AllMovie

A lawmen who is sworn to bring a rebel to justice finds himself developing a great respect and admiration for his quarry in this period drama. In the 1920s, the British Raj still rule India, and Freddy Young (Trevor Howard) is a English police officer whose duty is to keep order among the native Bhantas. While Young believes in his heart that the people of India should be free to determine their own political destiny, he is forced by his occupation to uphold British law. However, not all the Bhantas willingly follow the commands of the British, and Sultan (Yul Brynner) is an Indian determined to lead his people to freedom from colonial tyranny. Young is instructed to find and capture Sultan, but while his superiors indicate that they would not be upset if Sultan were to meet with an accident, Young is impressed by the courage and intelligence of his adversary, and he is determined to bring him back alive. Young eventually infiltrates Sultan's camp and pleads with the leader to give himself up before more bloodthirsty British forces storm his compound. The Long Duel's supporting cast includes Edward Fox and Charlotte Rampling, in roles that predated their rise to stardom.