MovieChat Forums > The Sheltering Sky (1990) Discussion > Belqassim

Belqassim

posted 11 years ago by drjude518
1 reply | jump to latest

Eric Vuan is a French dancer. There is a short clip of him dancing on the Web but precious little else.
Was Belqassim a Tuareg? I was trying to find out a little bit more about him. I haven't read the book yet but I intend to.
I was a bit disappointed to read that Paul Bowles disliked the film adaptation. Somehow I doubt this so I'd like to read that interview myself.
I thought it was a fine film and complex. A lot of people don't get it which doesn't bother me one bit. That's par for the course.
My one remaining question is the significance of the tatoos (Mendi I think it is called?) on Kit's feet. Clearly visible when she ends up in the Grand at the end of the film. My interpretation is that when she was seized in the market place still dressed in the Indigo clothing of the Tuareg, they raped her and made her a prostitute until she was found and saved by persons unknown which is probably made clearer in the book. I surmise that the Mendi on her feet and hands signified that she was a "used" woman. Perhaps I am wrong.

I intend to live forever. So far so good.

[–] v-81037 9 years ago

Haven't read the book. But what you saw on her feet was Henna. It is usually done for weddings and similar celebrations, has nothing to do with being 'used', or a prostitute.
I am not sure (and probably no one is) what happened to her after, or how she got the Henna, but it is probably meant to remain vague, as the details are probably not the most important here... they want to show that she has been through different things and events. Where they took her from the market and how she ended up there in the hospital is, imo, not having much importance in regards to the meaning and ideas the film tries to tackle...which, again... I think remain somehow vage. Yes, such keywords as lost..traveling... etc. But still, remains vague to me.