Based on the classic 'Thousand and one nights' with Scheherazade (Milli Avital) trying to hold off her execution at the order of her new husband, the Sultain Schahriar (Dougray Scott), driven to the point of madness with grief and betrayal, by getting him enthralled in a whole series of tales.
Steve ... Read review
Steeped in history Morocco is a kingdom of rich textures aromatic spices and magical ... more
beliefs set against a canvas of vibrant cultural colour - a bridge between the Orient and the Occident separated from Europe by only 8 miles of water. Arriving there can be like stepping into the world of A Thousand and One Nights: a place ruled by ancient codes of honour duty chivalry respect - values that have been handed down over the millennia from generation to generation through the telling of stories. Long fascinated by this Tahir Shah explores his adoptive country in a way that has never been done before: observing it from the inside out through its ancient use of stories as a teaching tool. Journeying from Casablanca to the tourist hot spot of Marrakech and the holy city of Fez from Tangier in the north to Ouarzazate and on south into the Sahara the author goes in search of Morocco's stories and along the way meets a host of remarkable characters and is left wondering whether we in the West might yet be able to reconnect with the wisdom this tradition and these tales have to offer. Always entertaining and eloquent Shah shines fresh and original light on this ancient vital part of the world.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Lavish sets, lovely scenery, a great and CLASSIC story Disadvantages: Someone told Vanessa Mae that she could act... They were wrong
Based on the classic 'Thousand and one nights' with Scheherazade (Milli Avital) trying to hold off her execution at the order of her new husband, the Sultain Schahriar (Dougray Scott), driven to the point of madness with grief and betrayal, by getting him enthralled in a whole series of tales.
Steve Barron directs us through, not just the main 'reality' of her plight, but also several of the tales. 'Alibaba and the 40 thieves' and ... more
Based on the classic 'Thousand and one nights' with Scheherazade (Milli Avital) trying to hold off her execution at the order of her new husband, the Sultain Schahriar (Dougray Scott), driven to the point of madness with grief and betrayal, by getting him enthralled in a whole series of tales.
Steve Barron directs us through, not just the main 'reality' of her plight, but also several of the tales. 'Alibaba and the 40 thieves' and 'Aladdin and the Lamp' being the most well known.
The budget, cast, crew, special effects involved in the whole thing is huge. Basicaly four times greater than most films of this nature, each main story being treated as a seperate entity, but meshed with great skill into a breathtaking escapist adventure.
Advantages: Great for action adventure and romance Disadvantages: May be a bit too long for some people
A swashbuckling fairytale of heroes, genies and fantastical creatures. The main story centres around Scherherazade played by Mili Avital who marries the sultan played by Dougray Scott who is bitter and vengeful against all women since his wife cheated on him with his brother.
The sultan decides that the woman he marries will be murdered the next day after the wedding night and Scherherazade who loves him volunteers to be the bride both to save her ... ...Sultan and believes she can turn him from his vengeful ways. To do this Scherherazade has to distract the Sultan each night with fantastical tales that then have their own full stories within the film.
The first tale is of Ali Baba played by Rufus Sewell and how Ali Baba discovers a theives den full of riches and decides to steal it and the consequences that he and his brother have to pay for that. The second tale is a humourous tale of a court ...
Merced 09.06.2007
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Advantages: The somewhat different interpretations of a familiar story? Disadvantages: ?might disturb us at first.
The ArabianNights (1974)
(The more accurate translation is: The Flower of the One Thousand and One Nights)
►►►main menu◄◄◄
1. Play film
2. Select chapter
3. Also available: other films by the same director that are available on DVD.
4. Director?s biography
5. Weblink: www.bfi.org.uk
►►►language◄◄◄
Italian with English subtitles. AND some songs, prayers, writings are in Arabic, but these are not translated.
►►►running time◄◄◄
125 minutes.
►►►location◄◄◄
It is filmed in Nepal, Yemen, Iran and Eritrea.
►►►chapter division◄◄◄
1. Titles
2. Lady of Moons
3. Zumarud reads a story
4. Nuradin?s search
5. Crowned King
6. The Dream ...
Advantages: World class production, singers Disadvantages: None
live performances at the Kleines Festspielhaus in Salzburg, but extraneous audience noise is nowhere to be heard, which is a huge plus. The opera is sung in German and there are English subtitles if required.
The production by Dieter Dorn is particularly well done in that one is left to concentrate on the characters, scenery is sparse yet makes an impact when present and the costumes vividly accentuate the characters. Converting a stage impression to TV is an immensely difficult task and it helps that Brian Large is the director, he does a great job. One of the joys of this DVD is the stunning lighting which conveys everything from a hot humid Arabiannight to the lifeless desert.
Henze has said that this will be his last opera, and if that is true I think it will be a huge shame, because his mastery of the orchestra and voice ...
A collection of magical tales and high adventure based on Sir Richard Burton's translation of 'The Thousand And One Nights'. Special effects from Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WARNER VISION INTERNATIONAL; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date
27/09/2004
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
8573 82283 2
Barcode
0685738228324
Languages
Main Language
English
DVD Description
A cold-blooded Sultan (Scott) enacts a declaration to avenge his unfaithful wife by beheading the women of his empire. However, the beautiful and clever Scheherezade (Avital) is one woman with a plan to save the people of her beloved kingdom. She tantalizes the Sultan with courageous tales of magical heroes--such as Aladdin and Ali Baba--for 1,001 nights. An action-packed adventure filled with dazzling special effects from the producers of the hit television mini-series MERLIN.
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