IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
To cure a Prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wondrous stories.aTo cure a Prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wondrous stories.aTo cure a Prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wondrous stories.a
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 3 wins & 15 nominations total
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Storyline
Long ago, the Sultan Shahryar (Dougray Scott) has gone mad after his traumatizing near assassination, in which his wife collaborated and died at his hands as a result. Now he plans to express his paranoid suspicion of women diabolically by marrying a woman from the harem and having her executed the next morning. To prevent this, the Grand Vizier's daughter and a childhood friend of the Sultan, Scheherezade (Mili Avital), offers herself to be that bride. Now, she must gamble that her plan will work as she tries to cure his madness by telling him story after wondrous story, which include the tales of Ali Baba (Rufus Sewell) and the Forty Thieves, and Aladdin (Jason Scott Lee) and his Wonderful Lamp. Meanwhile, the Sultan's villainous brother is making his own plans, and Scheherezade's stories are more useful against him than anyone can anticipate. —Kenneth Chisholm <kchishol@execulink.com>
- Taglines
- When Night Falls, the Adventure Begins!
- Genres
- Certificate
- Not Rated
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaA thirty-two thousand square foot soundstage was built in a Turkish cotton field to handle the elaborate sets required in this movie. Forty-eight unique sets were made to reflect the diversity of the story locations.
- GoofsScheherezade refers to the bronze in the bronze city as rusting away. Bronze does not rust.
- Quotes
Sultan Schariar: Look into my eyes. What do you see, Scheherezade?
Scheherezade: Me. Looking at you, my love.
- Alternate versionsThe VHS version of the movie has omits the most important story in the movie, which is the turning point for the Sultan. It is the story of the sultan who conintually switches places with the beggar until the beggar finally ends up becoming the sultan after the real sultan is killed.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Open Sesame: The Making of 'Arabian Nights' (2000)
Top review
Romantic spectacle at its best
Wow. Somehow I had gone through the winter without seeing a trailer for "Arabian Nights," which was why I was all the more astounded when I caught it on tv that Sunday night. This is pure myth-and-magic candy, people, but unlike most effects-laden tv-series, it gets better. A lot better.
Okay, so it gets a little anachronistic at parts, but what really blew me away was the frame tale that held it all together. Scheherazade was played to an intelligent, beguiling perfection by Avital, and Scott was simply spectacular as the half-mad Schariar. These two had great chemistry, and their interactions made for some electric, yet subtle, scenes. Their characters -- and characterizations -- were great, better and more complex than what you normally get in this genre of telemovie-making.
It's a beautiful escapist fantasy with lead characters to root for. Music was on point, direction was well-stylized (though gimmicky and will probably be dated in a little while), performances top-notch without the actos taking themselves too seriously. If you want some classy, sexy, mystical entertainment, give "Arabian Nights" a try. You won't regret it.
Okay, so it gets a little anachronistic at parts, but what really blew me away was the frame tale that held it all together. Scheherazade was played to an intelligent, beguiling perfection by Avital, and Scott was simply spectacular as the half-mad Schariar. These two had great chemistry, and their interactions made for some electric, yet subtle, scenes. Their characters -- and characterizations -- were great, better and more complex than what you normally get in this genre of telemovie-making.
It's a beautiful escapist fantasy with lead characters to root for. Music was on point, direction was well-stylized (though gimmicky and will probably be dated in a little while), performances top-notch without the actos taking themselves too seriously. If you want some classy, sexy, mystical entertainment, give "Arabian Nights" a try. You won't regret it.
helpful•322
- Belatrix
- May 6, 2000
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