La reina del desierto

The problem is that both the love story and the biopic are equally important, but I don't believe the first one and there's not enough of the second. There are plenty of romantic dreams and related empty words, which only occasionally bothered me. The problem is that the fate of the main protagonist's love interest, which largely determines her later journey, is for a love interest played by James Franco. I don't know who was in charge of the casting, but replacing the originally intended (and unfortunately unavailable at that time) Jude Law with the unremarkable Franco, who is also eleven years younger than Nicole Kidman, was a step in the wrong direction. All motivations are undermined at that moment, and not even the other fateful men that life placed in Gertrude's path can change that. On the other hand, the cartographic part of the story is grandiose and drawn-out, yet doesn't reveal much about Miss Bell's significant steps. Most of it is occupied by rocks, dunes, and all the other hidden corners that the desert hides, and Werner Herzog allows the images to speak far more than the facts. I feel an eternal loneliness, detachment from the normal world, and the closeness of a different way of thinking that simply cannot be explained to people who haven't experienced those places. But using only beautiful music in the background of the vast dunes seems so inadequate considering the captivating theme. (23.12.2020)

Perhaps because Bell's biography is not the same as Lawrence of Arabia, my enthusiasm is not as great. Nevertheless, the due of Kidman and Herzog offers an unusual sensory experience. Middle Eastern politics, the role of women in society, of course, and many other appealing themes are framed by Herzog in canvases full of pastel colors, and Kidman reminiscing about her roles from her youth, for which she has always had her legendary esprit. Queen of the Desert is an adventure with a magical touch. I’d recommend it to those who are enchanted by The Garden of Allah. (29.09.2017)

A romance that is not very good, but wants to pretend to be something artistic, because it is a biographical film about a woman who was important, well mainly for herself, but it is true that she also published and obviously appealed to a lot of people in the field that most of us would not reach. The Bedouins allegedly remember her. Well, despite the interesting creators, I will not remember her. (27.01.2016)

Considering that it was supposed to be more or less a biopic, it was pretty weak, because I didn't learn anything substantial about the British researcher Gertrude Bell. The strong romantic storyline rather bored me than made me dreamy. It's hard to say whether I would speak differently if the main roles were played by the originally intended Naomi Watts and Jude Law. In my opinion, the storytelling style was too drawn-out and dry. The overall impression was slightly improved by the captivating shots of the desert. (55%) (26.05.2021)