Reportedly this film loosely borrows from several sources directly or indirectly, namely, A Thief of Bagdad (1924), one or more tales from A Thousand and One Nights (though I do not know which one or ones), and a 1928 story by Robert E. Howard named The Tower of the Elephant.
A head-of-state is deceived by his Secretary of State, I mean, a KING is deceived by his VIZIER, and ends up in prison, where he befriends an adolescent thief, who helps both escape. Both the king and the vizier vie for the affection of a princess.
Entertaining oriental fantasy which deals with politically relevant themes of this day and age such as beheadings, Middle Eastern despotism, and the emancipation of women in the Third World. The hero here doesn't want to conquer the world, but to make people happy. Why wouldn't he conquer it so he could make all people happy beats me, but anyway a little after that he is ousted from power, and thus will have to at least conquer his own country back. Another important issue that the film tackles head-on is that of adolescent criminals, one that plagues some parts of the world (e.g., Brazil). It is heartwarming to hear King Ahmad's candid assessment of his sidekick's behavior: "You stole it because you enjoy stealing." Every scientifically-minded person should give this a thought or two. Ultimately, this kind of film thrives on the contradiction of being simultaneously repelled and attracted by the barbaric world it depicts.
Rating: 55
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