It’s now been over a year since Werner Herzog unveiled "Queen Of The Desert" at the Berlin Film Festival, and while it has played a small handful of festivals since, and opened in some foreign territories, the picture has mostly been under the radar. But let’s hope the arrival of this new trailer means that a big-screen release is on the horizon.
Starring Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis, and Robert Pattinson, the film tells the story of Gertrude Bell, the British explorer, traveler, archaeologist, and political officer who played a key role in Middle East politics in the 1920s, during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. It’s potentially powerful stuff, but as our review notes, "the film does a disservice to the real Bell" by telling her tale in "a movie bracketed by romance." Here’s the synopsis:
A true story of the life of British explorer and adventurer, Gertrude Bell, QUEEN OF THE DESERT chronicles her journeys of love and loss in the Middle East during the early 20th century.
Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman (THE PAPERBOY, RABBIT HOLE, AUSTRALIA, THE HOURS) stars alongside Academy Award nominated James Franco (SPRING BREAKERS, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, 127 HOURS), Golden Globe & Emmy Award winner Damian Lewis (“Homeland”, KEANE, “Band of Brothers”), and Robert Pattinson (THE ROVER, MAPS TO THE STARS, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS) . A curious and adventurous young woman eager to explore the world outside of England, Gertrude Bell (Kidman) goes to the British embassy in Tehran where she quickly falls in love with a secretary of the embassy, Henry Cadogan (Franco). This sparks the beginning of a life-long adventure among the beautiful but misunderstood peoples and cultures of the Middle East. Along the way, her path intersects with archaeologist T.E. Lawrence (Pattinson) also known as Lawrence of Arabia, and Major Charles Doughty-Wylie (Lewis), the British Consul General in the Ottoman Empire.
The story of QUEEN OF THE DESERT is based on the true-life story of Gertrude Bell, who was a British political officer and archaeologist but ultimately a trailblazer on her terms. The story details the extraordinary adventures of Bell wrestling with the conflicts of love and tragedy, enemy and friend, and foreign and familiar as she sought to understand and unify people from different cultures.
No exact release date, but look for "Queen Of The Desert" in cinemas this year.
Kristen Stewart\’s fans need to grow up, today especially. Get over it. You\’re never gonna see him near her ever again, she disgraced herself, now leave him alone. He\’s in this film for 15 minutes, not 5, he breathes life into every scene he\’s in, and he will continue to work with the best directors and be called the "most professional, kind, and humble" actor by his peers because that\’s who he is and no stupid, childish smear campaign by a bunch of frustrated losers is going to change that. Just be happy KS can still get work and stay in your lane.
Wow thats a racist comment. Would it have been OK if the women was Black
Sorry you cant re write HIstory Gertrude was English and white The film though looks AWFUL cringe making. As For Pattinson he sounded so camp
A Docu would\’ve have been better, people who\’ll actually pay to see this will believe all the fake crap added on to make it more exciting and appealing because it\’s about a white woman.
Pattinson\’s court reporter #1 at it again…LOL
This is kidman and franco\’s movie. Rob P has less than 5 mins screen time. You should change your headline.