Edit: Good news: It is now on amazon prime. Not so good news It is the version that has about 30 seconds containing the tasteful Mirren nude shots removed.
Review: Yes, the Western view of the decadent and sensual East is, to good degree, a set of biases. And anyone under 40 with a liberal higher education is going to see Helen Mirren as the quintessential odalisque, which is to say, object of the sin of the "male gaze." But still, let's face it, this film , while hardly flawless in execution, is just beautiful. Mostly beautifully shot, beautiful production design, stunning locations on Simi, mostly well scripted and with three perfectly casted talented actors. Ok, the direction had some intermittent problems, namely with the overwrought church scene, but that can be forgiven.
So we can be mindful of Orientalism and the male gaze and still enjoy the film immensely. Frankly I fell in love with Mirren at the moment of seeing this film for the first time and I don't care if it clashes with the modern. Ben Kingsley could have just stepped out of Cavafy's Alexandria. He executes the perfect Leventine (something that has disappeared with the loss of heterogeneity of cosmopolis in Istanbul, Beirut, Smyrna and Alexandria) . For historic context, we are at what looks to be 1905-10 or so, right on the cusp before the Balkan wars and WWI liberating many more Ottoman subjects on occupied area into self determined nation states. And Pacali is a subject, not a citizen. But while not a Turk he is also not a Greek, but rather his only place is as an Ottoman -- something that is about to disappear.
His speaking to the Porte (the immensely bureaucratic government in Istanbul), and to us, with his unanswered letters is just amazingly poignant.Just as he has unrequited love, his relationship with the Port is also unrequited. It is interesting that we become sympathetic to an informer for a tyranny. Kingsley also navigates the ambiguity in whether he is jealous of Dance attracting Mirren; or Mirren attracting Dance. Of course that is also part of the western view of the sensual east as well. Exactly who does Pascali really desire?
The film is now on amazon prime. It is a decent but somewhat grainy 1.75:1 with ok audio. It is the 143 minute and 42 second version, meaning it has about half a minute less than the R rated version on my VHS version, but is missing two scenes with upper frontal nudity (one closer shot of naked a Ms. Mirren before diving into water, and one of her post coital lounging). Those scenes were among the most natural and unforced nudity I have ever seen in film and it seems a crime to have then missing. Still though relatively good news for we happy few that love this film to see it appear on amazon digital video.
Review: Yes, the Western view of the decadent and sensual East is, to good degree, a set of biases. And anyone under 40 with a liberal higher education is going to see Helen Mirren as the quintessential odalisque, which is to say, object of the sin of the "male gaze." But still, let's face it, this film , while hardly flawless in execution, is just beautiful. Mostly beautifully shot, beautiful production design, stunning locations on Simi, mostly well scripted and with three perfectly casted talented actors. Ok, the direction had some intermittent problems, namely with the overwrought church scene, but that can be forgiven.
So we can be mindful of Orientalism and the male gaze and still enjoy the film immensely. Frankly I fell in love with Mirren at the moment of seeing this film for the first time and I don't care if it clashes with the modern. Ben Kingsley could have just stepped out of Cavafy's Alexandria. He executes the perfect Leventine (something that has disappeared with the loss of heterogeneity of cosmopolis in Istanbul, Beirut, Smyrna and Alexandria) . For historic context, we are at what looks to be 1905-10 or so, right on the cusp before the Balkan wars and WWI liberating many more Ottoman subjects on occupied area into self determined nation states. And Pacali is a subject, not a citizen. But while not a Turk he is also not a Greek, but rather his only place is as an Ottoman -- something that is about to disappear.
His speaking to the Porte (the immensely bureaucratic government in Istanbul), and to us, with his unanswered letters is just amazingly poignant.Just as he has unrequited love, his relationship with the Port is also unrequited. It is interesting that we become sympathetic to an informer for a tyranny. Kingsley also navigates the ambiguity in whether he is jealous of Dance attracting Mirren; or Mirren attracting Dance. Of course that is also part of the western view of the sensual east as well. Exactly who does Pascali really desire?
The film is now on amazon prime. It is a decent but somewhat grainy 1.75:1 with ok audio. It is the 143 minute and 42 second version, meaning it has about half a minute less than the R rated version on my VHS version, but is missing two scenes with upper frontal nudity (one closer shot of naked a Ms. Mirren before diving into water, and one of her post coital lounging). Those scenes were among the most natural and unforced nudity I have ever seen in film and it seems a crime to have then missing. Still though relatively good news for we happy few that love this film to see it appear on amazon digital video.