The Sheltering Sky (1990)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers (WGA):

Paul Bowles (book)
Mark Peploe (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

Tagline:

A woman's dangerous and erotic journey...

Plot:

The American artist couple Port and Kit Moresby travel aimlessly through Africa, searching for new experiences that could give sense to their relationship. But the flight to distant regions only leads both deeper into despair.

Plot Keywords:

Travel | Brooklyn Bridge | French | Male Nudity | Cunnilingus

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Debra Winger	...	Kit Moresby
John Malkovich	...	Port Moresby
Campbell Scott	...	George Tunner
Jill Bennett	...	Mrs. Lyle
Timothy Spall	...	Eric Lyle
Eric Vu-An	...	Belqassim
Amina Annabi	...	Mahrnia
Philippe Morier-Genoud	...	Captain Broussard
Sotigui Kouyaté	...	Abdelkader (as Sotigui Kouyate)
Tom Novembre	...	French Immigration Officer
Ben Smaïl	...	Smail
Kamel Cherif	...	Ticket Seller
Mohammed Afifi	...	Mohamed
Brahim Oubana	...	Young Arab
Carolyn De Fonseca	...	Miss Ferry

Also Known As:

Il tè nel deserto (Italy)

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

UK | Italy

Language:

English | French | Arabic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:M | Italy:T | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Sweden:11 | UK:18 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Natasha Richardson said she wrote Bernardo Bertolucci a long letter begging for the role of Kit.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The crew is reflected in the mirror when Kit gets out of bed alone.

Quotes:

Tunner: We're probably the first tourists they've had since the war.
Kit Moresby: Tunner, we're not tourists. We're travelers.
Tunner: Oh. What's the difference?
Port Moresby: A tourist is someone who thinks about going home the moment they arrive, Tunner.
Kit Moresby: Whereas a traveler might not come back at all.
Tunner: You mean I'm a tourist.
Kit Moresby: Yes, Tunner. And I'm half and half.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Oi treis harites: Kai o Theos eplase... tin Bebeka" (????)

Soundtrack:

Goulov Limma

A feast for the senses

It's hard to understand why this film doesn't get better reviews. Yes of course it's a reflective arty film where evoking feelings is more important than narrative drive. The amount of nudity, though in keeping with the story, does perhaps hinder its being taken seriously by some.

Surely though it succeeds as well as any film has in painting a cinematic picture of the experience of being a stranger in a strange land? The cultural barriers, dissonances, language, the maze of similar streets - everything comes together to create the feeling of utter helplessness Kit experiences when she tries to get help for the ill Port. The confusing weird relationships, often only partially depicted in the film heighten the sense of being adrift in life.

Together with some of the best ever desert cinematography rivaling even Lawrence of Arabia, North African music, noises, characters and colors this film is a rich feast for the senses indeed. And what a wonderful final voice-over, one of the most deep and thought-provoking lines in all the movies.