Review of Theeb

A simple, beautiful, brutal film about beduins caught up in Britain's campaigns against the Ottoman Empire during WW1. A little boy tags along with his brother, guiding a British officer across the desert to a rendezvous with others who will help the officer blow up a section of the Hejaz railway. They run into other beduins who are bandits and the story turns into one of survival and revenge.

Stunning to look at (filmed in similar locations as the 1962 Lawrence of Arabia film, so lots of beautiful dunes and wadis) with great music. Most of the actors are beduins, not professionals, though the little boy was apparently the producer's son.

It made me look up some of the background about the railway itself, which proved more interesting than I thought. I also noticed that the Ottoman fort towards the end of the film had the red and white moon and star flag that modern Turkey uses, which I wrongly thought was introduced by Ataturk. Turns out the Ottomans used it too.

Watched in the Middle Floor at Springhill, on a DVD.