A young British woman is kidnapped by an Arabian sheikh and held captive in his harem. At first she frantically tries to escape, but as they slowly get to know and appreciate each other the difference between captor and captive dissolves.
Acting
Omar Sharif's smoldering restraint vs. Nancy Travis's panic.
Costume
Ava Gardner dripping jewels as the jaded ex-favorite.
Production
Lavish harem sets that scream 'we spent the budget here.'
Director
William Hale
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of 1980s Hollywood's Orientalist revival, riding the coattails of 'The Sheltering Sky' and 'Lawrence of Arabia' nostalgia.
Omar Sharif reportedly hated this film and only took it for the paycheck—his discomfort arguably improves the performance.
US
