Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strong female character in otherwise dull, lifeless drama.
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Queen of the Desert
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Gertrude Bell (Nicole Kidman) lives in England near the turn of the 20th century. She's received an excellent education at Oxford, and while her parents want her to marry, she'd rather see the world. She begins in Iran, where she meets poetry-loving Henry Cadogan (James Franco) and falls for him. Later, jilted, she dedicates herself to exploring the Middle East, learning language, writing, braving danger, and eventually becoming a kind of diplomat. She meets T.E. Lawrence (Robert Pattinson), nearly has an affair with army officer Charles Doughty-Wylie (Damian Lewis), and eventually helps Winston Churchill (Christopher Fulford) in drawing the borders between Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
Is It Any Good?
It's rather confounding that one of the world's boldest, most curious filmmakers could take a bold, curious subject like Gertrude Bell and make such a dull, inert (if pretty) movie about her. But Werner Herzog's Queen of the Desert sat, unreleased, for two years after poor early reviews, and it's easy to see why. In spite of the talented cast, Herzog's great eye for outdoor compositions, lush widescreen cinematography, and a dreamy score -- perhaps in an effort to recall the story's close cousin, Lawrence of Arabia -- the movie simply doesn't move.
Bell is painted as a fearless, endlessly curious woman, and it's difficult not to admire her, but aside from getting her heart broken by two clueless men, not much of consequence happens to her from scene to scene. In one sequence, she's held prisoner for several weeks at the whim of an Emir, but she doesn't look any the worse for wear after she gives him a withering comment and walks out. Many scenes are set up -- in one, she receives a magnificent "stolen" horse as a gift -- and then dropped (she trades it for camels, offscreen, with no drama or consequences). Perhaps someday, Ms. Bell will receive a movie worthy of her legacy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Queen of the Desert's violence. Despite the talk of violence, how much is actually shown? How intense is it? What effect does it have?
Is Gertrude Bell a role model? Why or why not?
What makes her so open to learning about and understanding other cultures? Why are others so scared, or violent, toward others?
How does this movie compare to other biographical movies about powerful women? How many can you think of?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 7, 2017
- On DVD or streaming : September 26, 2017
- Cast : Nicole Kidman , James Franco , Robert Pattinson
- Director : Werner Herzog
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : brief nudity and some thematic elements
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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