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The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
Prepare to enter the visual fantasy of an Arabian Nights tale in The Thief of Bagdad. Behold the sights of teeming markets, towering palaces, malevolent genies and magical mysteries. In this wonderful story we travel with Ahmad (John Justin) and Abu (Sabu) as they attempt to rescue the beautiful princess from the clutches of the evil Vizier Jaffar (Conrad Veidt).

At first the story is told in flashback by Ahmad, who has been blinded by Jaffar, as he searches for his love, the Princess. We find that Jaffar originally deposed Ahmad from his royal seat with the intention of killing him and taking control. However, Ahmad managed to escape with the help of the young thief, Abu, to Basra and freedom. Here he fell in love with the Princess, in a delightful sequence where he pretends to be the genie in the pool, and she with him. Unfortunately Jaffar also desires the Princess and thwarts Ahmad again, tempting the Princess' father with magical toys, blinding him and turning Abu into a dog.

Here we enter the present where the Princess has fallen into an enchanted sleep, pining for her true love. Ahmad wakes her only to find that she is immediately kidnapped by the evil Jaffar and taken away by ship. Soon Ahmad and Abu give chase but Jaffar is too powerful and almost destroys them with his spells. Only with the help of an entrapped genie are the firm friends able to turn the tables on Jaffar and restore Ahmad to the throne, with the Princess as his bride.

Throughout this movie the incredibly vivid colours of the Technicolour process dazzle us and draw us deeper into this larger-than-life fantasy. In classic fashion Ahmad and Abu overcome stupendous obstacles with a mixture of guile, wit, friendship and courage as they battle the thoroughly nasty Jaffar. By the end of the movie we've had a great trip, although some of the special effects are fairly cheesy, filled with captivating characters and the triumph of good over evil.

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