‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ – Review
Australian filmmaker George Miller is a storytelling genius who continually brings a new scale to the construct of imagination every time he steps behind the camera. Now he applies to talents to the enchanting, dream-like, modern-day fantasy fairytale of Three Thousand Years of Longing, and it is exquisite to watch.
A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
As one of the most gifted and imaginative filmmakers of the art of cinema, Australia’s Goerge Miller stands out. Ever since the late 1970s, he’s been pushing the medium of film into bold and ambitious new directions, and following his work on monumental action achievement Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller sets himself a new challenge with a fantastical new genre. Diving head first into the realm of fantasy with his adaptation of A. S. Byatt’s short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a strikingly bold and richly painted piece of visual narrative storytelling that beckons its audience inwards. Examining themes of story, love, and time, and presented in the most striking way possible, Miller’s vision for this film is like that of a waking dream that completely sweeps up its audience into its fantastical narrative.
Told through the meeting of two unlikely characters, a world-weary Djinn (Idris Elba) who is possessed of all the power in the universe, but who has suffered through terrible tragedy and loneliness due to his abilities, and uptight University professor Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), Miller explores three thousand years of fantasy, myth and legend and brings to life a breathtaking and lavish love story. Turning the cinema screen into a literal canvas, Miller paints with broad and bright strokes, and the visuals of this film will leave audiences in awe. From the beauty of the Queen of Sheba to the fury of Ottoman warlords to the tragic love of a lost genius, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a vivid piece of cinema and it is a picture that will cause your senses to catch on fire.
Stepping into the otherworldly role of The Djinn is noted Hollywood megastar Idris Elba and this character, and Miller’s story, offers the actor a significant new challenge to play with. With the control of the universe in his hand, The Djinn brings a fascinating frame of perspective and thoughtful intelligence to the story. Played with a sense of weariness and heartache by Elba, The Djinn makes for a very interesting character in whose eyes we get to see the world, and Elba is completely transformative in the role. Transformed through prosthetics of blue scales and gold skin, The Djinn is one of the most visually striking characters we’ve ever seen Elba portray, and he buries himself deep into this fantastical character and this devotion helps to realise the story more vividly.
Starring opposite Elba is noted thespian Tilda Swinton as Dr Alithea Binnie, a noted scholar and narratologist who specialises in the study of story and its meaning that contributes to culture and our understanding of the greater universe. An uptight, slightly pompous character, Alithea is at first distrusting of The Djinn thanks to her learned background, but as this story develops, love blossoms and her world is turned upside down. Swinton is a great reflection of Elba in Three Thousand Years of Longing, and her juxtaposing character adds to the exploration of the film’s fantastical narrative.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is a truly spectacular piece of visual cinema and its vast narrative is sure to take audiences on an exotic adventure, along with giving clarity to the power of narrative and the importance of why we need stories. It’s a film you won’t soon forget, and demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Image: Roadshow Films
