The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Lavishly mounted and set, the accent is firmly on the magic, the color and the fan¬tasy rather than on the actors or the plot. As in the Fairbanks version, the story is no more than a convenient peg on which to hang dazzling pictorial effects. But the silent film did have a very likable hero in Fairbanks himself, whereas John Justin is rather dull. Fortunately, Sabu is winningly impish as the hero's companion, while Miss Duprez makes a most attractive princess and Miles Malleson a delightfully wheezy sultan. Rex Ingram, hampered by some very obvious process screen effects, is okay as the genie. And Conrad Veidt provides a fascinatingly diabolic portrayal of the evil Grand Vizier. Perinal and Korda thoroughly deserved their Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards. And Rosza's nomination for his imaginatively atmospheric music scoring was also spot on. The special effects are a little tacky by present standards, but don't let that criticism deter you from indulging in the stunning visual richness of this no-expense-spared, escapist spectacle.

a film who you desire see. again. and again. perfect , seductive, fascinating, realistic in a manner who must be discovered because it seems be out of words. a simple story. about old fashion virtues. about magic and about a page from Arabian Nights and one of the best ways to discover , after a long time, the flavors and colors and voices of childhood. Sabu is more than great and John Justin is the real imagined prince. the story is dramatic and amusing and honest and fresh and seductive and full of gifts for the public from each age. its profound honesty is the lead virtue. and the source of fascination in the era of high technology who gives a so cold version of reality than a film like "The Thief of Bagdad" represents the ideal refuge.

First, though fictional, scenes from "The Thief of Baghdad" such as a public beheading are actually truer to the old (and current) Middle East and less slavish to political correctness than supposedly well-researched contemporary movies like "Kingdom of Heaven." Second, images of a genie materializing from smoke, flying horses, flying carpets, and a man residing underwater are dated visual effects by today's standards, but are clever, imaginative, and groundbreaking for 1940. "The Thief of Baghdad" no doubt set the stage for swashbuckling special effect successors like "Sinbad the Sailor," "Clash of the Titans," and "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad." Third, this movie has good guys versus bad guys (Ahmad & Abu vs. Jaffar), romance (Ahmad & the princess), humor (the battle of wits between Abu and the genie), and a series of mini-adventures within the larger adventure. It's a good formula for popcorn & fun. Recommmended.

This is simply one of my favorite fantasy films of all time. Not many movies are so magical, so charming and so imaginative as this. I can clearly see the influence of this movie in many movies that came later, but not many of them were as good as this one. "The Thief of Bagdad" had everything that you could want from a fantasy films: An exciting, unpredictable story, charming and likable characters, and an incredible, beautiful atmosphere and incredible visuals (That still look pretty good)I wish there were more movies like this. I would give this movie eleven stars if I could. I highly recommend it to anyone!