Storm over Persia
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Storm over Persia |
| Original title | Omar Khayyam |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1957 |
| length | 101 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | William Dieterle |
| script | Barré Lyndon |
| production |
Frank Freeman Jr. for Paramount Pictures |
| music | Victor Young |
| camera | Ernest Laszlo |
| cut | Everett Douglas |
| occupation | |
| |
Storm over Persia is an American adventure film by William Dieterle, which tells episodes from the life of the Persian poet and scientist Omar Chayyām . The film premiered on August 23, 1957 in New York. In Germany, the film was released in cinemas two weeks later on September 6, 1957.
action
Persia in the 11th century: The poet and scientist Omar Chayyām lives in the city of Nishapur . He is in love with Sharain, the daughter of his former teacher Imam Nowaffak. Omar meets his friend Hasani Sabah , the governor of Gilan Province , who is looking for a suitable man for an office at the royal court. Hasani reminds Omar of the childhood vows they made to their friend Nizam, who, as a senior official, needs trustworthy people for the court. In front of the Shah , the Persian King, Omar recites a poem that shocked many in attendance, but impressed the Shah with his honesty. The Shah appoints Omar as his advisor.
Hasani gives the Shah two particularly pretty slaves and brings him the heads of two enemies. For this, Hasani is appointed keeper of the royal seal, a position previously held by the king's brother Tutush. To show his solidarity with the people of Nishapur, the Shah takes Sharain as his fourth wife. Omar falls into depression about it. Hasani buys him the slave Yaffa to encourage him, but he wants to give it back to him. During the night Tutush is murdered by assassins , members of a sect whom the Shah has to pay tribute to. It is later revealed that Byzantines launched an invasion of Persia on the Caspian Sea . Contrary to Omar's objections, the Shah wants to use ships to transport troops. There is a competition between his sons Ahmud and Malik to see who is allowed to accompany their father on the campaign. Malik wins and is appointed heir to the throne. Ahmud's mother, Queen Zarada, wants to overthrow her husband with the help of Hasani.
The assassins use the Shah's absence to carry out further attacks. Yaffa, grateful to Omar for not selling her back to Hasani, tells him about the former assassin Yusuf, who now lives in a cave outside the city. Yusuf informs Omar about the secret hiding place of the assassins, a fortress in the mountains called Alamut . Under the pretext of working on a new calendar, Omar goes to Alamut, where he is amicably received. As he completes his calendar, he learns that Hasani is the head of the assassins. Hasani tells his followers that the Shah was able to repel the Byzantines, but was wounded like his son Malik. Half of his army died in the fighting.
Hasani wants to win Omar as an advisor. Despite the fact that Omar has denounced him as a traitor, he lets him leave Alamut. Omar seeks out the fatally wounded Shah, who has been told that Ahmud has set up a rebel army to overthrow him. With the help of Byzantine prisoners, tunnels are dug that lead under the fortress of Alamut. There, Omar ignites saffron oil, which sets the fortress on fire. Malik, who is appointed the new Shah when his father dies, attacks his brother's troops at the same time. The assassin fortress is destroyed, Ahmud is killed in action. Malik releases Sharain from the court and into Omar's arms.
background
The film was shot in the Bronson Canyon natural monument . The interior shots were taken from April 2nd to May 28th at Paramount Studios Hollywood. The budget was approximately $ 2.2 million. It is the last film the composer Victor Young worked for. He died before the film premiered in November 1956.
The film was set by Hal Pereira and Sam Comer. Farciot Edouard and John P. Fulton provided the special effects . The premiere took place on August 23, 1957 in several New York cinemas. The German premiere took place on September 5, 1957 in Berlin at the Berlin Film Theater.
Reviews
The lexicon of international film describes the film as an "opulently designed monumental film that takes its material too seriously and prepares it too pathetically." The magazine "Variety" criticized the "static clumsiness" of some scenes, but the "well-portrayed fights and court intrigues [ ...] keep the pace and interest in the film high. "
Web links
- Storm over Persia in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Wilhelm (William) Dieterle - actor, director . In: CineGraph - Lexikon zum Deutschsprachigen Film , Lg. 22, F 42
- ↑ Omar Khayyam (1957) Notes. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved May 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Storm over Persia (The Adventures of Omar Khayam). In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed August 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Omar Khayyam. In: variety.com . Retrieved May 11, 2019 .