The Sheltering Sky Movie Review 1990

American couple Winger and Malkovich flee the plasticity of their native land for a trip to the Sahara desert where they hope to renew their spirits and rekindle love. Accompanied by socialite acquaintance Scott with whom Winger soon has an affair, their personalities and belief systems deteriorate as they move through the grave poverty of North Africa in breathtaking heat. Based on the existential novel by American expatriate Paul Bowles who narrates and appears briefly in a bar scene. Overlong but visually stunning, with cinematography by Vittorio Storaro.

Distribution

Critics' Choice Video & DVD, PO Box 749, Itasca, IL 60143, Toll-free: 800-993-6357, Email: vcatalog@ccvideo.com, URL: http://www.ccvideo.com

Available on VHS
Running time 139 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Culture Clash, Africa, The Meaning of Life, Deserts

Screenplay

Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci

Cast

Debra Winger, John Malkovich, Campbell Scott, Jill Bennett, Timothy Spall, Eric Vu-An, Sotigui Koyate, Amina Annabi, Paul Bowles

Cinematography

Vittorio Storaro

Director

Bernardo Bertolucci

Music

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Richard Horowitz

Producer

Jeremy Thomas, Warner Bros.

Awards

Golden Globes 1991: Score; N.Y. Film Critics 1990: Cinematog.