Customer Reviews

Caravans

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

 

 

I was a teacher in Iran when this movie was being filmed there in 1977. Although the country mentioned in the film was a fictional place, I think the actual place in the Michner novel was Afghanistan or thereabouts. However, most of this film was made on location in the Esfahan area of Iran. The scenery is really beautiful, and although the movie time era is supposed to be the 40's, what you see in the film was typical of what you saw there in 1977, and most likely typical of today as well. It's a good and enjoyable story, somewhat whimsical, but still very enjoyable, especially if you have an interest in the Middle East, Iran in particular. Jennifer O'Neill plays the runaway diplomat's daughter, Anthony Quinn is the crusty, wise, much older tribal leader she supposedly runs away with (although there doesn't seem to be an actual romantic connection with them), Michael Sarrazin (who was a bit of a heartthrob circa 1977) is the young diplomat sent into the desert to find her and convince her to come home, and Anthony's son Duncan Quinn plays the role of Quinn's son. Many of the tribal people you see in the film are actual Qashqai tribal members who were living in their tents around the Esfanhan area and who migrate around the area just like the tribe in the film, so they are the real thing and most of them are not actors. The film's background music is good, too. This film was a big deal when I was there in Iran, and as I recall the film was some sort of a project which had the late Shah's sponsorship...I believe he was trying to jump start the film industry in Iran at the time. The Iranian actor who played O'Neill's Iranian husband was at the time one of Iran's biggest actors.

I bought this movie having never seen it before. My father purchased the sound track album in the early 80s and my whole family flipped over this sound track. The sound track is one of the best sound tracks I have ever heard. It is very moving. I was in my early twenties when I fell in love with this sound track and now in my fortys, I still crank the volume for the caravan theme song. I had heard the movie was not very good even though it has a lot of big names. In my opinion the movie lacks passion. You do not feel the passion that the missing wife has for the life she is now leading and never understand why she left her husband or even married him. You do not feel the love that any man has for her and three men are in love with her. The only thing and it's a BIG plus is that the movie comes with the soundtrack. The sound track is worth every bit of the cost of the movie.

A great film with one of the best soundtracks ever written. I was eagerly yearning for this DVD to be released, but I am now very, very disappointed: The DVD is definitely not „digitally remasted" as stated on the cover, but it obvoiusly seems to be a very poor transcription from a rental-VHS-tape which has been viewed dozens of times. Both the picture and sound quality are miserable. It is really a pity that this great movie is treated that way. I hope that another company will re-release it in proper quality.

. . . a super soundtrack that has haunted me for years and the stunning views of the Iranian desert. I saw this movie back in the early 80s and managed to tape it the next time it came on--and that was the last I heard of it. I'd watch my "edited for TV" tape every so often and have nagging memories of what was left out. I do like this movie. True, Jennifer O'Neill is totally incongruous amongst the nomads, but hey, it's a movie. I am glad it's finally available on DVD, but the film quality is poor. One of the extras is the sountrack--and that makes it worth the purchase. On a side note, when I first saw the film, I went and read Michener's novel. I didn't like Ellen as well, but the cultural and historical aspects I picked up on Afghanistan have served me well these past 25 yrs.

Having waited over 25 years to finally see this film I must say that I have ended up with rather mixed feelings! A mediocre script does little justice to the deep and emotive themes in Michener's stunning novel. The author's empathy for the people of Afghanistan, his appreciation for the societal and political conflicts within post World War 2 Middle East and his understanding of the complexities of the rebellious young spirit are regrettably lost in this screen adaptation of the book. However, the movie is definitely worth seeing for probably one of the best musical scores ever, some great views of the Iranian desert and a sterling performance from Anthony Quinn.

I heart a lot of bad things about this film but was happy to have it finally 30 years after I first heart the fantastic soundtrack by Mike Batt. And that's one plus of the DVD, you get the soundtrack as a bonus. Well the film itself is as bad as expected (worst performances, uninspired direction), so no surprise on that. But the technical standard tops it all. My first impression was it's an illegal copy, picture and sound are as taken from a very very old VHS-tape, no digital remastering (as it says on the cover) for sure. Unbelievable, making (legal!) copies of my old VHS-tapes myself gives better results than that. So beware - it's a chance to have the film but the technical quality is a mess!

This suspenseful movie starring Anthony Quinn is about a CIA operative going into the Persian Desert to recover a missing diplomat's daughter with beautiful Iranian scenery,it's a nicely done film!!

I will be buying this DVD because I accidentally re-taped something else over the first part. Another commenter says Jennifer O'neill wandering around doesn't look appropriate. But she's playing an AMERICAN who chooses to be a nomad, and who expects her to be an Afghan? I hated the end, but the music sounds like Mexican fiesta music set incongruously in Afghanistan, yet somehow it fits. She was out of place there as a national as is the music, and it became appropriate. It sounds like "Have you ever ever ever loved a Woman?" yet it works. I am not sure if the DVD will be of good quality or not but it will be playable, and anything with Quinn in it is good enough for me.

It has a great soundtrack. A digitally remastered version should be created. There are very relevant themes from the 1970s in this film. The heroine Ellen is a woman who has to make great sacrifices to achieve her own freedom of spirit. The men in her life are a mixed bag of tricks. Her chosen lifestyle to live with nomads is a very "hippy" theme. I love it.

I watched the movie because I read the book and listened to the soundtrack since I was a kid. But the editing is some of the worst I've ever seen. They used a butcher's knife to edit this movie. Scenes cut in and out at the wost places - the theme soundtrack cuts in abrubtly and ends just as abtrubtly. The movie lacks passion or the sense and feel that it deserves. Watch it if you must, but you'll probably be disappointed just as I was.