Moviecut—The Garden of Allah

source: The Garden of Allah

The Garden of Allah

In terms of visual beauty this movie is outstanding! I had no idea that Technicolor came out so early. Although I didn't like the ending, the entire movie is fantastic and makes me wish that I was in North Africa. The cast is excellent and Marlene Dietrich is a big plus and of course she is so alluring and I just loved her in this flick. Basil Rathbone is also perfect in this movie. I couldn't get over the scenery and the sets... The hotel, the palm trees, the desert, it's all there... the legionnaires also bring a "Beau Geste" feeling to the film. They certainly don't make movies like these anymore. Don't fail to watch this classic!

The religious Domini Enfilden (Marlene Dietrich) is feeling lonely and is advised by her friend Mother Superior Josephine (Lucile Watson) to travel to the Sahara Desert for reflection. Meanwhile, the monk Boris Androvsky (Charles Boyer) escapes from the Trappist monastery where he had taken his vows. They meet each other in the sands of the desert and fall deeply in love for each other, but Boris does not tell his secret to Domini. When a lost patrol of legionnaires meet the oasis where Domini and Boris are camped, the leader Captain De Trevignac (Alan Marshal) recognizes Boris. "The Garden of Allah" is an absolutely dated melodrama in 2008. The scenarios, the locations and the cinematography are wonderful, but the dramatic plot point of the romance is laughable and dull in the present days. It is also funny to see Charles Boyer taller and taller than Marlene Dietrich in the scenes with close. My vote is five. Title (Brazil): "O Jardim de Alá" ("The Garden of Allah")