Black Gold (2011)

5% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
44% want to see it
(439 ratings)

The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika, lays down his peace terms to his rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah. The two men agree that neither can lay claim to the area of no man's land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return, Nesib will adopt Amar's two boys Saleeh and Auda as a guarantee that… More The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika, lays down his peace terms to his rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah. The two men agree that neither can lay claim to the area of no man's land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return, Nesib will adopt Amar's two boys Saleeh and Auda as a guarantee that neither man can invade the other. Twelve years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father's land. Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American from Texas. He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his wildest imagination. There is only one problem. The precious oil is located in the Yellow Belt. -- (C) Official Site

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure

Studio: Warner Brothers France

Critic Reviews

Jason Best, Movie Talk
Pedestrian storytelling and clunky dialogue leaves this would-be epic drama about a power struggle between feuding kingdoms in soon-to-be-oil-rich 1920s Arabia bogged down in the sand
Martin Roberts, Fan The Fire
While a plot contrivance late in the day ensures that an opportunity for a climactic battle sequence is not wasted, the film is not really an action epic, but a sweeping story about belief sets in the Arab world.
Graham Young, Birmingham Post
At 130 minutes, Black Gold does outstay its welcome with too many confused or aborted storylines.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
'Is there a greater curse than to be a poor king?' Nesib asks sadly early on. Yes: letting a potentially great story slide away into mediocrity.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
It's a tepid, timid affair, sexually, dramatically and politically.
Lisa Giles-Keddie, Real.com
A contemporary Lawrence of Arabia ... it is not because it's not beating with any passionate heart ...
Stella Papamichael, Radio Times
It's all very glossy, yet remains an emotionally arid affair.
, This is London
The real problem is that Black Gold is rather dull, and much too long for comfort.
Mark Adams, Daily Mirror [UK]
The clumsy script never really delivers epic drama. Great action scenes, though.
Alex Zane, Sun Online
It would be easy to laugh off if it wasn't so clearly a comment on historical reality.
, Film4
It might look good but it's an anachronism that totally loses its way in the desert. Given the director's enthusiasm, Black Gold should have sparkled.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Black Gold feels like it could have been made in the 1950s; we have come to expect a little more from our blockbusters.
Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph
Like a cool oasis, the end credits shimmer tantalisingly on the horizon throughout this punishingly tedious Arabian epic...
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
The screen is as wide as the universe, but the further you go in either direction the more you realise you have been there before.
Tom Cottey, Little White Lies
A distinctly average adventure which has us wishing for more.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
The direction drags, the performances are uneven and there's a strong sense that the fictionalised story is less interesting than the reality.
Tim Evans, Sky Movies
It just goes on and on - the cinematic equivalent of watching sand pouring through an egg timer that takes well over two hours to empty.
Trevor Johnston, Time Out
A movie that's fascinating in many respects, but doesn't really work as the lavish entertainment intended.
Siobhan Synnot, Scotsman
The production values don't stint on gloss and camels, but like the black gold that underpins all the desert feuds, Jean-Jacques Annaud's script is definitely crude.
Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
Ambitious but very tedious and talkatively hackneyed, redeemed just a smidge by the money shots of a swarm of extras on horseback sweeping across the sands.