The Sheltering Sky

SYNOPSIS

Following the international success of The Last Emperor, Bernardo Bertolucci produced this immensely ambitious film of Paul Bowles's strange, mystical, metaphysical novel. The tale is about an American married couple (John Malkovich and Debra Winger) and a friend (Campbell Scott) touring North Africa in 1947 in search of the mystery that is the desert (shades of Lawrence of Arabia!). Filmed in arduous conditions in Algeria and Niger, the movie tries to be bookish and introspective yet full of vast landscapes. Despite the obvious commitment of Winger, who gives an intensely physical performance, it remains a rather soulless and aloof experience.