There are likely few corners of the world where globe-trotting Werner Herzog hasn’t been, and the idea of the filmmaker telling the story of one of the key figures in the modern history of the Middle East is an intriguing one. So he rounded up some stars, put together "Queen Of The Desert," and a new international trailer provides our first real look at the picture.
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Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Robert Pattinson, and Damian Lewis feature in the true story of Gertrude Bell, a British explorer, traveler, archaeologist, and political officer who made her influence known in the Middle East during the 1920s, helping to shape its future. Here’s the official synopsis:
The film tells the story of Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) who, as historian, novelist and member of the British secret service, played a decisive role around 1920 in setting the course for the new political order in the Middle East. As an educated young woman, for whom no suitable husband can be found in England, she journeys to Tehran. After a tragic love affair with diplomat and inveterate gambler Henry Cadogan, she decides to give up on her private life and discover the region as an explorer. Before the backdrop of the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire she learns languages, translates literature, meets with Muslim dignitaries in Cairo, Basra and Baghdad and earns their trust through her pluck and respect. Predestined to be a mediator between the Orient and the British Empire, she contributes to defining the new borders in the region after the First World War. And then love enters her life once again. Werner Herzog uses the vast desert landscapes to depict the architecture of his characters’ souls. A panoramic epic about the woman who has gone down in history as ‘the female Lawrence of Arabia’.
Check out our review and watch the trailer below. There’s no U.S. release date yet for the film. [Queen Of The Desert Film] 6.28.15 update: a new HD version of the trailer without subtitles has arrived via RPattisonDaily.