Arabian Nights
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Movie Reviews of Arabian Nights
Movie Review: Some of the greatest stories ever told.
Summary: 5 Stars
The caliph has issues. His previous wife plotted with his brother to overthrow him, driving him to the brink of insanity. The law decrees that he must take another wife to keep his throne, yet now he completely mistrusts women. His intention is to comply with the law then have the wife executed after one night.
So, he marries the beautiful Scheherazade, whose only only hope of avoiding execution is to tell stories, and hook the kings curiosity.
So begins her deadly nightly flirtation with death, and she entrances the king with healing stories which may have something to do with his real life, stories which have now become legend of the 1001 nights. Stories scuh as Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. Who can forget the infamous, 'Open Sesame' password which reveals all the treasure. Yet the real saving grace is Ali Baba's wife Morgiana who spots the dangerous bandits, and saves Ali Baba, providing an example of a loving and faithful wife, and helping bit by bit to dissolve the king's rage and restore his faith in women.
In this almost three hour movie, we also also Aladdin and the magic lamp, and other stories. John Leguizamo gives the performance of the movie as the sarcastic genie of the lamp. I enjoyed Alexei Sayle as the hunchback jester BacPac, and the story of the lowly drunk who looked like the Caliph and wanted to be the sultan, and the magic carpet story. Excellent performances by Dougray Scott, and Milli Avital in the lead roles, and Rufus Sewell as Aladdin. I definitely prefer this the earlier Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics) starring Sabu which focused on only one story, yet is also worth seeing.
Amazing stories. Amazing movie. Given the price and the quality you cannot go wrong. I also highly recommend Thief of Bagdad (1940) starring Sabu, recommended by Roger Ebert, a film adored by accomplished directors such as Scorsese, Lucas, and Coppola. [...]
Movie Review: The plot is simple, but the resulting story is great...
Summary: 5 Stars
"Arabian nights" is a Hallmark mini-series based on the popular book "A thousand and one nights". Truth to be told, I enjoyed this dvd enormously, and I think many of you will like it too.
For those who haven't read any of the versions of "A thousand and one nights" yet, the plot is simple but the resulting story that the spectator can enjoy is great. A Sultan (Dougray Scott) discovers that his wife betrays him with his brother, and kills her. Hurt and almost mad, the Sultan says that he will wed again but declares that he will marry a new bride everyday, killing her the next morning so she won't betray him too. His first chosen bride is the daughter of his main advisor, Scheherazade (Mili Avital), a woman who loves him and that will try to keep herself and the other women in the palace alive, as well as make the Sultan fall in love with her. In order to do so, Scheherazade begins to tell him a story during their first night together, engaging the Sultan so much in it that the next day he postpones her execution.
And that continues for a long time, every night and with different and enchanting stories, that the director (Steve Barron) somehow manages to show to the spectator, mixed almost seamlessly with the main story. Among other tales, you will be treated to wonderful versions of "Ali Baba and the forty thieves" and "Aladdin and the magic lamp".
Of course, you will wonder how this story finishes, and what happens with the Sultan and Scheherazade. But for that, unfortunately (or fortunately?), you will have to watch this movie, or buy a good version of "A thousand and one nights". In my opinion, doing those two things one after the other would be an excellent idea. The reason for that is that even though the book and the filmic version of it that this dvd contains are quite different, they are both extremely good. Highly recommended!
Belen Alcat
Movie Review: FANTASTIC TALE OF FANTASY AND HISTORY
Summary: 5 Stars
People Need Stories More Than Bread Itself--Show Us How to Live
I originally bought this video because of the tie-in to a writing exercise that I was doing. Sheherazade marries the Sultan Schahriar, because she loved him even as a child. She becomes the storyteller, and that is the message I wanted to send to the students; that the simplest thing can become an opening for a writing. Sheherazade sees a beetle walking across the floor, and the next thing you know she comes up with the evil thief bearing a tattoo of a beetle.... and her creative imagination transforms into a fascinating tale.
I did not see the originally presented mini-series on cable, but now I wished that I had. The video is just extraordinary.
John Leguizamo is quite captivating as his role as the genie of the lamp, but also as well as the ring genie. I have seen him in dramatic roles, and could barely recognize the comical side of him. The introduction of the genie of the lamp and his relationship with the possible "blood relative" of his counter ego ring genie was so well done, I could not help myself watching it over and over. He is a genie and could stop the rain in an instant, but he pulls out a wrench from his "pocket" to turn off the rain.
The special effects are spell bounding - and would be thought preserved solely for big-screen. I think the settings are nothing short of exquisite, and allow you to be transported visually to another time and place.
If some night you feel the need to escape the overwhelming stresses of reality and daily life, I recommend this for both its insights, messages, and its splendor.
Movie Review: Captivating beautiful show
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie is almost 3 hours long (in DVD version). It is really capturing your attention from scene one till the end keeping you hooked all time long.
The obvious pluses are:
1) Incredible scnenery, great acting and very expensive set design.
2) Intention for viewers of all ages groups, so it's safe to be recommended for family and kids.
3# Impeckable authenticity of ethnic and cultural presentation in places where movie was chosen to be shot #Chinese part looks exactly like historical China of chosen time in all features, Syria looks like Syria, stc.).
The obvious minuses are:
1) Quite distant depiction from the authentic "1001 nights" stories, which might lead the unexperienced audience in a wrong direction about the actual classical story lines (Al ad-Din never was a Chinese thief and the whole story can't possibly be happening in China since "1001 Nights" embraces only Arabic realm; Kasym, the brother of Ali Baba, did not live with him in the same house and Ali Baba, besides his servant, had a wife; etc).
2) Vanessa Mae as a Chinese princess is an obvious commercial trick based on her popularity in pop-music in the year when movie was made: as for starring she is very poor choice both by appearance and by acting.
3) Arabian epic in reality is one of exteremly erotic examples of classical literature, while the movie is so God Damm innocent that one could preach watching it.
Overall I would certainly recommend obtaining this film for your home collection, provided you don't take everything you see as the actual "1001 Nights" epic.
Movie Review: Recreates well the atmosphere of Silk Road life
Summary: 5 Stars
Having trod many a dusty path across lots of (old quarter) Silk Road cities and landscapes from Middle China to the Middle East, this Hallmark film really (and unexpectedly) receives my 5 stars without hesitation (both for adults'! and children's viewing alike).
It primarily conveys to me a genuine feeling of bygone settlements in this vast region (allowing for the romance of storytelling then and now - the original storybook itself is the result of "hand-traded tales" over centuries from one caravanserai to the next, becoming contorted and glorious as storytellers added their unique cultural bits...), has great costumes and quite a few scenic landscapes (-rather than tacky Hollywood studio "sets"), gripping and comedic plots, convincing actors (-more in British English language style, my preferred), an intriguing and enjoyable cast of characters and a quality of acting certainly above any normal children's film (way ahead of the usual mass market Disney outpourings). The dramatic storytelling keeps you hooked - children under 10 may find some scenes a little emotive initially to handle - and the entire DVD is deliciously long, to be savoured over several (albeit not 1001) nights. All in all a rare film indeed, worthy of its namesake and a remarkable achievement by Hallmark.
I bought it several years ago after a hard search and it is timeless - to be enjoyed repeatedly. It is a wonder it is this cheap and well worth keeping in one's archives.