There are many purposes for stories, as Alithea Binnie finds.
Played by actress Tilda Swinton, the Northern English narratologist has devoted her contented and solitary life to studying stories, and frequently extols their purpose throughout the new film ‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’. They can help us make sense of the world, allow us to feel, and provide caution. What she doesn’t want is to lose herself in her imagination, maintaining her reality and control. But when she accidentally conjures a Djinn (played by Idris Elba) in her Turkish hotel room, she finds herself with three wishes she has no desire to use, a lonely soul who has lived many lifetimes, and stories that may make her give in to the power of imagination.
‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’ is based on a short story by English novelist A. S. Byatt, and is the latest feature film from Australian writer/director George Miller, returning after igniting the screen with the fourth entry in his ‘Mad Max’ franchise, ‘Fury Road’. Each film in that franchise is a spectacle of awesome carnage, especially the masterpiece that is the fourth film, and features images that strike audiences with awe. Seared into the public consciousness are scenes of vehicular hordes traversing barren wastelands, metallic boomerangs, and the Doof Warrior shredding on a flame-spewing guitar.
Alongside the ‘Mad Max’ franchise, Miller is also the mastermind behind the gentler crowd-pleasers that are the ‘Happy' and ‘Babe’ films (he directed everything but the first ‘Babe’ film, on which he limited himself to producing and co-writing). It is those magical fables that are closer in spirit to ‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’, but told with a grander scope.
Miller’s visionary talent is on full display in ‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’, especially within The Djinn’s tales, each sourced from thousands of years of Turkish history and folklore. Miller dramatises each of The Djinn’s stories, many set in the confines of grand palaces, and includes such fantastical images as a strange instrument King Solomon uses to seduce the Queen Of Sheba and a mass execution that stretches across a mountain range. Just as impressive are short depictions of Alithea’s London as a labyrinth of towers and motorways resembling the dream world of ‘Inception’. Unfortunately, the impact of these breathtaking sights is lessened by a lower-stakes story (co-written with Miller's daughter, Augusta Gore) that doesn’t quite reach those same heights.
Each of The Djinn’s tales portray great loves and brutal betrayals, along with one fantastic depiction of body horror that should have been frightening, but the pace moves too quickly to absorb the emotions within. The film works better in the hotel room as Elba’s wearied Djinn urges Swinton’s sceptical narratologist to make a wish. There, the two converse, sharing their desires, discuss the nature of storytelling, and inspire chuckles with each of their eccentricities. It’s in these scenes where Miller’s message about the power of storytelling truly comes to life, and reveals another purpose of stories: connection.
‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’ has a fantastic story and incredible images, but unfortunately those two elements are mismatched in ambition. A smaller vision may have been a better match for what appears to be a much more personal project for George Miller, but even in a disjointed effort as this he can still convey the magic of a good story.
★★★☆☆ 1/2.
‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing’ is in cinemas now.
