The Law of the Desert

I first saw this mini series starring Rutger Hauer (in possibly his last 1980s action role) and Omar Sharif on VHS released as "Desert Law" and that was the full 300 minute version. In a cynical cash grab, it was released again in 1992, on DVD, mutilated in the editing room, and retitled "Beyond Justice".

This probably happened because Hauer had released a string of highly popular home video movies between 1989 and 1992, and the guts of 'Desert Law's' story, and character development is hacked away, leaving behind a barely coherent shell of a narrative, making the 'Beyond Justice' DVD a sad reminder of what had previously been widely available in the days of VHS.

The original 300 minute cut has in recent years mercifully been restored and released as a 2 DVD set called 'Maktub'. If you're a Rutger Hauer fan, this is a must have movie to add to your collection. Contains a superb supporting role by Omar Sharif.

My rating was 8/10.