Leofwine_draca
Michael York headlines the cast in this Saharan adventure flick that populates an expansive tableau with stock characters throughout: there's a rugged, Indiana Jones-style archaeologist hero, a damsel in distress, various violent and unpleasant Arabs, plus some mystical hidden treasure hidden beneath the sands.Given the number of countries involved in the production of this miniseries - they include Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and West Germany - it should have been a lot better than it actually is, which is completely forgettable. The narrative just about holds your interest but as a whole it's hardly anything to get excited about. I blame the script, which feels flabby and unfocused with way too many extraneous characters in the cast taking up too much screen time.The shooting locations in Morocco are about the most interesting thing here, although playing "spot the actor" can be fun. Ben Kingsley is an Arab, and Andie MacDowell the youthful love interest (I kept thinking "she looks like Andie MacDowell" only to realise it actually was her during the closing credits). York gives a stiff central performance, and it's left to David Soul to ham things up as a villain. The twist ending has to be seen to be believed, but trust me, it's not really worth it.
paul-carlier
The Secret of the Sahara is the type of drama that Hollywood has long since abandoned. The story is original, the location (and sets) are breath taking and the cast is first class, with outstanding performances from Michael York as the obsessive archaeologist Desmond Jordan and Ben Kingsley as Sholomon, the Polish Jew who has found peace in the desert. David Soul provides a real sense of menace as Lieutenant Ryker and steals almost every scene from his co-stars. Andie MacDowell is slightly under used as are the other female cast members, but the director Alberto Negrin keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace, aided by a hauntingly beautiful musical score from Ennio Morricone. There are some obvious limitations to the production which are easily over looked; Ryker seems to cross the desert to the same two or three locations to dizzying effect, and some of the dialogue feels a bit out of place but these are only minor points. All in all this is a quality drama and I only wish that more of this calibre were made.
satchguitar
I have to say that this story has all the elements of a great fantasy/advernture story, the types that kids read and dream about.A scientist in the desert looking for a long lost city and its people, trekking through the searing heat, the pesky soldiers interested in their own selfish schemes, and a surprise ending. Most elements (not all) are to the point and kept simple, not over-doing THOSE parts. It starts off seeming like an enjoyable family adventure/fantasy movie.However, some things that were a bit overdone, and in my opinion were totally unnecessary, were the rape scenes and situations. This could have been an enjoyable family movie, but there are a few scenes that are disturbing and maybe for some traumatizing, that really don't have any place in a film like this.A good movie (or mini-series) which could have been fun for the whole family, and especially good for helping kids' imagination soar, if it wasn't for those scenes.
liderc
Wow. I saw this when it was aired for the first time on an Austrian or German TV-Channel. I was still a child then, and I couldn't get it out of my head. This is a very well done mini-serial with a very good plot, and it would deserve a DVD release. If you can get the soundtrack album released on CD by RCA, get it! The music is so wonderful and brought back so many memories...
AD
