Review of Queen of the Desert (2015) by Russell H — 25 May 2018

There are no cheap thrills in this movie. If by entertaining, one is wowed by explosions, vice, ugliness and every scene shot in blackness, they will not find anything in this movie to hold them. There is no gore, no explicit sex, no humiliation, no heroin addicts or prostitutes. That is what makes this movie a near masterpiece.

The most difficult kind of movie to make is one that can tell a story without manipulating the audience. This is such a film. It is historically accurate, intelligently acted, well scripted and visually stunning. Gertrude Bell's life cannot be captured in a single movie. I'm waiting for a mini-series. But please, leave it to the English to make.