Day of the Falcon

Veteran French writer and director Jean-Jacques Annaud returns with this old-fashioned epic about the early days of oil boom in Arabia. The discovery of oil destroys a peaceful pact between two kingdoms and tears their families apart when their opposite philosophies clash. This Arabian fable feels outdated due to the problematic source novel by Swiss writer Hans Ruesch and its treatment which belongs more to the Hollywood of 50's and 60's than today's cinema where authenticity and realism are the currency. Never-the-less Annaud has assembled a talented international cast that includes Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim, Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed amongst others. 1001 Films' coverage of films on DVD.