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55 Days at Peking

55 Days at Peking

History · War · Drama · 1963

Diplomats, soldiers and other representatives of a dozen nations fend off the siege of the International Compound in Peking during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. The disparate interests unite for survival despite competing factions, overwhelming odds, delayed relief and tacit support of the Boxers by the Empress of China and her generals.

Movie details

55 Days at Peking

“A handful of men and women held out against the frenzied hordes of bloodthirsty fanatics!”

1963 History · War · Drama 2h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

Diplomats, soldiers and other representatives of a dozen nations fend off the siege of the International Compound in Peking during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion. The disparate interests unite for survival despite competing factions, overwhelming odds, delayed relief and tacit support of the Boxers by the Empress of China and her generals.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over 55 Days at Peking?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nicholas Ray

Written by

Bernard Gordon · Philip Yordan

Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston

Maj. Matt Lewis

Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner

Baroness Natalie Ivanoff

David Niven

David Niven

Sir Arthur Robertson

Flora Robson

Flora Robson

Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi

John Ireland

John Ireland

Sgt. Harry

Harry Andrews

Harry Andrews

Father de Bearn

Leo Genn

Leo Genn

Gen. Jung-Lu

Court is in session

Put 55 Days at Peking on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.