Three Thousand Years of Longing
In George Miller’s long-in-gestation fantasy, a complacent literary scholar is exposed to the exotic tales of a genie.
Crack a bottle: Tilda Swinton
We tell stories to make sense of our lives. Whether that’s in idle gossip, the TV soaps we follow, the operas we love or of the bedtime variety, stories shape our lives. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is a ‘narratologist’ who has dedicated her life to examining and exploring the mythologies our of species, from Greek, Roman and Norse, right up to the present day with D.C. Comics and Marvel. Alithea is happy with her lot, with her well-paying job that engages her mind, with her beautiful home in central London and all the comforts that money can afford. So, when during a business trip to Istanbul she unwittingly unleashes a genie (Idris Elba) from an ancient bottle, she has nothing to wish for. Initially, at least, it proves to be an unsatisfactory arrangement…
Adapted from a short story by A.S. Byatt, Three Thousand Years of Longing feels like something brought to life from a literary saga. There is so much in it, drawing on Mesopotamian texts, Arabic folklore, Chaucer and Shakespeare, not to mention the humdrum existence of Alithea, like something out of an Anita Brookner novella. And for cinephiles, there’s even a pinch of Charlie Kaufman. It is a bold and original piece, that is as likely to baffle some as to prove transformative for others, which is no bad thing. In fact, it’s astonishing that such an unusual, literary fantasy has found itself with such a large budget ($60m) and a wide release. One should embrace such endeavours, albeit with caution.
The second fantastical epic to arrive from an Australian director this summer, Three Thousand Years of Longing is even more visually intoxicating than Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. The technical wizardry of which the narrative despairs, is sublimely put to use to conjure up the ancient worlds of Ottoman splendour and the ethereal dimensions of the genie – the Djinn. George Miller, now 77, has had an extraordinary career, encompassing the Mad Max quartet, the Babe films and the exhilarating Happy Feet, each distinguished by his pictorial stamp. But there is a dichotomy at the heart of his new film: a cautionary tale of how modern technology has prevented us from putting the magic back in the bottle, the film itself is a CGI blitzkrieg, albeit a hugely seductive one. A hallucinogenic, mentally-stirring experience, it is likely to confound and entrance in equal measure, and unlikely to leave the viewer’s brain in a hurry. It is, however, more of a visual and verbal pleasure than an emotionally engaging one.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, Aamito Lagum, Burcu Gölgedar, Matteo Bocelli, Ece Yüksel, Anna Betty Adams, Ayantu Usman.
Dir George Miller, Pro George Miller and Doug Mitchell, Screenplay George Miller and Augusta Gore, from the short story ‘The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye’ by A. S. Byatt, Ph John Seale, Pro Des Roger Ford, Ed Margaret Sixel, Music Tom Holkenborg, Costumes Kym Barrett, Sound James Ashton and Robert Mackenzie, Dialect coach Susan Hegarty.
FilmNation Entertainment/Elevate Production Finance/Sunac Culture/Kennedy Miller Mitchell-Entertainment Film Dists.
107 mins. USA/Australia. 2022. US Rel: 26 August 2022. UK Rel: 2 September 2022. Cert. 15.
