7/10
Impressive fairy tale of a good prince and a thief versus evil vizier full of fantastic elements.
16 May 2009
This is an Oriental fantasy about ¨thousand and one Arabian nights¨ with plenty of incredible adventures , fantasy , witchery and wizardly. The malignant vizier Jaffar (magnificently played by Conrad Veidt) with powerful magic faculties imprisons the prince Ahamad of Bagdad (attractive John Justin) who loses his throne, he then escapes thanks to a little thief named Abu (sympathetic Sabu). They arrive in Basora where Ahamad and the charming princess (gorgeous June Duprez) fall in love . But prince and thief are haunted by Jaffar , Ahamd is turned blind and Abu is become a dog . The story accumulates several fantastic ingredients such as transformation of the starring , a flying mechanic horse , a magic bow , a flying carpet and of course the colossal genie (overacting by Rex Ingram) who gives three wishes to Sabu , the magic eye , the figure of goddess Kali with several hands , among others.

This remarkable picture ranks as one of the finest fantastic films of all time . Produced by London Fim's Alexander Korda and directed by the definitively credited Ludwing Berger , Michael Powell and Tim Whelan with a stunning screenplay by Lajos Biro and Miles Malleson also dialogue writer and actor as a Sultan fond to mechanic games . The WWII outbreak caused the paralyzing shooting , then the three Korda brothers and collaborators traveled USA continuing there the filming , in especial on location in Grand Canyon Colorado . The splendid visual and glimmer Technicolor cinematography , setting and FX provoked the achieving three Oscars : Production design by William Cameron Menzies and Vincent Korda , Cinematography by George Perinal and Special effects by Osmond Borradaile , though today are dated and being urgent a necessary remastering because of the colors are worn-out. Furthermore, one nomination for the evocative and oriental musical score by Miklos Rozsa . This vivid tale with immense doses of imagination will appeal to fantasy fans and cinema classic buffs.
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