If you love a good yarn – or better yet, if you like many good yarns – sit back and let George Miller spin you one.
What are movies if not another branch of the great narrative tradition?
We are engulfed by a narrative that will either take us somewhere new or connect with us personally as we sit transfixed in a theater, eyes glued to the screen. It aids in our quest to understand the world and ourselves.
The same appreciation for a good yarn may be found in George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing.
The opulent story is centered on Alithea, a narratologist performed by Tilda Swinton who is in Istanbul for a conference. She collapses on stage after encountering visions of strange beings, among other things, and she and a coworker explore the city’s bazaars.She chooses up a blue glass bottle that has been damaged by fire at a tiny store filled with curiosities. She is drawn to it because of something about it. The topper flies off while she is attempting to clean the vessel in her hotel room, and the space is soon filled with swirling purple smoke and… a djinn.
If you watched Aladdin as a child, you know the djinn (Idris Elba) is a genie that grants Alithea three wishes to make her heart’s desires come true.
Alithea, a story expert, has some knowledge of how the fables of magical wish fulfillment typically proceed and resists. She also believes she is happy being alone and has no need for anything else. Additionally, she doesn’t want to disturb the stability of her life.
The djinn begins to tell Alithea the tales of his former masters and the drama of why he has never achieved his objective since he is unable to ascend unless he grants Alithea her three desires.Where Miller’s movie really comes to life is in these tales. They are vivid, potent tales of sorrow, magic, mischief, love, and fantasy.
The first incident occurs in the court of the Queen of Sheba, where a jealous King Solomon stops the djinn. In a different tale, a love-stricken concubine had the assistance of a djinn under the Ottoman Empire. In the third, he is found by the merchant’s unhappy wife who has locked herself in the attic due to her insatiable need for knowledge.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is at its best when it takes us on these evocative excursions into other universes. It’s like going back in time to when you were a child and the most talented storyteller is standing in front of you. You are enthralled by their tales and their capacity to spin the best yarn as if nothing else can exist.Here, Miller’s extraordinary filmmaking talent at letting you lose yourself in his work is at its peak. A thrilling experience is provided by each vignette’s tremendous energy, gorgeous costumes, and sophisticated production design.
The framing plot is where Three Thousand Years of Longing falters. No offense intended to Swinton or Elba, but the final act seems rushed, and there is a questionable link between those excellent stories and the main plot.
The kineticism created by the previous portion of the film is slowed down by an incompleteness in the transition back into the story of Alithea and the djinn.
Nevertheless, Three Thousand Years of Longing has a lot to recommend it, and readers who enjoy a good tale will value Miller’s skill at spinning numerous tales.
