total disobedience?
- It confirms it.
- It's blackmail!
A man... one man...
in the middle of Africa...
is blackmailing
the British government...
into a course of action...
it wouldn't otherwise
choose to take.
I don't agree, sir.
You don't agree?
Is it really blackmail
when one man...
a long way off
calls to you and says...
"Allow these tens of thousands
of human beings...
"to be slaughtered,
if you will.
"It's your decision.
But allow me the privilege...
"of being slaughtered
with them"?
You see, sir, if Khartoum
is allowed to die...
then Gordon will die with it.
It may be blackmail...
and if it is,
then I'm for blackmail.
Send in Lord Wolseley.
When I think how history
will record someday...
that the decisions
of an empire were made only...
by greedy businessmen,
scheming generals...
and conniving politicians...
It's up the Nile for you,
Wolseley.
Up the Nile to save
one stubborn madman.
But let me tell you,
if you do a Billy Hicks on me...
if you take a British army
into central Africa...
and present me with
any portion of a disaster...
then don't come back.
Am I clear?
You are clear.
Colonel Stewart,
inform your General Gordon...
that a British army
will be sailing...
as quickly as possible
for Cairo.
Thank you, sir.
Sir.
Khaleel.
Get me Colonel Stewart's man,
Khaleel.
Sir.
We didn't want
to come to the palace.
This is informal,
but it's serious.
General, people are afraid.
They have a right to be.
Why the hysteria?
What we're short of isn't food.
It's hope.
Power, you're English.
You know the government...
how long they take
to make decisions.
You all know how many weeks
it is to London...
how many weeks back.
before we have word.
I'm an old friend,
you believe me.
I tell you, in the bazaars,
I hear things.
It isn't good.
What am I supposed to give them,
promises I can't keep?
Tell them lies
to keep up morale?
Maybe small lies. Just a few.
Little ones?
Khaleel!
Yes, master? Good morning.
It is such a pleasant thing to...
Khaleel,
what are you doing here?
Where is Colonel Stewart?
Yes, master, I do not know.
But as I was saying,
that little place, Debba...
by the river,
is the most boring place...
- Khaleel!
- I'm to be home.
Yes, the Major Kitchener
sends his greetings.
Most interesting man,
the Major Kitchener.
It's Stewart.
He's sailed from England...
with Wolseley and 7,000 men!
They're coming!
The British are coming!
I do not have the ingredient
here, Gordon Pasha...
but if you will come back
to the palace...
I will make you a B & S.
Squad, attention!
Stand the camels.
Mount!
You... did you come here
on holiday?
You think you've come
to Egypt on leave?
Look at those buttons... filthy.
Look at this. Disgraceful.
You there, stand up.
I don't say
it isn't necessary, sir...
but we've been in Egypt
for six weeks now...
and the Nile is falling.
What I feel I must point out...
is that the fall of the Nile
in Khartoum...
comes two months earlier
than here in Cairo.
And that when the Nile
has fallen sufficiently...
Khartoum will be defenseless.
Thank you, Colonel Stewart.
But you know as well as I do...
that men who have not been
fully conditioned...
to the tropical climate
simply cannot fight.
They'll die... by the platoons,
by the company.
I agree, sir,
but couldn't you send ahead...
a detachment
of your best-conditioned men?
No, Stewart.
I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
Don't be too hard on Wolseley.
You haven't seen
his instructions yet.
I was there.
He's to relieve Khartoum.
Colonel, I've seen the orders.
He's to bring out Gordon.
There's no mention of Khartoum.
Wolseley knows.
He's to proceed up the Nile
as slowly as possible.
He'll move up to Wadi Halfa
shortly, yes, but he knows.
He's to give Gordon every
chance at the last minute...
to come out by his own choice.
But Gordon won't come out.
You know it.
I now know it.
I'm sure
They've been friends always.
That's why I say...
don't be too hard on him.
It's the government
that's unconvinced.
I can well understand why you
haven't told me this before.
Why do you tell me now?
Because it's on the cards,
Colonel...
that this expedition
will be too late.
Gordon should come out.
There's no one to tell him
but you.
Didn't he say where
they're mounting them?
He does not know, Excellency.
He saw the guns arriving,
that is all.
You were Gladstone's gesture
last year.
This year, it's Wolseley.
Sir, I failed.
I thought
I'd made it clear to them...
that you'd never come out.
- I didn't.
- You probably did.
Gladstone's a gambler.
He's gambling.
No, they all think
you should come out.
So do I.
Sir...
what's the absolute limit
of time we can hold out here?
I don't know.
The Mahdi's brought up the guns
he captured from Hicks.
That means he'll start
a bombardment.
- How low is the ditch?
- It's low.
And the news'll be
all over town by morning...
the steamer arrived and no army.
There'll be a panic.
Sir, you haven't got a chance.
I haven't got a choice.
If Wolseley's orders are to save
only me and not Khartoum...
I'm left with no choice.
How could I leave? Tell me.
What purpose is served
if Wolseley's too late...
and Mahdi attacks?
There are worse ways to die.
Many.
That's the essence of it,
I suppose.
Every man has a final weapon...
his life... and if he's
afraid of losing it...
That's what they
can't quite grasp...
that I'm not really afraid.
And that's what they must
understand, isn't it?
No one can make them
understand it except me.
You must be tired.
Meet me at the dock
tomorrow, early.
Good night.
Good night, sir.
To get her through the blockade,
we'll have to armor the rail...
set up troop guns here,
another one up forward.
behind in a couple of luggers.
I want every European
in Khartoum on this boat...
the wives, children,
counsels, too...
Frank Power and Herbin...
you can stack on board.
You must get them all out.
You mean I go with them,
and you stay here?
Khartoum is my problem.
is yours.
How else can I convince London
that I will not leave?
But you'll be completely alone.
It's a gesture.
Come, little lady.
We'll take you back home.
Mr. Gladstone must understand...
that I am capable
of gestures, too.
Hassan!
I don't ask you to be unafraid,
simply to act unafraid.
How are you going
to handle Khartoum...
when the word gets around
that we're gone?
How are you going
to handle Berber...
if Mohammed al Khalia
has heavy guns?
We sink.
We'll both take our chances.
There are several letters
in here...
appeals to Her Majesty
the Queen, the Pope in Rome...
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"Khartoum" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Aug. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/khartoum_11698>.
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