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Arabian Nights

Play trailer Poster for Arabian Nights NC-17 1974 2h 35m Fantasy Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
The third installment in director Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" films depicts a multiplicity of narratives culled from the famous Arabic anthology "The Book of One Thousand and One Nights." At the center is the story of Nur Ed Din (Franco Merli), a naif who purchases a slave girl, Zumurrud (Ines Pellegrini). The two fall in love, but Zumurrud is kidnapped soon after. She escapes her captors and, disguised as a man, ultimately becomes king of an exotic land.
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Arabian Nights

Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 10/23/2007
A typical puzzlement from Pasolini, a major figure who never made a major film. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 09/16/2022
3/5
…there’s plenty of pleasure watching regular Pasolini stars like Franco Citti or Ninetto Davoli give their usual lip-smacking performances, and the Iranian locations are absolutely stunning... Go to Full Review Fernando Trueba El Pais (Spain) 08/01/2019
With Arabian Nights, Pier Paolo Pasolini achieves his most tender, fresh, and cheerful film. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review James Kendrick Q Network Film Desk 01/04/2013
2/4
while Arabian Nights has its share of impressive vistas and narrative trickery, its fundamental emotional disconnect renders it inert--a beautiful bit of exotic fantasy that quickly dissipates Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 08/10/2011
B-
Though not emotionally involving, it's visually beautiful and the stories have a dazzling magical appeal. Go to Full Review TV Guide 10/23/2007
3.5/4
A lyrical celebration of polymorphous sexuality. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 24 Success in 2 hours and 35 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Italian and American English audio options with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Teddy B @RT38636458 03/20/2025 Definitely the best shot of Pasolini's filmography, 'Arabian Nights' has the pleasure of being directed by such an interesting (if not always effective) figure. His cold, erotic touch gives a new and occasionally investing perspective on the immortal tales of the 1001 nights (without Sheherazade). See more Leo P @RT23366938 10/03/2024 Is this the Monna Lisa of cinematography? You want to see it again and again,but you don't know why. Is it the ultimate achievement of human kind which must be preserved for time to come as a token of our existence? Contains the most horrifying depiction of the Devil ever. See more Jose R @RT01818967 11/11/2023 Lush, sexy, entertaining and beautifully shot. See more Charles S @RT48597959 09/14/2023 Kind of like the book there are endless silly disjointed stories devoid of moral or really anything but shock value, but now with Italian sexploitation. The main characters ham up all their acting to make the stories even goofier which is even more outlandish juxtaposed against the side characters acting pretty naturally on authentic middle eastern sets. You probably won't get bored watching this, but you also won't really come away with anything but tourist spectacle and confusion See more 07/12/2022 Great movie, but it hasn't aged very well See more Read all reviews
Arabian Nights

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Cast & Crew

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Pier Paolo Pasolini

Director

Ninetto Davoli

Aziz

Franco Merli

The Demon

Ines Pellegrini

Zumurrud

Luigina Rocchi

Fatima

Zeudi Biasolo

Zeudi

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Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights (1974) Arabian Nights (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The third installment in director Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" films depicts a multiplicity of narratives culled from the famous Arabic anthology "The Book of One Thousand and One Nights." At the center is the story of Nur Ed Din (Franco Merli), a naif who purchases a slave girl, Zumurrud (Ines Pellegrini). The two fall in love, but Zumurrud is kidnapped soon after. She escapes her captors and, disguised as a man, ultimately becomes king of an exotic land.
Director
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Producer
Alberto Grimaldi
Screenwriter
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Production Co
Les Productions Artistes Associés, Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA)
Rating
NC-17
Genre
Fantasy, Drama, Romance
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
May 14, 1974, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 5, 2017
Runtime
2h 35m