The American war film 55 Days at Peking (1963) is a retelling of the siege of foreigners in Beijing (Peking), China, during the Boxer Rebellion. The film represents the epic moviemaking that characterized the golden age of Hollywood.
The film is set during the 1900 uprising, in which Chinese nationals sought to drive out foreigners whom they believed were undermining the country’s independence. The Empress Dowager Tz’u-hsi (also called Cixi; played by Flora Robson) and her chief adviser, Prince Tuan (played by Robert Helpmann), are the main instigators of the Boxers—members of a secret society known as the Yihequan—who lead the fighting. The political representatives of 11 countries are living in a compound within Beijing but are hopelessly outgunned by the Boxers. Nevertheless, the British representative, Sir Arthur Robertson (played by David Niven), persuades the others to stand firm and resist until reinforcements can arrive. With the help of U.S. Major Matt Lewis (played by Charlton Heston), Robertson organizes an impressive defense. The inhabitants of the compound fiercely resist the Boxer onslaughts, but their manpower, supplies, and ammunition dwindle to alarming levels. On the 55th day of the siege, however, reinforcements from many countries arrive and drive the Boxers out of Beijing, thus saving the international compound.
The film’s battle sequences are stunning in their scope, and Beijing was re-created in elaborate and enormous sets. Although these features drew much praise, they drove up production costs and contributed to the film’s losing money despite its success at the box office. In addition, director Nicholas Ray was unable to finish the film because of health issues, and Andrew Marton and Guy Green completed the movie. A first-rate cast is marred only by the use of Western actors as Asian characters.