External Reviews Nicole Kidman gives a brilliant performance, Beautiful film, amazing story, brilliant acting, Movies About Scientists, Engineers, Doctors, Researchers, Inventors, Explorers and People who do Amazing Things. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) - Reviews & Comments. Queen of the Desert might be Herzog's most brilliant film to date. obstacle Bell encounters melts too quickly in the face of her wit and intelligence. It’s seen in the marketing of brands, the recently erected bronze “Fearless Girl” statue in Wall Street, and explored in recent works like "Big Little Lies." Berlin Film Review: ‘Queen of the Desert’ Nicole Kidman plays the explorer Gertrude Lowthian Bell in Werner Herzog's compelling but dramatically underpowered epic. The cinematic dumping of Queen of the Desert continues the outrageous erasure of Gertrude Bell from pop-culture consciousness. Awards The story begins in 1898 as Bell (played by Nicole Kidman) rankles her parents with desires of exploring the world and challenging herself intellectually instead of finding the appropriate suitor. It takes more than a sweeping score, beautiful cinematography, and drawn out narrative to make an engaging star vehicle. The narrative tracks her life and travels leading up to her collaboration with Winston Churchill (Christopher Fulford) in mapping the borders of Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Queen Of The Desert Review Great performances and that Werner Herzog flare make for a well-made biography. She’s a vision of perfection. And praising the cast added that "(Pattinson, out of all) of the actors not overwhelmed by the heavy sense" and "(Lewis) who handles the role of the married consul, whose amused admiration for Bell … At one point Bell says in voiceover, “For the first time in my life I know who I am.” The film opens with a young Gertrude Bell (Nicole Kidman) as a young debutante in Victorian England. She's received an excellent education at Oxford, and while her parents want her to marry, she'd rather see the world. Queen Of The Desert is a biographical drama released internationally in 2015 and finally the United States in 2017 about the life of a British woman explorer in the early years of the 20th century. | The legendary German director is never able to find the right balance between the romantic melodrama and the sweeping historical drama making Queen of the Desert one of his weaker efforts. For a movie with so much heart, "Queen of the Desert" is a remarkably bloodless enterprise. I wish more people were able to appreciate beauty. Along the way you'll also run into a gritty dropout Lawrence of Arabia who comes on like a skateboarder in drag and a bungling caricature of Winston Churchill falling all over himself as he attempts to mount a camel worried mainly about his lit cigar that got dumped in the process. Having worked in Saudi Arabia, I was really looking forward to this film. | It was as though Werner Herzog had suddenly become a pupil of Josh Boone, which is like Mozart taking lessons from Justin Bieber. QUEEN Of THE DESERT, In Competition at Berlin 2015, A chronicle of Gertrude Bell's life, a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century. If anything, it makes her seem like even more of cipher. Bell also has a lovely (and blessedly platonic) rapport with colleague, T.E. Times, Vulture, The Atlantic, and The Village Voice. The decision to focus on Bell’s romantic life as the core of the story could be more worthwhile if any characters had a psychological richness to them. It was unheard of and yet she did it. Nicole is not Lawrence. Apparently, when her nanny tried to put her in a dress she pushed the woman away and proudly exclaimed “On my own!” Bell is quickly established as an impetuous, headstrong, and intelligent woman, disregarding social mores at every turn. She went on to scale the Matterhorn in 1904. Whenever he wasn’t onscreen I forgot he was in the film altogether. It’s a worthwhile subject matter to explore. She described her experience in one of her letters, according to A Woman in Arabia: The Writings of the Queen of the Desert. Metacritic Reviews. Every obstacle Bell encounters melts too quickly in the face of her wit and intelligence. Instead I was left with questions. It’s, seen in the marketing of brands, the recently erected bronze “Fearless Girl”, statue in Wall Street, and explored in recent works like ", This gives Bell’s struggle between her own desires and social constraints a timely, quality. It’s clear Herzog is trying to craft “Queen of the Desert” within the lineage of the traditional star vehicle. Kinski loathed Herzog. In QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Gertrude Bell (Nicole Kidman) lives in England near the turn of the 20th century. The acting was hackneyed and Nicole Kidman, though trying very hard, was totally unconvincing. Movie Reviews TV Reviews Roundtables Podcasts 'Queen of the Desert': Berlin Review ... Queen of the Desert is a pedestrian retelling of an extraordinary life, more often starchy than stirring. Werner Herzog's Queen of the Desert is the least Herzogian film of his career. The dynamic he develops with Kidman is neither a convincing portrait of passion nor an evocation of two intellectual equals coming together. But it is not a work of genius--not because it isn't great but because Herzog failed to dumb it down for average movie-going audiences. This gives Bell’s struggle between her own desires and social constraints a timely quality. It is timely, beautiful, and relevant. Rated PG-13 That this love story, which consumes much of the beginning of the film, is meant to be a crucial part of Bell’s characterization is laughable. The main drawback of the film is the first love story which really drags. But instead of heightening Kidman’s qualities—her luminescence, chilliness, and finely wrought emotional intelligence—“Queen of the Desert” flattens these traits. I’d rather further explore Bell’s inquisitiveness than watch Kidman try (and fail) to convince us that she’s in enamored with James Franco, who plays the first love interest Henry Cadogan. More than anything they require a strong personality and point of view from both director and star, which is regrettably in short supply here. Lots of desert scenes which seemed more Hollywood cute than a sweaty gritty actual depiction. You've heard heard of "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle": Now meet "Gertie, Queen of the Desert" as portrayed by an ever lovely and delicate Nicole Kidman in Werner Herzog's epic sandy biopic of English aristocrat Gertrude Bell, who became a sort of female Lawrence of Arabia when she was enthralled by the purity of the way of life of the Bedouin nomads of the middle eastern deserts and ventured on her own into the interior to study their cultures first hand and hob- nob with the sheiks despite strong objections by the British governors in Cairo and Baghdad. Made me want to know more about the history. A Remarkable Human, a Remarkable Life, Too Bad Hollywood Ruined It, About as Bland and Lifeless As You Can Get. It is never able to communicate the complexity of the woman at its center. As the Ottoman Empire was collapsing Gertrude came in with knowledge of the tribal systems of the people and was able to help the authorities set up kingdoms with appointed Kings from the appropriate lineage to assauge the people. This film was an attractive costume drama which would not have been out of place on Masterpiece Theater, but anyone familiar with Gertrude Bell's achievements and who has read the book 'Desert Queen', will be disappointed at how much was left out. Insightful film into why the Middle East is structured as it is. So many things about this film are beyond beautiful, they are sublime. This is again a cheap movie they serve us. She’s a vision of perfection. You will be glad you spent two hours watching this movie, preferably with you significant other or a friend, as you will want to talk to somebody about it. Yes, she was born to a wealthy family, had a brilliant mind, earned a first class degree at Oxford - even attending Oxford was a rarity for a woman at that time. Franco is lost in the period trappings. Despite the rich biographical material of the real-life woman on which this is based and the skill of the filmmakers involved, “Queen of the Desert” ends up being an emotionally empty, thematically ill-defined, and listless affair. “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” is a Slow Burn Theatre production running through June 30 in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Hey Theatre Fam, We are heading out to the New Wimbledon Theatre to see the new UK Tour of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT! At one point Bell says in voiceover, “For the first time in my life I know who I am.” By the end of the film I still didn’t. Her exploits at the beginning of the 20th century helped cast a favorite light on Bedouins and Druses as she moved among them and helped negotiate the end-of-WWI land split in Arabia and environs. International upheaval, as viewed from the intimate vantage point of a historical figure as enchanting and modern feeling as Bell, gives the filmmakers a variety of avenues to explore. "Queen of the Desert" is so focused on Bell's romantic life that it fails to develop anything else about her. Bell’s more interesting romantic entanglement that bookends the film is with Charles Doughty-Wylie (an intriguing Damian Lewis), a married British Army officer. Thank you to the film crew for bringing this beautiful film to us, much appreciated! Hence for many it will come across as a stock, even boring, romantic adventure drama. A useful tool in the study of Gertrude who was the "Uncrowned Queen of the Desert who was divinely assigned to appoint Kings". Based on the true story of Gertrude Bell, it brings history to life, even though it could have used a replacement for Nicole Kidman playing Gertrude as a young woman. Both Lewis and Pattinson bring very different energies, leading their scenes to intermittently spark with a much-needed liveliness. Now that is a woman who has LIVED in the desert, and loved it. Is this some kind of joke? "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). PG-13. Even in the worst films she’s committed to mining the trials of her characters to make a larger point about humanity. I think the majority of the blame has to go to Herzog's screenplay because this is a film about one of the most interesting women in the world and yet there's nothing interesting about her told here. Queen of the Desert captures how bold Bell was to travel around the Middle East by herself at the turn of the century. I believe that Queen of The Desert is greater than the sum of its parts, and that its parts are inspired to begin with. The film briefly flirts with the idea that maybe Bell was simply born in the wrong time. A visionary feast and both Nicole Kidman and James Franco's acting is superb.Most critics didn't give it a thumbs up but for me it was a beautiful film, maybe because the lead was a woman who changed the course of history! She was respected, admired and desired. But perfection isn’t interesting in a biopic such as this; it’s a death knell. Yes, she fell in love with Henry Cadogan and mourned his death for seven years. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was released in 1994 and has generally received very positive reviews. For a movie with so much heart, “Queen of the Desert” is a remarkably bloodless enterprise. But that there is no blistering chemistry, no charm, no intensity in the romantic storylines makes matters worse. Writer/director Werner Herzog makes the fatal error of confusing loving his star and subject with understanding her. This is already a curious decision on its own. Currently, women’s ambition is at a premium. Lawrence (Robert Pattinson). I think the majority of the blame has to go to Herzog's screenplay because this is a film about one of the most interesting women in the world and yet there's nothing interesting about her told here. Apparently her character (this is based on a true story) did lots of great things in the Middle East back in the early 1900s. FAQ What a massive disappointment from Herzog. A film worth seeing, explains the birth of present middle east. It can be both destructive and admirable. To make long story short the director reflected his understanding of the ME based on orientalist concepts and not real facts. 438 reviews. Quite enjoyable if you don't know your history and have not read the book 'Desert Queen'. At times, she’s lit in a way that her blonde hair radiates as if a halo making her seem even more angelic. In scenes set in 1906, the characters display this foreknowledge that there will be a World War when at the time, virtually everyone thought that would be an impossibility. Not that Queen is a perfect film: it’s not. Ambition, particularly for women, is a tricky attribute. If this was edited down just a bit the film would have been so much better. Her dutiful devotion and love for her parents may have caused her later infatuations and unrequited love for the wrong men. Grizfolk, Queen of the Desert Review. She has been called the female Lawrence of Arabia, which, while not inaccurate, fails to give Gertrude Bell her due. That she’s a woman in the late 1800s, when the story begins, yearning to explore the world rather than be saddled with an ill-suited marriage makes her all the more remarkable. What drew her to specifically travel this part of the world? Gertrude Bell is one of the most remarkable people (of either sex) to have ever lived...but you wouldn't know it from this film. By David Duprey On Apr 13, 2017. 7.75 of 10. "Queen of the Desert" is so focused on Bell's romantic life that it fails to develop anything else about her. | She had been prevented from marrying him by her overly possessive parents on some very flimsy grounds - he was a gambler and had no fortune, when they could have easily set up a trust fund for her which he could not touch. Nicole Kidman plays the Queen in the title. Should I go to the grocery store or just order a pizza. has with powerful men, as if that is enough. An admirable, serious trudge through the historical biopic territory, here focused on Gertrude Bell. Tactile a full of beauty, Kidman's representation of Bell is simple and her prose lingers in your mind once the film has ended. Herzog, on the other hand, called Kinski a mad egomaniac. What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow. A marvelous tale of an adventurous life of great historical import. No sense of the hard work that Kidman's character, Bell, must have put in/endured. But even she can’t bring much gravitas to a film that seems to lack any cohesive thematic perspective. I watched it twice. W erner Herzog’s Queen of the Desert typifies the hypocrisy of female-centric narratives that nevertheless define women in relation to their men, only by the latter’s absence rather than presence. I don't know if Werner Herzog wanted to make a Hollywood-style period romance, and it doesn't matter to me whether anyone else thinks he achieved creating one or not. The lugubrious voiceover provides no deeper understanding of Bell. This is a long, pretty uneventful boring movie. Jessica Kiang of Indiewire in her review said that ""Queen of the Desert" is such a disappointment when you consider the wild portraits of pioneers that Herzog has given us before, that he's so reverent here." Sadly, Queen of the Desert isn’t Herzog at his best. Most reviewers missed the mark on this one, although in a commercial sense it probably won't be successful because it will fly over the heads of typical audiences, especially in the U.S. The band is Adam Roth (lead vocals, guitar), Sebastian Fritze (keys and vocals), Fredrik Eriksson (guitar), and Bill Delia (drums). It’s a trait shaped by class, race, and access. Capturing the complexity of a desert past, The More the World Changes, the More the Middle East Remains the Same. Her parents apparently even opened her mail to ensure that she was not being led astray. It is a modern account with elements that are reminiscent of an older style of cinema. Even the title of this movie is a failure! It’s a worthwhile subject matter to, explore. Born in Victorian England when a female’s purpose in life was to find a husband and raise a family, Bell broke all stereotypes. She mixed in the best society being very well connected socially, and also enjoyed the company of many intellectuals of the day. Why was Bell so drawn to her line of work? Written as a romantic adventure, full of life and sadness, this movie tells a story that is subtle, not raw, nor, overly dramatized. It is a really funny film, as we follow a group of drag queens lip syncing to famous pop songs while journeying across Australia. It’s a trait shaped by, class, race, and access. She’s quickly shipped off to relatives in Tehran in the hope she’ll find some satisfaction. One of the biggest mistakes of “Queen of the Desert” is in not interrogating the nature of Bell’s ambition. It invites to beautiful scenery of the desert and its people. For Bell it, comes across as both, given what’s sacrificed at the altar of her pursuit of, intellectual and professional desires. Written and Directed by Werner Herzog. Thereby making the transition to life after the Ottoman Empire peaceful and firmly undergirded. This is a very beautiful story, the rating should be at least 9 stars. One of the biggest mistakes of “Queen of the Desert” is in not interrogating the, nature of Bell’s ambition. What pulls this woman to explore these different cultures and face-off with far more powerful men keen on underestimating her? How did she reckon with being so blindingly ambitious in a time in which the exact opposite was encouraged in women of her stature? This a movie that elevates the spirit and expands your horizons. When in Tehran they speak Arabic, Tehran is in Iran they speak Farisi not Arabic, when in the market one guy is obviously Moroccan while the movie is narrating a middle eastern story (Amman Jordan) different dialect, and the Beddouin music always starting with Allah W Akbar which is a religious chant not necessarily specific to the middle east where you can find Christians, Kurds and a lot more ethnicity. Nevertheless, Nicole and makeup and post-production smoothing actually makes her look much younger than you'd expect and it doesn't detract from the film as a whole. QUEEN OF THE DESERT isn't as awful as some people have made it out to be but at the same time you can't help but call it a complete misfire on many levels. Starring Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis, Robert Pattinson, … Her biography was far more interesting than this tripe that the director wanted to go who knows where. From the epic “Gone with the Wind” to the intense “The Little Foxes,” classic Hollywood was able to create films that operated as lush, at times bombastic spectacles in order to showcase the strengths of their leading ladies. Jules Goes to Therapy in Her Own Special Episode of Euphoria, HBO's Painting with John is a Magnetic Celebration of Arts and Artists, The Nostalgia of Epix's Bridge and Tunnel is Filled with Wrong Turns, The Sister Sacrifices Logic, Tension as Its Twists Unravel. Should I do laundry now or wear an outfit I don't really like but is clean for work tomorrow. "Queen of the Desert" — 1.5 stars MPAA rating: … It’s difficult not to feel like the way the industry has treated Queen of the Desert is just continuing the outrageous erasure of Bell from pop-culture consciousness. Desert Queen is the story of Gertrude Bell who is seen by many as the “Mother of Iraq”. Archaeologist, mountain climber, poet, translator, linguist, explorer, diplomat, spy, (to name just a handful of her many accomplishments) and all in a time in which women were virtually prohibited from doing any of those things, for the most part, and in territories that even men of the time feared to tread. In terms of historical accuracy, there seemed to be a number of real clunkers. But has there ever been a time accepting women this fearsome, bright, and independent? Queen of the Desert breaks form with several other Herzog movies: A female lead character, a grand Hollywood-like production and most interesting: a different perspective on the culture-nature dichotomy and the effects of cultural distance that almost forms the core of Herzog's work. 'Queen of the Desert' is, simply put, a very enjoyable adventure and, a representation of a strong, intelligent and formidable woman. In forming such a reverential biopic the humanity of these characters and Herzog's own wildness are whittled away, leaving the mere husk of a more interesting story behind. In addition to being the world's expert on both Sunni and Shiite relations before, during and after WWII, she was charged with drawing up the boundaries for modern day Iraq. | Ambition, particularly for women, is a tricky attribute. Although it's not Lawrence of Arabia, and Robert Pattinson suffers from O'Toole comparison, director Werner Herzog still brings to life the hitherto little-known heroine, Gertrude Bell (Nicole Kidman). Werner must have gotten lost in the desert. User Ratings For Bell it comes across as both, given what’s sacrificed at the altar of her pursuit of intellectual and professional desires. This film tells the story of a British woman who travels around Arabia to understand the life in the vast desert. She is undeterred by dangers of war, gangs and thieves. Historically it was dreadful (starting in 1914 and then "going back" 12 years - by my simply maths this is 1902 - to have a toast to Queen Victoria by an embassy official is nonsense since she had died in 1901!) The acting, settings and captioning made it an easy and enjoyable film to watch. I don't even know what this movie was supposed to be about as my mind kept straying to other things. See Fantastic sandune-scapes and the prettiest camels ever screened to fill out this vast portrait of the Middle East in World War I when the lines in the sand were drawn which stake out today's Arab Spring Nightmare. Bell is a fascinating historical figure and Herzog treats her with respect and does not patronise his audience. Queen Of The Desert, review: Werner Herzog's film is like a feminist Lawrence of Arabia. She garners their respect and admiration in turn for reasons the film never seeks to explore with much depth. Unfortunately, it’s given only cursory interest in various one-liners, about Bell’s independence or in the simplistically rendered showdowns she. Very nice movie. Currently, women’s ambition is at a premium. This movie will leave you blissful and hopeful after watching it so beautiful. But perfection isn’t interesting in a biopic such as this; it’s a death knell. This is a story for women. If you see it that way, well, I can't help you. While the people around her cringingly toast to the British Empire with little care to the colonization that makes their wealth possible, Bell genuinely cares for the people she crosses in her travels through the Middle East. If you live or have experienced the desert, you can connect with this story. In one of his books, he described him as completely clueless, arrogant and as a ruthless, dumb and incompetent creep. Topical background in view of today's headlines -- ISIS beheadings and incineration of hostages and all that, most lushly filmed in Morocco and Jordan with an extensive cast you will need a scorecard to keep track of and so long it feels like GWTW, but worth the patience it takes to sit through especially if you are a Werner Herzog unconditional and, like myself, a lover of camels. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a fantastic movie with a very well developed plot and an outstanding cast. Poor choice of actors as portrayals were not convincing (mostly just eye candy appeal), and acting seemed to be mostly rote memorization and regurgitate. This is the man that has her so undone after seeming so sure of her own independence? I stared in disbelief as Nicole Kidman entered and I was expected to believe she was a young maybe early 20's woman. The female Lawrence of Arabia, I ca n't help you Priscilla, Queen of the me based orientalist. 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