Black Gold (2011)
Certified: 12
Duration: 130 minutes
Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Starring: Tahar Rahim, Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed, Corey Johnson, Liya Kebede, Lotfi Dziri, Hichem Rostom, Mostafa Gaafar, Jamal Awar, Driss Roukhe
KRS release
Inspired by the classic Laurence of Arabia, this Italian/French/Qatar production is directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the man behind Enemy at the Gates (2001), The Bear (1988), Two Brothers (2004), Seven Years In Tibet (1997) and the classic The Name of the Rose (1986).
This time around he is adapting the 1957 novel South of the Heart: A Novel of Modern Arabia by Hans Ruesch and delivers a film that speaks for itself, visually.
Black Gold is a tale of two feuding kingdoms, the people caught in between and the search for oil.
The film is set in the 1930s when Amar, the Sultan of Salmaah (Mark Strong), and emir Nesib (Antonio Banderas) are at war, with Nesib emerging the victor.
Tahar Reim plays Auda, a prince whose thoughts always lie in the books he reads.
Along with his brother Saleeh (Akin Gazi) he has to go to live in Nesib’s kingdom as glorified hostages so that a neutral zone may be established and observed between the two kingdoms. Thus the war comes to an end.
Nesib declares that he will raise Auda and Saleeh as though they were his own.
When oil is found and the promise of wealth becomes tangible, all bets are off and Nesib shows his true colours once again.
It is up to Auda now to bring back peace and the bridging of two philosophies: war and diplomacy. Freida Pinto as Nesib’s daughter only helps to complicate matters.
The manner in which the director opts to shoot the film harkens back to the adventure films of the 1950s but with a higher level of sophistication.
The desert of Qatar here takes on a life of its own, superimposed on the cast.
The cinematography is quite rousing especially in the crowd scenes. We are also given a very different perspective to the Arab and Islamic cultures usually portrayed in Hollywood movies.
The film takes a good look at the arrival of foreigners craving for oil and the earthquake of change that this brings about in a region that is still undergoing drastic changes up to the present day.
All this is encapsulated within a majestic score by James Horner who provides the right polish to the film’s epic ambitions.
The one to really stand out in the cast is Tahar Rehim who brings the right charisma to the screen as much as he had done in the recent The Prophet.
Mark Strong looks quite regal and the beautiful Freida Pinto seems to invite us into the action through her viewpoint, while Riz Ahmed provides the rebel edge to the film.
Mr Annuad delivers a glossy film that shines off the screen. His direction is calm and traditional, with no real sense of urgency. The film’s visuals are the seductive aspect of the film as Mr Annaud mines the mysteries and charms of the desert.