Three Thousand Years of Longing

WOW! A great and sumptuous movie about desire - the longing for it as well as the dangers and consequences of it.

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The premise is that a professor of Narratology (the study of stories) goes to a conference in Turkey and finds a genie in a bottle.

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In my opinion, the plot is less important than the stories that are told over the course of the film, each of which elicits so many feelings. When it ended, I felt a sense of awe; like I was coming out of a particularly sensational dream.

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This film, which is loosely based on a short story by A. S. Byatt, was directed by George Miller (of Mad Max, Fury Road fame). The direction is remarkable: the scene transitions, the angles, camera tricks, and the CGI are amazing. It’s fast-paced, nuanced, and surreal. The textures, colors, and situations are flamboyant and fantastical. I loved this so much!

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An unlikely romantic couple, Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton each play their parts well. Idris, especially, does a great job with a Turkish/Northern African accent and Tilda is her usual slightly-eccentric British self.

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The only thing about this film that seems a little off is that the professor, who we would expect to be staid, is a bit idiosyncratic, and the djinn, who we would expect to be a trickster, is a straight-shooter.

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Other than that small disparity, I can’t recommend this film enough.

This movie cost 60million to make and earned 20 million at the box office, but I loved it. It’s a visual delight.

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