Le voleur de Bagdad

Few movies appeal to both adults and children.This one does .Although there are three directors,it is most likely Michael Powell who's the brains here,his later work proves it in a definite way.There are already the incredible color search and the fabulous settings which will emerge again in such works as "a matter of life or death"(1946).Magic is everywhere and there are plenty of visual strokes of inspiration :every picture is magic itself.The script writers adapt stories from the Thousand and one Nights but make them their own .The special effects ,although absolutely extraordinary for 1940,remain tasteful ,which is not often the case today when they mainly serve to hide the weakness of the screenplays.

Conrad Veidt is a delightful villain,who might have inspired Walt Disney for "Aladdin" .June Deprez,whose talent is essentially decorative ,will play the part of Vera Claythorne in "and then there were none" (René Clair,1945).Sabu is certainly one of the best young actors of the era. John Justin is the perfect virtuous hero.

Compares favorably to Jean Cocteau's "la Belle et la Bête" (1945).

Remake by Arthur Lubin with muscle man Steve Reeves in 1961:although it's a far cry from this version,it's not bad .

The first time I saw this movie, I was blown away by it's sheer fantasy content. I am a fan of fantasy anyway, and for a film of this time (1940) I was impressed by Alexander Korda's ability to completely immerse one so completely in the story. I believe that during the war-time period these films were especially important for a lot of people in order to distract them, in a positive way, and allow them a brief respite from the harsh realities and depressing aspects of the war. I think that this film had probably fit the bill at that time and even nowadays, it does take you away from the everyday and allows you to indulge in a wonderful tale of fantasy, romance, magic, throughout. June Duprez was stunning and otherworldly in her looks and performance. John Justin played a wonderfully enchanting Ahmed, although I found Sabu's character a bit tedious at times, the rest of the movie, for it's time, was top-notch. A great escapist, put your feet up and enjoy the afternoon, movie. I give it a 7.8 out of 10.

The Thief of Bagdad is a treasure. First and foremost, it is a good story. Though my four children's primary exposure to this tale, the most famous of the stories of the Arabian Nights, comes from the Disney Corporation, the Thief of Bagdad held their interest to the end. The story moves along at a good pace and includes a twist or two that reduced predictability. Sabu, who plays the young thief, Abu, also measures up to any of today's teen actors in appeal, judging from the number of times I heard my oldest daughter say, "He's c-u-t-e!"

In 1940, the film won Oscars for cinematography and special effects. Today, of course, those effects seem very dated ("Look, it's Barbie flying through the air," declared my daughter at the sight of the genie flying). Yet they fit into the story well. The film is, after all, over 60 years old. The effects fit with the script. Furthermore, what ones sees in The Thief of Bagdad remained pretty much state-of-the-art for the next twenty-five years. One need only compare the opening montage from a 1967 Star Trek episode to see this. In that, it was quite an achievement.

This qualifies as a family film, though there are a few stabbings near the end. The acting is so obvious and the wounds so bloodless as to those scenes nearly as artificial as animation.

All in all, a fun film worth watching for either an evening of pure entertainment, or for the historical value of the effects. I recommend it.

Thief of Bagdad is truly advanced for its time. It has very good special effects. The use of flying carpet sequences is very advanced for 1940. In good prints the color is spectacular. The acting is somewhat stilted, but acceptable for a period piece. Both costume and set design are superior. The music is excellent. Most elements of the film fit together to provide a superior piece of "fluff" entertainment.

Ever since i was a little child my father used to play this movie for me over and over again, because he loved it so much, and so as i got older, i started to appreciate this film as much as him. There are Unforgettable parts in this film like the big spider fight between Abu and the spider, and then there was the magic carpet ride at the end. The most rememberable character is The Genie. I really loved that Genie especially when you and Abu first meet him. I hope that if you never saw this movie you rent it because it is a great film you will never forget.

***** stars out of *****.