Customer Reviews

Arabian Nights

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As other reviewers have pointed out, the VHS edition of this movie has been hacked to bits and re-edited. There are a few other versions floating around, one is recorded on EP (bad quality) and the other is in a set and rather expensive. I saved the time by buying the DVD instead. The DVD offers a few extras like cast bios and a making of featurette (which is basically just them patting themselves on the back for a lavish production, something we could tell by ourselves) The movie is the star in this case. If you have any sort of access to a DVD player, buy the movie in this format.

The tale of Arabian Nights is an ancient one about the beautiful Scheherezade (played by lovely Israeli actress Mili Avital, best known to Americans from Stargate) who tries to cure the mad Sultan Schahriar (Scottish actor Dougray Scott) through her considerable story telling ability. At first, Schahriar is a suspicious, childish man but then as his wife's tales grip him, he begins to see the lessons she is teaching him. So, what starts as a marriage based on convenience and murder becomes a truly deep relationship.

Scheherezade's tales are brought to life by a variety of stars in a variety of settings. Some of the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" feel of the stories is removed and many of them return to their roots. The tale of Aladdin, for example, was originally set in China with the bad guy as a sort of African Shaman and that is what is used in this version. Also, the fact that there were two genies is brought to light. (American John Leguizamo is very good in the duel roles as the genies of the lamp and ring) Historical findings are also used (the clay sldiers used in a Chinese tomb to guard the dead are incorporated) And lesser known tales such as the story of Bacbac are used.

It is facinating to watch the friendship between Schahriar and Scheherezade develope. He alternately loves her, needs her, hates her and wants to kill her throughout the first half of the movie. And she knows it. Talk about spooky, being in the hands of a homicidal madman who could have her killed at the snap of his fingers. But, self-sacrifice is what make Scheherezade's character so great, she is doing it to save other women, the kingdom but most of all to save Schahriar from himself.

The camera work is imaginative and the sets and scenery (much of this was filmed in Turkey) are lavish. The costumes are breathtaking, particularly anything Scheherezade puts on. The his/hers matching armor at the climax was just too cool. The music is always appropriate without being intrusive. The special effects are pretty good (especially for TV), a few are a bit cheesy but I still liked the movie. All the trimmings aside, the cast of international stars is the main reason to watch this film.

One more note, I found that I enjoyed this movie more when I watched it at night with the lights out. Maybe Scheherezade was right when she said it was hard to create the right atmosphere with the sun shining.

This is the best of the Hallmark mini series that have been on TV lately and I do hope everyone is able to enjoy the complete and unedited version. Find an evening, get some friends, make some tea and I am certain you will be enchanted.

It's very amazing that this was originally presented as a cable mini-series - as I eventually happened to watch it in its entirety and found it to be, in fact, quite extraordinary! I never thought, in all these years of watching movies, that such a film could be made from such a classic and intricate collection of stories - Ah - and how it has come to enthrall me! I truly am undone!

Scheherazade (Mili Avital) marries the Sultan Schahriar (Dougray Scott) even though she knows that his mad mind has contrived a plan to execute his new wife the morning after their wedding. After they are married, she proceeds to spend every wakeful night with him, feeding his imagination with wondrous tales!

This is based on the classic work of writing - A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS, by Sir Richard Burton. It includes ancient tales that had been passed down for hundreds and even thousands of years! Five of these stories, including the tale of Ali Baba (Rufus Sewell) and Aladdin (Jason Scott Lee) are woven and portrayed upon the screen here in brilliant fashion! The special effects are far beyond what one would ever expect - even from a big-screen movie. I am sure, in fact, that this was only made for cable because it is a captivating 4-hours long!

The performances herein are as excellent as ever one can come by - Mili Avital and Dougray Scott are both so lovely and possess a wonderful chemistry - And the settings are nothing less than exquisite! If you have four or so hours of easy leisure - I recommend this for both its insight and its beauty~~

I watched Arabian Nights on television and I loved it. I loved everything about it: the storyline, the acting, the scenery, the costumes, everything. I was so looking forward to getting this video. I was so disappointed when I realized that the editors of this movie cut out crucial scenes that were inclued in the televised movie. It's basically a choppy mess. Some of the edited out portions were subtle but I knew where the cuts were. A good movie should flow smoothly. For example, the story about Amin the beggar and Abrashield were entirely cut out. That's a crucial part of the movie. It's when the sultan realizes what his brother is doing to him. Without that part, the scene doesn't make sense. Two stars for this video, no stars for the editor.

This is an absolutely wonderful movie! We watched it as a family and loved it! Dougray Scott is an amazing actor and very believable as the Sultan going mad. I received this video as a present and my 8 year old daughter pointed out that huge parts of it were cut out! The tale of the beggar and sultan, a huge turning point in the story was gone, among other parts! It didn't make sense! And my husband had ordered the extended play version. We finally rented it and saw it in its entirety. If you watch it make sure you get the full version...it is 175 minutes long. The cut version is 139 minutes long and really takes away from the story. The story is nothing without the crucial parts cut out. I highly recommend the extended play version and feel you are really missing out if you don't watch it at least once!

Just as Sheherazade would like it, "Arabian Nights" is a tale well told. It's a movie filled with color, humor, romance, and fascinating characters -- in short, it's everything those other awful recent "magical" miniseries wish they would've been (only to fail miserably). After suffering through the overcooked disappointments of "Merlin" or this year's "10th Kingdom," I wasn't looking forward to "Arabian Nights."

But I watched, and was glad I did. "Arabian Nights" is that rare TV attempt that does justice to the original book it's based on (1001 Nights). The miniseries is told in a tight two nights (175 minutes total on DVD), and is an example of a production in which everything was done right. The DVD itself not only boasts a beautifully rendered and uncut version of the film, it also offers an enjoyable look behind the scenes, plus the standard bios and production notes -- as well as some unusually beautiful interactive menus featuring a hint of magic in each one.

The special effects for "Arabian Nights" are beautifully done, and without the overkill usually associated with this kind of TV fare. There's also a poetry missing from most TV family entertainment -- a beautiful score, and a thoughtfully written script (by Peter Barnes). The actors also rise to the challenge: From the graceful Mili Avital, who makes a lovely and spirited Sheherazade, to Dougray Scott's complex, tormented, and surprisingly sympathetic Sultan, and delightful guest appearances from the likes of Jason Scott Lee, Rufus Sewell, Alan Bates, and many more -- Arabian Nights is one of those rare gems whose substance more than matches its style.

"In telling a story, get to the end -- then stop," says the wise old storyteller to beautiful Sheherazade. Truer words were never spoken -- Arabian Nights does indeed tell a wonderful, exciting, humorous, and even romantic story that moves with the speed of a thousand genies -- and then stops, in just the right place. Well worth a watch, and for all ages.

Arabian Nights is an amazing mini-series. It has a great and timeless story. It has great sets and special effects. The directing was wonderful. The thing that especially impressed me about this mini-series was the acting. Mili Avital(Shraizad) was phenominal, she captured the spirit of the character with amazing easy and charm. Douray Scott was extremely effective as the sultan who is going mad. The two leads chemistry, I think, really carried the movie and made you really care about what happened to them. All the actors who were in the stories being told did great jobs. It almost seemed like they were in the room with Shraizad. I think Arabain Nights and The 10th Kingdom are the best things that Hallmark Entertainment have ever done...now if the 10th kingdom got a sequel that would be great. Arabian Nights is one of the best and also one of my favorite films...along with the 10th Kingdom.

What are you to do when you're married to a husband who is a pathological misogynist who wants to kill you because he believes you're out to assasinate him? Why, you tell him stories to keep him pre-occupied, of course.

This is an enchanting, delightfully well done DVD which tells the story of Sheherazade. In the movie you will find dazzling tales and wonderful storytelling as she does what she can to ensure that hubby does not kill her. The stories are varied in their content and are sure to keep his attention (as well as yours!).

Mili Avital is wonderful as Sheherazade; her dark, exotic beauty & regal composure make her perfect for the part. The cast also includes several reputable actors who have a background in theatre (always a + in my book). The great Jason Scott Lee is a fabulous touch in his role as Alladin.

Purchase this film & travel back in time to a wondrous & mystical time. Artisan has put together another top-knotch winner here; one that is not only exemplery, but a movie the whole family can enjoy. I would also recommend giving a listen to the Sheherazade musical score written by the Russian composer Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov. This is one of the most beautiful, poetic, visually entrancing feel-good movies I've seen in quite awhile.

Until recent times, in this age of terrorists, the Western world's most memorable impression of the Middle East came through Scheherazade and her wonderful tales of "The Thousand and One Arabian Nights." That's why it was a pleasure to leave behind the suicide bombings, beheadings and snarling hatred, to revisit this magical world of romance and intrigue; even if only for one night.

Most of us are familiar with the best-known tales of the Arabian Nights, `Aladdin and the Magic Lamp' and `Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' but as the story goes, there were more, a lot more.

Plot

Emmy award winning, Arabian Nights, is a shortened interpretation of the saga of Scheherazade, an Arab Queen who delayed her scheduled execution by weaving a web of incredible tales for a thousand and one nights. Each night she would tell her enchanting tale, making sure to leave the story unfinished at dawn forcing the king to stay her execution on a daily basis, until finally, he was hopelessly in love with her, and deferred her execution permanently.

The Story

The Sultan Schariar (Dougray Scott) was driven paranoid by his wife's infidelity and collusion in his assassination attempt by his brother Shazanon. (James Frain) - an attack, in which the Sultaness was killed. Needing to take a wife to keep his throne from his brother, and no longer able to trust the women close to him, the Sultan concocts a bizarre plan in which he will execute his bride the morning after their wedding.

Knowing full well, that it is Sultan Schariar's (Dougray Scott) intention to have her executed the morning after their marriage, Scheherazade, (Mili Avital) the Grand Vizar's daughter and childhood friend of the young prince, volunteers to marry the Sultan in an effort to bring him back to his senses while saving other women of the harem from a similar fate.

On the wedding night, Scheherazade begins telling the Sultan a story, which extends far into the night. It is the story of `Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.' By daybreak, the scheduled time of execution, she is at a crossroads in the tale and the frustrated king suspends the execution for a day. So goes the pattern Scheherazade initiated, deftly weaving the fabric of an enthralling story, yet not finishing each night and getting a morning reprieve. This goes on for a thousand nights, until the Sultan not only trusts her but loves her as well.

Arabian Nights was a made for TV movie which aired on Hallmark Theater early in 2000. This condensed version shows only five of the hundreds of tales that Scheherazade ostensibly spins for the Sultan. In a twist, the show tries to portray how these tales later helped the Sultan turn back an attack sponsored by his treacherous brother. For me, this seemed rather forced as the tales only mildly fit the scenario in which they were placed.

Not unexpected, the film takes liberties by varying from both history, being Persian rather than Arab, and the actual story, wherein Scheherazade had a little sister and portraying Scherazade as the first wife chosen, rather than the last of a bloody trail of previously executed women.

As a whole, the show was most enjoyable. Almost but not quite five stars. The acting, especially by Mili Avital was very good, the story flowed well and despite it's extensive length of almost three hours, never loses the viewer's interest.

This is a family movie, suitable for all but the youngest (under six) of children.

Arabian Nights is a spectacularly lavish fantasy!
Based on the 1001 Arabian Nights that Schiharazade told the sultan every night to keep him in suspense and keep him from executing her! The story is marveously played out. It does not suffer the burden of being a TV movie and lacking the budget and grand scope of a movie but instead acts takes advantage of the fact that it is a TV show! Originally on television the story was divided into two separate two-hour parts, told different nights. But on DVD it plays just as a movie would, with lavish, larger-than-life sets that needed to be just right for the movie to succeed. And succeed the movie does, marvelously in fact.
Telling 5 main stories in addition to the main story that's being played out. The stories are, in order: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (An expertly told adaption of the classic arabian tale with fine acting and even a twist ending that will please everyone), The Sultan's Jester (An amusing story that I had not heard before about a court jester who accidentally chokes on a fishbone and dies, the people who he was dining with, thinking that they had killed the Sultan's beloved jester, leave the body at the door of a doctor who also believing he'd killed the jester, brings him to another person's house and so on, all and all an amusing, well told tale), Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (The longest, biggest and most lavishly told of the 5 tales, Aladdin recounts the tale we all know, but a seemingly different, more authentic, and interesting version. Look for John Leguizemo of Moulin Rouge, and Collateral Damage as the genie), Never Tell the Same Joke Twice (A very interesting and seemingly new tale that ties the two main characters in the real story into this story. A tale that has the sultan playing jokes on one of his particular citizens by having him go from a drunk to waking up as the Sultan and then back and forth. All and all very amusing and even funny), The last story, surely one of the best, is a magical tale that tells the story of three brothers who go out on a quest to find the greatest gift on earth. A tale of love, hope, and brotherhood. Spectacular), abrubtly after this story ends we are thrust into a battle between the sultan and his evil twisted brother bent on revenge. The sultan uses something from each one of the stories told to him by the beautiful Schiherazade to fight the battle.
The running time for the entire film is just under 3 hours.
The time moves fast though, and the virtues of having this movie on DVD are clear once you see it on the disc. One wishes they could have recorded a commentary for the movie but alas, there is none as it is a TV movie. All in all a spectacular epic fantasy!

Some of these network special-effect T.V. movies have been rather cheesy in the past, but I was very impressed with "Arabian Nights" it was done quite well.

Arabian Nights" is continuing proof that it is possible to put together a highly entertaining, superbly-acted television program with a cast of primarily lesser-known actors and actresses. The performances in the movie are almost uniformly first-rate. For example, John Leguizamo is hilarious and totally believable as Aladdin's genie(s), and far better than Robin Williams' portrayal in Disney's "Aladdin." Mili Avital is enchanting as Scheherezade, and Dougray Scott and James Frain are terrific as the warring brothers Schariar and Schazenan (an interesting re-telling of the original base story line). The ever-reliable Rufus Sewell and Alan Bates give very enjoyable portrayals of Ali Baba and the Storyteller, respectively, and Jason Scott Lee gives a very amusing turn as Aladdin. I particularly enjoyed the segment of the constantly fighting Princes of Yemen, Ali, Ahmed, and Hussain (played with gusto by relative unknowns Alexis Conran, James Callis, and Hari Dhillon). While it is the acting that really shines in "Arabian Nights," the set designs and costuming are truly magical. The special effects are also very good considering the budget limitations of the small screen.

If you're going to rent or buy this on video/DVD, be careful to find the 175 minute version. I don't know what they cut from the shorter version, but honestly you won't want to miss ANY of these marvelous TV movies.