由查尔登·海斯顿 艾娃·加德纳 大卫·尼文 弗劳拉·罗博森主演,1963年欧美地区发行。影片讲述的是1900年北京,慈禧太后当权、中国领土四分五裂。端亲王力主出兵,并派义和团围困外国使馆,当千军万马兵临城下之际,美国军官义无反顾,率领各国联军作困兽之斗,终于扭转命运,杀出重围。 1900年慈禧统治下的中国,当时正是列强割据时代,在签署各项不平等条约下,民不聊生,到处闹饥荒,终于爆发了义和团之乱。端亲王欲藉义和团之手将列强赶出中国,便不断杀害传教士与外侨。以英国公使亚瑟为首的外侨为避免战争爆发决定留守北京,但在端亲王的错误指使下,冲突越闹越大,结果导致外强藉此入侵中国。清廷战败便以割地赔款来换得一丝喘息之机,却导致国家的加速灭亡。 《北京55天》摄于西班牙,由于拍摄需要数千名中国演员,电影公司从西班牙全国各地几乎把能找到的中国人都拉来拍戏了。因为参观员工都被电影公司所雇佣,电影拍摄期间西班牙全国的中国餐馆几乎都关闭。电影因为题材敏感,后来一直禁止在香港上映,直到1980年代后期。 55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical epic film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and David Niven, made by Samuel Bronston Productions, and released by Allied Artists. The movie was produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Nicholas Ray, Andrew Marton (credited as second unit director), and Guy Green (uncredited). The screenplay was written by Philip Yordan, Bernard Gordon, Ben Barzman, and Robert Hamer, the music score was written by Dimitri Tiomkin, and the cinematographer was Jack Hildyard. In addition to directing, Nicholas Ray plays the minor role of the head of the American diplomatic mission in China. This film is also the first known appearance of future martial arts film star Yuen Siu Tien. Japanese film director Juzo Itami, credited in the film as "Ichizo Itami", appears as Colonel Goro Shiba. Plot 55 Days in Peking is a dramatization of the siege of the foreign legations' compounds in Peking (now Beijing) during the Boxer Rebellion which took place in 1900 China. It is based on the book by Noel Gerson. In the early years of the 20th century, Peking is an open city with the Chinese and several European countries vie for control. The Boxers, who oppose Christianity are agitating against the foreigners and the western powers who still exercised complete sovereignty over their compounds and their citizens. The head of the US military garrison is Maj. Matt Lewis, USMC (Charlton Heston), an experienced China hand who knows local conditions well. The political situation is tense with the Boxers having the tacit approval of the Dowager Empress (Flora Robson). Fed up with foreign encroachment, the Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi uses the Boxer secret societies to attack foreigners within China, leading to the siege and subsequent direct intervention by foreign expeditionary forces which were dispatched to put down the rebellion. The film concentrates on the defense of the legations from the point of view of the foreign powers, and the title refers to the length of the defense by the colonial powers of the legations district of Peking. The foreign embassies in Peking are being held in a grip of terror as the Boxers set about killing Christians in an anti-Christian nationalistic fever. United States Marine Corps Major Matt Lewis heads a contingent of multinational soldiers and Marines defending the foreign compound in Peking. When the Boxers attack the foreigners, Maj. Lewis, working with the senior officer from the British Embassy, Sir Arthur Robinson (David Niven), tries to keep them at bay pending the arrival of a relief force. Inside the besieged compound, the British ambassador gathers the beleaguered ambassadors into a defensive formation. Included in the group of high-level dignitaries is the sultry Russian Baroness Natalie Ivanoff (Ava Gardner), who begins a romantic liaison with Lewis. As the group conserves food and water while trying to save hungry children, it awaits reinforcements, but Empress Tzu Hsi is plotting with the Boxers to break the siege at the compound with the aid of Chinese troops. Eventually, the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance arrive to put down the rebellion, and relieve the siege of the foreign compounds following the Battle of Peking. These events foreshadowed the coming demise of the Qing Dynasty, which had ruled China for two and one-half centuries.