Arabesque (1966) User Reviews

Stylish and fast paced picture in which an university professor becomes involved into a twisted and nightmarish intrigue

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 4 May 2015]

Modern espionage escapism story of international intrigue involving a college professor , an Arab prime minister , a ruthless businessman , an ambiguous spy and hieroglyphics . Ingenuous Gregory Peck and enigmatic Sophia Loren involved in sinister goings-on around . Both of them adrift in a tourist-eye as well as beautifully photographed London and on the run from sinister crooks and death-dealing , double secret agents who want to take a hieroglyph .

This is a sparklingly sophisticated comedy/thriller/romance with Donen's stylish direction and full of plot twists , suspense , fast moving , red herrings and adding enough effects gimmicks . Exciting and clever ¨pursuit film¨ about a naive professor and his unsettling involvement with all kind of baddies along with a beautiful as well a suspicious woman . From the opening credits by Maurice Binder to the ending entertainment and amusement are well provided . It is thrilling and intelligent at times , but results to be pretty amusing , being very sub-Hitchcock and in James Bond style . Interesting screenplay by Peter Stone , alias Pierre Marton , being much flashier than Donen's earlier ¨Charade¨ also written by Stone . Although the part of David Pollock was originally scripted for Cary Grant . Stanley Donen is prepared to resort to all the tricks in the cinematic trade to make this a fascinating thriller and he carries out a conscious effort to capture the peculiar look of the sixties . It packs fun scenes with Gregory Peck in the shower , along with moving action sequences . Peck is perfect as a botcher professor who is drawn into espionage . However , Gregory found the stunts particularly difficult because of an old leg injury due to horseback riding . This was last picture Peck made for three years while he concentrated on his humanitarian efforts that included the American Cancer Society . Gorgeous Sophia Loren is amusingly enigmatic and provides the glamorous mystery element in the plot , she manages to change her Christian Dor's dresses at various scenes . Support cast is frankly good , such as Alan Badel , George Coulouris , Carl Duering , Duncan Lamont and last feature of John Merivale . Colorful and glimmering cinematography in Panavision by Christopher Challis . Enjoyable score by Henry Mancini , including catching musical leitmotif .

This espionage adventure picture was stunningly directed by Stanley Donen who made in similar style ¨Charade¨ with Gary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who was never more beautiful . Donen directed some of the best musicals of history such as ¨On the town¨, ¨Singing in the rain¨, ¨Royal Wedding¨ , ¨It's always fair weather¨, ¨Seven brides for seven brothers ¨, ¨Funny face¨ , among others . The posterior Donen films were heavy-handed , exception of ¨Two for the road¨ again with Hepburn , and too few to show if the magic had really gone . ¨Arabesque¨ rating : 6,5/10 . Agreeable film , enough to entertain young and eldest people . It is essentially a hollow and calculated attempt to cash on the Continental spy trend -the Eurospy Subgenre- of the time .

Entertaining Romantic Thriller

[perfectbond · 7/10 · 9 December 2002]

This movie is reminiscent of Charade in that it is a thriller that is lighthearted in places. Highlights of Arabesque are Gregory Peck playing the somewhat bumbling type, Sophia Loren's exotic beauty, and some memorable humorous situations like Pollack hiding in the shower with Jasmin while being questioned and later the two of them trailing the guy who drops the candy wrappers. The ending action sequence with the press conference, the horse chase, and the helicopter were also well done. All in all, very good entertainment, 7/10.

Funny Rip-off of 007 and North by Northwest

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 4 December 2012]

A man kills Professor Ragheeb (George Coulouris) and takes a hieroglyphic from his glasses. Then he seeks out the American Professor David Pollock (Gregory Peck), who is an expert in hieroglyphics at the Oxford University, and tells that his name is Major Sylvester Pennington Sloane (John Merivale). He invites Pollock to travel to London to meet the wealthy Nejim Beshraavi (Alan Badel) to translate a cipher in a hieroglyphic, but Pollock refuses the work.

Soon Pollock is summoned by the Arabian Prime Minister Hassan Jena (Carl Duering), who is unofficially in England and asks him to accept the assignment and spy the activities of Beshraavi that might be plotting something evil.

Beshraavi offers 30,000 dollars to Pollock to work in his mansion deciphering the hieroglyphic. Pollock meets Beshraavi's mistress Yasmin Azir (Sophia Loren), who tells him that he is in danger and Beshraavi will kill him in the end of his work the same way he did with Professor Ragheeb. Pollock and Yasmin flee from the mansion with the hieroglyphic, but he is double-crossed by Yasmin and captured by Yussef Kasim (Kieron Moore). Soon the professor is deeply involved in an international conspiracy where everybody wants the cipher and he does not know who is trustworthy.

"Arabesque" is a funny rip-off of "007" movies combined with "North by Northwest". The story of a clumsy professor from Oxford that is involved in an international conspiracy in London has hilarious moments, like for example the shower scene with Sophia Loren that makes this movie worthwhile. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Arabesque"

carried by Peck and Loren

[winner55 · 7/10 · 12 May 2007]

Sometimes it's difficult to say why one likes a film.

Undoubtedly, what is most memorable about this film is Sofia Loren (as with any of her films). She remains beautiful and charming regardless of the script's worth Admittedly, the script isn't worth much; Peck's character is given all these imitation-Bond one-liners that are like listening to a relative speak only in bad puns, as some of my relatives do. The plot is only fair, and some of the plot-twists absurd. The film is over-long and wallows in its own cleverness. Undoubtedly, some of the visuals in this film are just experiments in '60s psychedelic 'hip' - occasionally confusing, utterly annoying.

But the film gets carried by Peck, hammy but companionable, and Ms. Loren. It's definitely entertaining, and more than one scene may stick with you for some years - although I find it difficult to say just why. My suspicion is that the glittery surface of the film, which is very light, is used to make palatable realities that are very dark - like the drowning of the killer in the aquarium. Ultimately the film feeds on the ambivalence of the audience, because in part it generates this ambivalence intentionally.

Hardly a great film, in some ways a bad film, but worth a couple hours entertainment.

Good Film but a bit dated.

[rspress · 7/10 · 6 June 2003]

This film is a bit dated (1966) but the plot twists and turns keep you watching. With Gregory Peck knocking off one liners and Sophia Loren for eye candy, this film is a good one to catch if you have never seen it before...The villains in the film are a bit over the top and a tad campy but this only adds to the charm of the film.

21st Century Comment

[B24 · 7/10 · 4 April 2005]

In a few more years when movies from the 1960's are studied clinically with an eye to their historical development, this one will be a technical standout. For sheer visual beauty, cinematic virtuosity, and musical score, it ought to have been a big winner in its own time. That it was not can be deduced from the few comments recorded here with respect to its failures in text and casting, all of which are obvious and quite fatal.

Not to be repetitious, I nevertheless agree that Peck was miscast. Moreover, his character as conceived was a ludicrous echo of the typical 1960's hero, and I doubt that any actor could have carried it off -- even Sean Connery and certainly not Cary Grant. Add to that several other cartoonish elements in the plot and you have the sad spectre of beauty defiled.

Watch it for Sophia Loren and the Mancini score alone and you will be delighted.

Serpentine comedy-thriller, smoothly executed throughout.

[barnabyrudge · 7/10 · 9 July 2007]

After the success of his Hitchcock homage "Charade", director Stanley Donen made this very similar comedy-thriller with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren in the lead roles. While Peck and Loren are not quite as suited to this kind of thing as Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, they still make an attractive couple. If you thought "Charade" was complex, you'll find "Arabesque" resembles a hundred shoelaces tangled into an impenetrable knot. The plot is not really meant to be followed - it merely exists as an excuse to stage one dazzling set piece after another.

American scholar David Pollock (Gregory Peck) works at Oxford University and is noted as one of the world's foremost experts in ancient hieroglyphics. He is asked - firstly by oil tycoon Beshraavi (Alan Badel), and later by a Middle Eastern prime minister (Carl Duering) - to decipher a hieroglyphic code that contains details of a sinister espionage plot. Not really a man of action, Pollock suddenly finds himself thrust into the world of international intrigue, where sudden death and double-crosses are never far away. Various factions want to know the secret of the hieroglyphic code, and Pollock finds himself on the run from enemies on all sides. The only person who seems willing to help him is Beshraavi's mistress, Yasmin Azir (Sophia Loren), but she lies to and crosses him so frequently during their flight that he begins to question whose side she is really on....

"Arabesque" is beautifully shot by Christopher Challis and memorably scored by Henry Mancini. The kaleidoscopic plot throws in everything from James Bond-style humour and villainy to Hitchcock-inspired chase sequences. Utterly derivative and muddled it may be, but no-one seems to mind. Indeed, the fun in "Arabesque" stems from the elegant outfits, the silky smooth villains, the chases and romances, the lavish locales and the touches of humour. Donen marshals proceedings with skillful authority, moving things along at a dizzying pace which helps disguise many of the plot holes. The performances of the handsome leads are adequate throughout, but the villainous support players really steal the movie - Badel, especially, in a role that oozes sinister menace. "Arabesque" is inconsequential, professionally-assembled and effortlessly entertaining stuff. Watch....enjoy....forget.

Great beauty and great fun! What more could one want? (Other than a coherent storyline . . .)

[RobieCat · 9/10 · 25 April 2000]

This has got to be one of the most beautifully photographed movies ever made. Stanley Donen really knows how to use the camera, shooting through chandeliers, using double mirrors for endless reflections, using ordinary objects to highlight the extraordinary--this movie is so wonderfully cinematic that the lack of a serious plot is almost negligible. Not to mention the presence of Gregory Peck, the beautiful Sophia Loren as well as the Henry Mancini score and the titles by Maurice Binder only add to the icing on the cake! "Pierre Marton" (yeah, we all know it's Peter Stone)'s script is sparklingly quotable and provides great fun and great entertainment--just don't think too hard about the plot when you're watching this. "Arabesque" should set the standard in cinematic beauty and it's a shame that this movie isn't more widely shown or known about. Just what happened to that song "We've Loved Before" that was composed for this film?

competent and also pretty forgettable

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 26 February 2006]

Considering that this film featured Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren, I expected more than I got. While not a bad film, it is pretty ordinary and ultimately pretty forgettable. There are a few cute moments here and there but ultimately, the film just fizzles instead of sizzles. I saw that someone compared this film to an earlier Donen-directed effort, CHARADE. They are pretty similar, I guess, when it comes to the chemistry and the writing--and it's pretty obvious that the director is trying to replicate the previous film. There are just so many similar elements, though Sophia Loren is playing the role played by Cary Grant in the previous film and Gregory Peck is taking Audrey Hepburn's! Both films tried very hard to be cute and sexy,...but CHARADE seemed more magical and original and ARABESQUE seemed a lot like a re-tread.

London's Swinging

[tvspace · 5/10 · 7 September 2011]

This isn't a great movie, but it's pretty fun to watch. It's basically a crazed version of "North by Northwest", down to the crop-duster sequence. The plot quit making sense to me halfway through (if not sooner), but I didn't care much by that point, as it was obviously not a movie that required a delicate understanding of the storyline in order to extract pleasure from what's good about it, which is 1) Sophia Loren is various tight and/or ripped dresses 2) Wile E. Coyote set-piece action sequences and 3) the fantastic opening title sequence. Everything else you can live with our without.

Charade (which I saw on a double bill with this) is a much better movie, in part because of better writing, but also because by '66, Arabesque is starting to show some of the cheesier artifacts of late 60's style (forced psychedelia, etc.). But Arabesque is fun for what it is: a campy, pulpy, slightly over-the-top spy action jamboree.

A Little Hitchcock Style, A Little James Bond Style, A Lot of Fun!

[dtb · 9/10 · 31 March 2002]

ARABESQUE is another fab Universal romantic thriller in the grand CHARADE tradition, including some of the same personnel! If director Stanley Donen's classic 1963 comedy-thriller CHARADE is Hitchcock Lite, then ARABESQUE is Hitchcock Lite after taking a few classes in James Bond 101 (including an opening title sequence by Maurice Binder, who also did the honors for CHARADE as well as for most of the Bond movies). As the hieroglyphics expert embroiled in Middle Eastern intrigue while decoding the cipher everyone's after, the usual slightly wooden note in Gregory Peck's delivery is oddly effective as he tries to loosen up and deliver Cary Grant-like witticisms (from co-scripter "Pierre Marton," a.k.a. CHARADE alumnus Peter Stone). Peck may not be Mr. Glib, but he's so inherently likable and seems so delighted to get an opportunity to deliver bon mots after all his serious roles that he's downright endearing, like a child trying out new words for the first time. And co-star Sophia Loren, at her most alluring as an Arab femme fatale, can make any guy look suave and sexy! Alan Badel, looking like a polished Peter Sellers in cool shades, virtually steals his scenes as the suave-bordering-on-unctuous villain with a foot fetish. Shoe lovers will swoon over the scene with Badel fitting the lovely Loren with a roomful of fancy footwear. Speaking of things of beauty, Christopher Challis's dazzling, inventive cinematography won the BAFTA (the British equivalent of the Oscars), and Christian Dior got a BAFTA nomination for Loren's elegant costumes. Suspenseful and sparkling as this twist-filled adventure is, ARABESQUE's biggest mystery is why it's still only available in VHS format. If this gem ever gets deluxe treatment as a DVD (including letterboxing, please!), I sure hope they get Donen and Loren together to do the kind of entertaining, informative commentary that Donen did with the late, great Stone for Criterion's CHARADE DVD. In the meantime, ARABESQUE turns up on American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies periodically, so check your TV listings -- this fun thriller is worth seeking out! UPDATE FOR 2012: ARABESQUE is now available from Universal in a six-DVD Gregory Peck collectors' set, along with MIRAGE, CAPE FEAR, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, CAPTAIN NEWMAN, M.D., and THE WORLD IN HIS ARMS!

Pas de deux avec Sophie et Gregoire...

[masonx · 7/10 · 16 February 2000]

Not one of the best works by these two screen veterans but still worth a look in for Sophia alone. The woman has not aged at all. I like international espionage thrillers especially in the James Bond genre. The mixture of Pecks american know-how with Loren's continental sophistication together with the english precipitation seemed to make up for the flaws in an otherwise gripping story.Enough said. I wont give the story away except to state the clue at the end is in the hieroglyphic.

Silly fun at first, but loses momentum

[cherold · 5/10 · 8 February 2017]

Arabesque is a very '60s movie that tries to be both a suspense film and a spy spoof, but doesn't entirely succeed at either.

Director Stanley Donen knew Arabesque's story didn't make a lick of sense (seriously, this is not so much a story full of holes as it is a hole with some story sprinkled in it), so he went for razzle dazzle. The memorable opening scene is heavily influenced by German Expressionism, the scene in the zoo has a Wellesian quality, and the influence of Hitchcock pops up periodically.

In the beginning this works pretty well. But all the most notable scenes, like zoo chase or the silly shower sequence, happen in the first half. After that, the movie is a series of unlikely plot twists, general confusion, and Sophia Loren wardrobe changes. And at the end, any attempt to make sense of the story will only cause you to realize it makes even less sense than you thought.

Even at it's best, this is a pretty cheesy movie. But if it had managed to stay at that cheesy best all the way through, it would have been a far more enjoyable one.

"If I were standing stark naked in front of Mr. Pollack, he'd probably yawn!"

[TJBNYC · 3 August 2001]

As has been duly noted before, "Arabesque" is essentially an update of Stanley Donen's own "Charade." This time, however, the plot twists are more convoluted, the camerwork is decidedly more "mod" (shooting through chandeliers, reflections in sunglass lenses, etc.) and there is an even greater emphasis on the female star's wardrobe. If the story is more confusing and less compelling than "Charade," it certainly isn't at the expense of entertainment. Its derivative nature (it not only incorporates parts of "Charade," but also the drunk and cropdusting scenes from "North by Northwest") prevents "Arabesque" from entering the elevated realm of its predecessor, but it's a delight, nevertheless. Its strongest selling point, really, is the utterly delectable Sophia Loren as Yasmin, the side-switching enigma. It is a strong statement to declare that the glorious Miss Loren has never appeared more beautiful, before or since, than in this film--but I'm willing to take the risk. Her huge, almond, almost Egyptian eyes; tawny, caramel-colored skin; lustrous hair; and world-famous curves have never been seen to better advantage. (Her stunning Christian Dior costumes certainly add to her already formidable allure.) She also displays a very nice light comedic touch; it wouldn't be difficult to dislike someone so supernaturally gorgeous, but instead, Loren's natural warmth and humor shine through. Gregory Peck, on the other hand, looks more than a little ragged around the edges; Cary Grant obviously didn't lend Peck any of his age-defying secrets. His performance isn't nearly as bad or hammy as some other reviews have indicated, but where Loren's charisma and beauty aid her in creating a completely different character than Audrey Hepburn's in "Charade," Peck comes off as an unfortunately blurred carbon coby of Grant in that earlier film. Having said that, "Arabesque" still stands on its own merits as a cracking good comedy-thriller; the final few scenes are terrifically suspenseful. Alan Badel makes a wonderfully oily villain (love the shades!), and Kieron Moore adds a healthy shot of dated humor as a jive-talking Arabian (!). Although the twists and turns might be confusing for some, just sit back and bask in the glory that is Sophia Loren. You know the good guys will win in the end, anyway.

Sophia Loren was so Beautiful

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 29 December 2006]

Gregory Peck, (Professor David Pollack), "Old Gringo", plays a professor who is kidnapped for a brief period and is told to reveal the secrets of an Arabic writing which is his specialty. He is shot at, hit on the head and thrown out of a truck and meets up with Sophia Loren, (Yasmin Azir), "The Black Orchid", who runs into him all the time and decides to help him escape from his captives. However, Yasmin tells so many lies that David does not believe her and begins to think she is working against him. There is plenty of comedy, drama, romance and action. This is not exactly an easy film to just sit back and relax, it keeps you wondering just what is really Going ON

Fun escapist fare.

[rfphotog · 7/10 · 12 May 2003]

A light hearted spy tale set in London in the mid 60's. Although dated and with a fair amount of corny dialogue it is still very entertaining. Sophia has never looked better and Gregory Peck is perfect in this Stanley Donan classic.

The cypher

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 23 December 2007]

It's clear what must attracted director Stanley Donnen to this project. The last time he tried his hand at a non musical film, "Charade", it turned out to be an immense hit. Mr. Donnen probably thought this movie would be as appreciated as the latter one, but alas, even though it's by no means, a dud, on second viewing, there are signs that perhaps he should have sticked to the other genre where he excelled.

It must have seemed to be a great idea to throw Gregory Peck, an aging star, who always gave a good performance, against Sophia Loren, at the height of her beauty. Yet, the results are not as pleasing. Ms. Loren, dressed by Christian Dior, seems to be having great fun running around in those beautiful costumes in the construction site where she keeps her schmatte in great shape after almost being killed by the villain working a construction crane. On the other hand, Gregory Peck doesn't seem too convincing to be the hero in the film

There are parts shot on exteriors where it's supposed to be raining and no one gets wet. One of the funniest moment in the film is when Professor Pollock, who might have been tripping on acid, rides a bicycle against the highway traffic. The scenes at the London Zoo, and the last montage on the bridge are about the most exciting things in the picture.

Despite the great titles by Maurice Binder, the copy of the film we watched on cable recently, had a washed out look, which perhaps took away some of the enjoyment of watching this thriller.

Swell!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 6 July 2013]

Arabesque is directed by Stanley Donen and collectively adapted by Julian Mitchell, Stanley Price and Pierre Marton from Gordon Cotler's novel The Cypher. It stars Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel, John Merivale and Harold Kasket. A Panavision/Technicolor production with music by Henry Mancini and cinematography by Christopher Challis.

Hieroglyphics expert David Pollock (Peck) is thrust into a world of shifty political intrigue involving a Middle Eastern Prime Minister, a beautiful spy and a sinister rich businessman.

There's quite a bit wrong with Arabesque, with white actors made up as Arabs, a scatter-gun plot, weak finale, a barely threatening villain and Peck is no action hero! Yet if you can just run with it, to enjoy being in the company of the stars? Then there's fun to be had here.

Part comedy, part thriller mystery, Arabesque zips along at a decent clip and Donen inserts memorable scenes along the way. From a wonderful shower sequence to chase me perils at a Zoo and a building site, there's truly a great will of spirit involved in the production. Donen also at times chooses to shoot the movie through a kaleidoscopic prism, and uses canted angles to accentuate David Pollock's confusion. These are nice touches, as is Mancini's Eastern flavoured musical arrangement.

Peck may be no action hero type actor but his sense of fun here, and his all round classy charm, makes it very easy to root for him. Loren looks fabulous, a real sex-bomb pouting away with a glint in her eye. Not all of the Christian Dior costumes suit her character, but Loren, herself seemingly having a great old time of it, comes through the picture with flying colours. Elsewhere the performances are merely adequate, with Badel's villain coming off like a weak Peter Sellers clone!

So a mixed bag for sure and the shadow of Donen's wonderful Charade three years earlier looms large at times, but it's an enjoyable enough ride while it lasts. 7/10

If I could find my head I'd have it examined!

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 19 June 2012]

***SPOILERS*** Gregory Peck as visiting American Oxford language professor David Pollock has his hand full chasing that fast filly and mystery woman Yasmin Azir, Sophia Loren,all over London and it's surroundings. That as Pollock is being chased by Arab billionaire oil man Bashraavi's, Alan Badel, goons who need Prof. Pollock to decipher an urgent massage,in ancient Hittite hieroglyphs, that can determine the course of the future of all of mankind. Things are doubly difficult for Peck in the film in that he's recovering from falling off a horse and can barley walk much run in all his action scenes that must have made things a living hell for him in the film.

It's oil rich unnamed Middle Eastern nation's Prime Minister Yossef Kasim's, Kieron Moor, plan to exclusively use US & UK oil tankers to carry his oil reserves that has Bashraavi want to have him knocked off in that it's cutting into his mega billions of dollars in oil profits! Pollock after being kidnapped, while jogging, by PM Kasin's men and told how important the ancient massage is later is hired by Bashraavi to decode it. That without Bashraavi knowing that he's really working for his enemy Prime Minister Yosseff Kasim. It's when the hot blooded Arabian princess Yasmin , who's mansion Bashraavi is staying at while in London, shows up unexpectedly that Pollock forgets what his job is and focuses all of his attention on her! That with him not quite knowing on who's side Yasmin is on his or her house-mate the oily and murderous Arab oil magnet Bashraavi!

With Pollock knowing that his life depends on him not decoding the secret message and that once he does decode it it's curtains, in Bashraavi finding out what it says, for him all he can do is run, together with Yasmin, for his life until the calvary or Scotland Yard comes to his rescue. It's during that time on the run Pollock is framed by one of Bashraavi's goons Slone, John Meravile,in a murder at the Ascot Race Track making him a fugitive from the law as well as from Bashraavi! Still hooked on the beautiful Yasmin Pollock isn't quite sure, with all the lies she'll told him, just whom she's working for and is even willing, if she's working for Bashraavi, to end up dying in her arms even if she's the one who does him in.

****SPOILERS**** it's to Pollock's great relief that Yasmin in fact turns out to be a secret agent or spy for Prime Minister Kasim! But by then it's almost too late for him with the Prime Minster getting blasted by one of his bodyguards after Pollock & Yasmin save him from an assassins bullet when he landed at the London airport! But the big surprise comes later when we realize that there's a lot more that's going on in the movie that meets the eye. Which leads to the explosive climax on the bridge to nowhere that turned out to be Bashraavi and his band of goons final resting place!

Doubly Depressed

[ashew · 1/10 · 21 November 2006]

I can't figure out which depresses me more: 1) How gut-wrenchingly awful this movie is, or 2) That so many IMDb commenters LOVE it! What is wrong with the world when this movie has become people's "favorite" film??!! This movie is EXCRUCIATINGLY bad. I had my finger hovering over the "Stop" button on the remote at 20 minutes into this fiasco, but due to the praise on this site, figured I would give it a bit more time because I assumed ALL of these people couldn't be delusional. Well, I came to discover that they are.

At first I thought the problem was that the script was idiotic, but I paused long enough to try and imagine different actors interpreting the same lines and I realized that it was strictly the fact that Mr. Peck is a one-note actor who should NEVER have been allowed anywhere near a comedy. Now, "one-note actor" is not necessarily a bad thing, as he was brilliant in "To Kill A Mockingbird", "Guns of Navarone", "The Gunfighter", "The Omen", etc., but was the absolute WORST possible element of this film. It was like watching your own father try and use the lingo of the day and sound like a fool attempting to be "hip & mod". Dreadful. I literally cringed watching him be lecherous toward Sophia Loren...cringed again at his fumbling of some very basic comedy...and cringed again at his psychedelic bullfight with cars on a busy street. That's when I turned this movie off. If it got great after the drug scene, then I will never know.

Sophia Loren: there is no question she was drop-dead gorgeous, and even the site of her naked back in the shower is enough to steam up any room, but she is wasted in this stupid movie and all I could do was feel bad for her predicament. The supporting cast was okay, but was anyone fooled, then or now, by the blatantly Caucasian/British character actors with heavy makeup and dyed hair forced to pretend they were Middle Eastern/Bedouin? Give me a break.

Do you want to see this kind of film done right? Do you want to see actors adept at this kind of dialogue? Please, please, please avoid "Arabesque" and rent/buy "Charade" with two of the greatest stars in the history of film: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Is "Charade" a perfect film? No. But the two stars make it a magically enjoyable experience.

Now I must run to my DVD collection and watch "Moby Dick", or "Spellbound", or any of the previous Peck films listed to get the foul flavor of "Arabesque" out of my mouth.

Alfred Hitchcock Meets James Bond

[estabansmythe · 10/10 · 12 December 2004]

If I had the impossible task of naming one film as "My Favorite Most Enjoyable Movie" this and it's bookend, "Charade," would be it.

It is Stanley Donen's near perfect blend of Alfred Hitchcock meets James Bond. Donen made two simply wonderful films in the Hitchcock mold. The first was Charade in 1963 with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Arabesque is the second. They make a marvelous bookend set.

Both films are light, breezy and loaded with wit and humorous dialog. Both feature classic Henry Mancini scores, stylish female ward-robing by the likes of Givenchy and Christian Dior and both feature memorable titles by 007's legendary title master, Maurice Binder.

But it's Arabesque's wildly inventive cinematography which sets it apart from virtually every other action film. The cinematography is pure art school. It's amazingly inventive use of reflection and shot within a shot camera work is what first interested me in the art of cinematography as a teenager. The cinematography in Arabesque fascinates me and entertains me no end to this day.

Gregory Peck's square yet hip college professor plays perfectly with Sophia Loren's chic spy - and Sophia was never more flat-out stunning. Wow! Check out Arabesque. It's two hours of great fun.

excellent 60's thriller

[otterman62 · 7/10 · 11 December 2006]

I've just watched this movie on TV on a wet afternoon, and the time passed very quickly. Gregory Peck handles the "man thrust into the middle of a mystery" role very well, Sophia Loren's performance, as the mysterious Yasmin, is excellent but easy to overlook, due to how beautiful she looks, and Alan Badel makes an excellent villain, -complete with ever present dark glasses and a hawk! - who wouldn't be out of place in a Bond movie. There are some genuinely funny lines and more twists than at a chubby checker concert. The only (small) criticism I would offer is that it could have probably lost 10 minutes or so to make it a little punchier, and some of the action scenes now require some suspension of close examination ( why does one man select a mechanical wrecking ball as a murder weapon, rather than the slightly more practical knife or gun, and an Ascot race crowd push British reserve to the limit by largely ignoring a stabbing in the middle of them) but overall this is a very entertaining film, which I am sure you will enjoy if you liked North by Northwest or Charade.

Maybe I've lost my sense of humor

[Malco · 1/10 · 5 August 2006]

I'd love to be smoking whatever the other reviewers are smoking! I don't believe I've ever seen a worse movie with such top stars. There is a plot, but it's little used except to hang lots of shots of beautiful Sofia and the equally beautiful Gregory Peck. If that's all you're interested in, this is the movie for you. The acting is terrible. I can't think of one believable moment in the film. It's like horrible science fiction without the science.

If your girlfriend had been kidnapped at knife point, wouldn't you ask her about it when she wandered home the next day? Peck whispers something in the ear of a Buckingham Palace guard that causes him to faint. Does that really work? Fantasy is fun, stupidity rarely.

Having just watched it, I can hardly write this review because I'm still in shock at how bad it was. Beautifully shot, rich colors, fabulous set and clothes. But oh sweet mother of pearl what a rotten movie. What was Mr. Donen thinking? You may enjoy watching it to laugh how bad it is, but it's comforting to me that most of the cast are dead so they don't have to continue to be embarrassed. I can't say enough bad things about this waste of 105 minutes of good film. Ack!

A Fun Thrilling Mystery That Keeps You On The Edge Of The Seat

[Chrysanthepop · 23 April 2010]

'Arabesque' has often been compared to 'Charade' and the story does follow a similar path of twists and turns. This time it's throughout the city and countryside of London. The visualizations of the sights of London are pleasing to the eyes. The movie itself moves at a steady pace and there are a few over the top sequences but the twists keep the viewer at the edge of the seat. Moreover, it makes sense to the story which only enriches its entertainment value. The solid writing also includes some funny witty dialogues. I'm glad Cary Grant turned down the role as Gregory Peck, a much better actor, ended up with the role. He and dazzling beauty Sophia Loren make an awesome pair on screen. The chemistry is sizzling and they're both very charming actors. Overall 'Arabesque' is great fun and it is the movie to watch especially when one is feeling bored.