Harem - The Loss Of Innocence [1986] [DVD]

This is a made for TV production from 1986. The kind of epic adventure with a stellar cast that would be broadcast in several parts. It's emphatically aimed at a general audience, so anybody expecting steamy eroticism will be disappointed. It has a runtime of just over three hours and the cast includes such greats as Omar Sharif as the Sultan and Ava Gardner as his (only) wife who appear in very substantial supporting parts. Nancy Travis does nothing wrong as the female lead, a young Englishwoman travelling to Damascus with her fiance and abducted along the way and sold into the Sultan's harem, but she is not particularly memorable either. Julian Sands is well cast as her fiance. Art Malik plays an Oxford educated enlightened revolutionary - very much in the vein of his character in The Living Daylights. He is rather impressive and quite likable. However, it is Sarah Miles who steals the show as the unconventional British ex-pat living in Damascus and friendly with natives and visiting Westerners alike. She is absolutely wonderful.This is by no means a great film, but when it comes to whiling away a long winter evening during yet another lockdown you could do much worse. If you don't expect too much from the story and are happy watching a rather exotic costume drama set in the Ottoman Empire go for it and enjoy.

It's the stuff fairytales are made of: rich American heiress travels to Turkey to marry a stuffy Englishman. Along the way, she is kidnapped by a dark stranger and sold as a white slave into a Sultan's harem, where she learns how to please men. The dark stranger sees the error of his ways and masquerades as a eunuch, so he can rescue her.Is your stomach turning already?It's not that bad, that is, if you're ready for a total flight of fantasy.And for all you single girls out there: the way to a man's heart is through his feet. Wash his feet and he will be yours forever....:-)

Saw this years ago on tv. looked for it for a long time without success. It was every bit as good as I remember, well worth watching again, and I will.

Can't play the movie in my surround sound I have to use just a little DVD player. I've been looking for years for this movie so has long it's playing some were I'm happy but it would of been nice to be able on my surround sound

Really good. For me it proved what happens when one is captured ....one has only one option and that is to be friendly with one's kidnapper. Look at all those girls being kept for decades in cellars....too horrible to think about...but this idea I have is psychological. I'm interested in psychology as a theory. There's nothing sexy about this film.

Did not enjoy DVD

great film but picture quality poor.

It entirely met my expectations. Good quality. Great actors. Good film. I can only recommend it to viewers who like romantic stories.