MovieChat Forums > Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks Discussion > Unbelievable!

Unbelievable!

posted 16 years ago by benzin
5 replies | jump to latest

I really, really liked the first Ilsa-movie, you can have nazis commit just
about any kind of atrocities and not be that far off the mark, but this one is
just unbelievably offencive!

"Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks" pretty much depicts every single Arab as a
sadistic monster. It's sickening how xenophobic this movie is.

It even accounts to Ilsa herself - she lives in selibacy until the first
American comes along, and then she becomes pretty much his sex-slave.

Now, I'm a European (Finnish, actually) and I have nothing in particular against
the US, but this movie just seems to be an exercise in xenophobia. Especially
in today's political climate, I only fear that the common people in the US share
this movies views of foreigners, and Middle-Easterns in particular. I'd like to
think that the times have changed since this movie was made, but I'm not very
hopeful.

The first Ilsa-movie I gave 10/10, in this one the only good things were the
nudity (which there was much less than in the first movie) and Velvet and Satin,
they were hot indeed! 5/10, and that's being generous!

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ladies vomit when I smile

[–] michaelkendall2 16 years ago

You're reading too much into this film. It's just a silly exploitation movie; if it was taking itself seriously then it might have been objectionable but as it stands it's simply great daft fun and clearly superior to the well made but slightly too grim original.

[–] Greetingsfromtromabill 13 years ago

As an Arab-American I find your first paragraph to be the most offensive.

I hate everyone and everything.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Falconeer 9 years ago

"Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks" is one movie that will not have a remake. This is strictly a product of the 70's, when it seemed that everything was accepted, from bestiality, (Emanuelle In America) to on-screen animal killings (Cannibal Holocaust) to child pornography (Maladolescenza.) The world will most likely never see anything like "Ilsa" again, so we look at these movies as curiosity pieces, windows to a different time. 'Harem Keeper' is a great movie of it's genre, due to it's glossy production values and the character created by Dyanne Thorne. But I would like it a lot more more if it weren't quite so vile and offensive. There are scenes in this film that I just can't believe exist..but yes, it's depiction of Arabs is deplorable. They could use this movie as ISIS propaganda these days, as the subject matter of barbarism in the Arab World is rather timely..

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

[–] TheMan18 (12504) 7 years ago

Are people CORRECT in their reactions towards this type of stuff, either back there and then or now, with them being more or less offended at some or other things in movies?

Also, OK, so people are offended by the xenophobic aspects of it.

But what about the VIOLENCE and the killings and other acts of abuse contained within, that doesn't touch a nerve with people?