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Actors: Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren and Alan Badel
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Arabesque |
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Arabesque
Directed by Stanley Donen, 1966
Staring Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren and Alan Badel
This is a 1960's action thriller that takes place in England and revolves around oil, Middle Eastern political intrigue and attempted assignation.
David Pollock (Gregory Peck), a young American professor teaching ancient Middle Eastern languages at an English university, finds himself enmeshed in the middle of a deadly three way political struggle.
Pollock's mildly boring and safe university existence is suddenly interrupted when he is secretly approached by the prime minister of a Middle Eastern nation asking him to accept a request from a wealthy businessman from the same country named Beshraavi (played by Alan Badel) to translate a note written in an ancient Hittite hieroglyphic script that is in Beshraavi's possession. Pollock is then asked to report back to the prime minister about what Beshraavi and his company are up to with the note.
Pollock accepts the assignment and begins work on the translation in the spacious mansion occupied by Beshraavi in London. In the mansion he meets Yasmin Azir (played by Sophia Loren), Beshraavi's host/mistress. Yasmin at first appears to befriend Pollock by warning him of the danger he is in by working for Beshraavi. But as Pollock attempts to escape the mansion with Yasmin's help he is plunged into the middle of a three way murderous struggle between Beshraavi organization, a liberation organization seeking to overthrow the democratic government of the Middle Eastern nation's prime minister and the prime minister and his London embassy staff. Yasmin appears to be connected to all three antagonists and it is difficult to determine whose side she is on and whether she is a friend or foe to Pollock.
--Chuck Nugent, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Arabesque |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 40%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Spying & Terrorists
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- main char doing spying/sabotage
Romance
Yes
The terrorist enemy is...
- arabs/muslims!
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- scholar
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- short/standard wavy (man)
Body type
- muscular (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- ample bosom & buttocks (woman)
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Turkish
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- businessman, big
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard curly
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Arab
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
How much use of techno gadgets?
- 1 (None)
Kind of violence:
- guns
Any profanity?
- None
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Chuck Nugent
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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