sikh turbans, hindu gods......most culturally incorrect movie ever
when the setting is of arabia, why are they using the cultural cliches of india?
shareThey aren't using the cultural cliches of India.
Sikhs aren't the only people that wear turbans.
The Sultan collects mechanical toys, they can come from anywhere in the world
Steve
And from what I understand of history, there was a lot of trading between Muslim countries and India and China. (Think the Silk Road.)
Not to say that there aren't innacuracies in this movie. I'm sure when it came down to it, they went with whatever looked the best. It is a fantasy after all, not a historical epic.
"A bit of musicality, PLEASE!" Strictly Ballroom
Actually Sikh turbans are very different from the turbans worn by Muslims, and the turbans in The Thief of Bagdad more ressemble those of Sikhs. The key difference is in the peak- Sikh turbans tend to have a high centre peak, while Muslim turbans are more flat across the top.
I can accept the Hindu-goddess-like silver maiden because, as mentioned above, the Sultan collects toys from everywhere in the world. I assumed part of the allure of the maiden was her exotic appearance to the Sultan; I never thought she was meant to be from his own culture.
If the poster was referencing the temple of the All-Seeing Eye, I assumed given the incredible journey to get there & the description of it being 'on the highest peak of the highest mountain' that it wasn't in Arabia.
Ultimately there are some definite cultural inaccuracies in the film, but then that's what you get in most films, even today with unprecendented global culture. Interestingly, in the dvd commentaries (Criterion) there is some mention of the story's inspiration from the tales of Scheherazade & One Thousand and One Nights. That collection was derived from Middle Eastern, North African and Indian sources, so maybe that's part of the cultural 'confusion' in the film? Whether that or just another instance of filmmakers drawing a somewhat muddled picture based on misunderstanding of a culture, I can still forgive Thief of Bagdad because it's not intended as a cultural lesson. It's a great fantasy. People who are intrigued by the depictions in the film will be inspired to do their own research & discover the real culture, so I'm not too worried.
This kind of stuff was pretty run of the mill for Hollywood's "Arabian fantasy" films.
shareYou have the wrong country.
I see nothing wrong with the mixture of cultures considering the expanse of the Persian Empire at various times in history. Cities like the ones shown would be crossroads of trade and definitely show many influences. Go to New York City, and I imagine you'd find dozens of cultures and styles represented. It would be the same in that time period. I see absolutely nothing wrong with "The Thief of Bagdad", especially with its fantasy setting.
~~MystMoonstruck~~