DramaAdventureHistory

Queen of the Desert

- One woman can change the course of history

A chronicle of Gertrude Bell's life, a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Release Date : 2015-09-03

Language :EnglishTurkishArabicFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Benaroya Pictures120dB FilmsPalmyra FilmsSierra/AffinityElevated Films

Production Country : MoroccoUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Gertrude Bell

Original Name : Nicole Kidman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Henry Cadogan

Original Name : James Franco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Richard Wylie

Original Name : Damian Lewis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fattuh

Original Name : Jay Abdo

Gender : Male

Character Name : T.E. Lawrence

Original Name : Robert Pattinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Florance Bell

Original Name : Jenny Agutter

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hugh Bell

Original Name : David Calder

Gender : Male

Character Name : Winston Churchill

Original Name : Christopher Fulford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Mark Sykes

Original Name : Nick Waring

Gender : Male

Character Name : Florence Lascelles

Original Name : Holly Earl

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judith

Original Name : Sophie Linfield

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lascelles

Original Name : Mark Lewis Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aunt Lascelles

Original Name : Beth Goddard

Gender : Female

Character Name : Thompson

Original Name : Michael Jenn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Earl of Chester

Original Name : William Ellis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Arnold Runcie

Original Name : John Wark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Havenhurst

Original Name : Richard Goulding

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hairdresser

Original Name : Charlie Hollway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Abdullah

Original Name : Younes Benzakour

Gender : Male

Character Name : Omar

Original Name : Hamza El Moustaati

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dispatcher

Original Name : Abdellah Bensaidi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lieutenant

Original Name : Abdellatif Chaouqi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary

Original Name : Megan Sullivan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Druze Sheikh

Original Name : Mohamed Boussalem

Gender : Male

Character Name : Warrior

Original Name : Mehdi Quazzani

Gender : Male

Character Name : Druze Warrior

Original Name : Mostafa El Houari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fortune Teller

Original Name : Hamid Najah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Man

Original Name : Mohamed Ziat

Gender : Male

Character Name : Horseman

Original Name : Anas El Baz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dignitary

Original Name : Qualid Mezouar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Minister

Original Name : Hicham Haijji

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheikh Harb

Original Name : Abderrahmane Baalla

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shop Owner

Original Name : Nick N. Raslan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hamad

Original Name : Amadou Salah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hayil Gate Keeper

Original Name : Ismael Kanater

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ibrahim

Original Name : Fehd Benchemsi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fatima

Original Name : Nadia Niazi

Gender : Female

Character Name : Turkkiyeh

Original Name : Fatima ezzahra El Jaouhari

Gender : Female

Character Name : Emir

Original Name : Anas Cherifi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Francis Montary

Gender : Male

Character Name : General

Original Name : Colin Goodwin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel

Original Name : Peter Stevenson

Gender : Male

Character Name : King Abdullah

Original Name : Ayoub Layoussifi

Gender : Male

Character Name : King Faisal

Original Name : Younes Bouab

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheikh

Original Name : Assaad Bouab

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady Ascot (uncredited)

Original Name : Sarah Crowden

Gender : Female

Character Name : Farsi voice actor (uncredited)

Original Name : Renee Faia

Gender : Female

Character Name : Farsi voice actor (uncredited)

Original Name : Mustafa Haidari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Handmaiden (uncredited)

Original Name : Christina Low

Gender : Female

Reviews

Reno

@Rangan

2024-05-16

> The woman who knew every inch of the middle-east! It is a kind of female version of 'Lawrence of Arabia', the lead actress herself told that. A biographical drama of a British woman who had played an important role in many middle-eastern affairs during the early 1900s. After the tragic death of the man she was madly in love, the young Gertrude Bell decides to travel across the middle-east to write about it and to do some archaeological research and other stuffs. After the decades of travel on all the corners of the region, what she achieved was the film disclosed in an inspiring way. I love this director's films and filmmaking style. It is his first time since last 6 years, but not good as I expected. It is a bit of both, documentary and feature film. Awesomely shot, I loved the camera work and actors too did so well. Nicole Kidman was brilliant, might be her best for portraying in a real life character. Yet something was missing from the film. Maybe the film came at the wrong time, should have been made at least 15 years ago. Otherwise, it is an Oscar worthy product. This film is worth watching for the beautiful desert landscapes and obviously for Kidman. The issue with the story is the focus which completely relied on Kidman's role. She was everywhere and leaving blank on the other end. Something like showing what she accomplished was the notion, so in perspective, it could have made a better documentary film. Some people might like it, especially if you're from the middle-east. But don't expect I would recommend it, because I won't. Whatever I said the film was not bad, just a 50-50 kind. 5/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-07-07

Despite assembling a decent enough cast, this biopic of the formidable desert adventurer Gertrude Bell is really little better than a fine example of the arts of cinematography in sandy and windy climes. She (Nicole Kidman) is in Arabia as the Ottoman Empire continues to decline and the European powers pick over it's bones. Her arrival in British Egypt introduces her to her first love "Cadogan" (James Franco) - the third secretary at the British mission but that romance, like her entire life on the nearby peninsula, takes twists and turns before she meets soldier "Wylie" (Damian Lewis). All of this is happening against a backdrop of colonial expansion and her own desires to explore the place and make friends - especially difficult amidst a culture that had a very specific role for women. Gradually, though, she becomes respected and even a facilitator for the British running the British Arab Bureau that was instrumental in supporting the efforts of T.E. Lawrence (Robert Pattinson). It makes a bit more sense if you know some of the history, but otherwise this is a ponderously weak drama that spends way too long on, admittedly beautiful, establishing shots and nowhere near enough time developing the character of this courageous and intelligent woman. Kidman never catches fire in the role, her accent is certainly not British and she (and director Werner Herzog) struggle to get much out of the co-stars who look like they are just going through the motions. You do leave the film with a respect for the decency of the Bedouin aspiring just to be left alone to govern themselves, but the production itself is very much a case of style over substance.