Theeb (2014) User Reviews

A Huge step for the Jordanian film making, And i really see it by this movie flourish in a new era of directing and production.

[Aktham_Tashtush · 8/10 · 19 December 2015]

I just can't believe i waited until now to watch it !!

The story is sensational and captivating .. I could only imagine that replicating such a powerful story from that period of time is so hard .. My only note is it just felt a bit short or just fast, yet the plot itself was clear and easily engaged with and the script appeared strong and connected even though again it would look short and simple but i think maybe for the Arabic viewer that would be more digestible than having a long conversation in bedouin accent.

As for the cinematography I would be 100% confident by saying this is a huge step for the Jordanian Film movement , as The movie looked so professional and i'd say in an eye bat it deserves a spot in the Oscars short list.

The Cast was Amazing, The young boy was just so into the role .. it's just like he is and always has been Theeb for so long.

And to the most Important and (In my opinion) most noticeable part in the movie and made it pop; The Soundtracks .. I mean My goodness !! the songs the humming, the low level clap on the background .. my heart just synchronized it's beating with the music in the movie ... first time i'v heard of Jerry Lane but i'm hoping, Oh hell i'm sure it won't be the last.

So overall, The movie was really good, again wished the the story would'v gone a bit longer with a little more pages on the screenplay .. but that does not make the movie any less charming and delightful ... And i really hope you guys do it in February 28 next year ;) fingers crossed.

Hauntingly Beautiful

[markbernd · 8/10 · 20 August 2015]

I saw this film last night in London at the Curzon Bloomsbury (formerly the Renoir)and was utterly astounded! This is a hauntingly beautiful film shot in a wide-angled camera in Wadi Ram, Jordan, telling the coming of age story of a young Bedouin boy Theeb, accompanying his older bother on a hazardous journey across the dessert, to help a British officer reach a secret destination. The background to the story is the changing way of life in the dessert, during the first world war, following the building of a new railway line that shortened the trip to Mecca from one month on the back of a camel, to one week by train. The new rail line had a devastating effect on the lives of the dessert nomads.

The film is exceptionally beautify, the story is straight forward but gripping, the acting, mostly by non-professionals, is superb. The bright colour of the arid dessert is in sharp contrast to our urban living. This is a striking, memorable film that deserves an Oscar.

Unusual but engaging Arab tale based in World War I

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 31 October 2015]

Set during the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, we meet a tribe of whom Theeb ('Wolf') is the son of the late Sheik. One night a friend arrives with a British officer seeking a guide across the desert. This turns out to be his brother's job but being an inquisitive young boy he sneaks along and so begins his coming of age.

To say anymore might be a plot spoiler. This is an interesting film but it is not an action packed affair. There is a bit of action, but this is more psychological in how it deals with the extremes that befall the characters and how they deal with them. It has moments of tension and can be violent in places and I found a lot to praise in this UAE, Jordan, Qatari and British co production.

In Arabic with a small amount of English, and good sub titles this is one of those films that will stay with you – but in a good way – recommended for World cinema fans.

A Bedouin boy's coming of age

[CynthiaMargaretWebb · 28 November 2014]

This film tells the story of a young boy's awakening to the dangers and treachery in the adult world. He lives in a time of change, during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, and the coming of a railway has already changed the lives of the tribesmen of the area. There are bigger things going on around them, than these tribesmen, living out their traditional lives, actually realize. One day Theeb's older brother is approached by another Arab who is guiding an Englishman, in a desert crossing. The stranger wants Hussein, older brother of Theeb to escort them through an area that he's not familiar with. Theeb tags along, and from events that take place on this journey comes his rapid advancement into manhood. The desert settings shot in wide-screen ratio are superb. It's the dawn of a new age, unbeknown to Theeb and his brothers, sons of a departed but highly respected Sheik. The performances are excellent, particularly the intelligent wariness tinged with fear, that young Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat shows, playing Theeb (Wolf). You can read in his eyes,and face that his sharp mind is calculating the risks of alternative courses of action during the several scenes when events reach crisis points.From watching this young man, we understand that the life of desert tribesmen involved strong traditions, a strong sense of hospitality to other travelers (once identified and shown not to be a threat), and the sharp sense of self protection that must always be at 100% efficiency.

It's always wonderful to see a well-made film like this, but it's a special treat when the events are happening in a place and time, that is unfamiliar to us on screens of today. "Theeb" reminds us of Lawrence of Arabia, because of it's setting, but the film is on a much more modest scale than that Epic masterpiece. However, it is very well worth our attention. Highly recommended, this is a very good film for young adults as well as for their parents.

About as different from "Lawrence of Arabia" as you can get.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 21 May 2016]

Naji Abu Nowar directed and co-wrote this Oscar-nominated film...the first from Jordan. It's set during World War One and covers some of the same material you'd find in the giant Dave Lean epic, "Lawrence of Arabia"...however it covers it in about the most different manner as you could imagine.

The film is set among the desert-living Bedouins living within the Ottoman Empire. During the war, many of the Bedouins tired of rule under the Turkish Ottomans and sided with the Brits. And so, when a British soldier and his guide come upon a Bedouin camp in the night, these natives agree to escort the men to their destination. However, the next day when Hussein leaves to escort the pair, his much younger brother, Theeb (about age 8) soon begins following them. He wants to be a man just like Hussein. Unfortunately, soon the expedition goes awry when bandits attack--leaving Theeb the lone survivor. He's stuck in the middle of the desert and has no way to get back home. However, when one of the bandits, who is severely injured, comes upon Theeb, they work out a short truce. He needs help and Theeb cannot possibly survive along in such an inhospitable place.

This is clearly a coming of age tale and it's an extremely well made but also very simple story. The acting and pacing are just fine and it's so very different from a sweeping action picture. Instead, it's a nice look into a different time and different culture. Not a great film but I certainly did enjoy it and would like to see more films from Naji Abu Nowar.

Deliberate pace and gorgeous filming add up to a winner

[SuzyCayenne · 9/10 · 15 February 2015]

This film is an excellent all-around package, as long as you're not overly addicted to slambang mindless Hollywood productions. The actors were every bit the characters they played, and the story makes you think about the issues of brotherhood, taking sides, growing up, the impact of colonialization on far-off lands.

The cinematography is gorgeous, spanning the North African landscapes in all their vastness, adding to the viewer's understanding of the isolation the tribal people lived with. (It also made me want to ride camels...) While this movie takes place in WWI, it is not a "war movie." Yes, there is a British soldier and an element of culture clash when he seeks help from young Theeb's brothers. But the story has much more to do with the character of the boy Theeb, the dilemma he finds himself in when trying to balance survival and loyalty, and the reminder that while empires fight their wars, local populations are far more concerned with going on with their lives.

While the movie is serious, I didn't it find it at all depressing. Thoughtful treatment, and pitch-perfect acting and direction.

Old fashioned filmmaking.

[Sergeant_Tibbs · 7/10 · 1 October 2015]

Jordan's entry for this year's Foreign Language Film Oscar, Theeb started its journey at last year's film festivals and has since slowly gained influential respect including a personal recommendation from Jan Harlan. It's a coming of age journey during the first World War and despite being far from the battlegrounds, violence still finds its way in the remote deserts. It's an old fashioned type film with its choices of photography and music, but it's refreshing to have a perspective otherwise unexplored. Putting its war story in a minimalist microcosm, it's about the conflicting loyalties of manhood in the wake of survival, as well as the changing times as the railroads are starting to be installed and upset the balance of life in Jordan. The film is straightforward but it wouldn't be fair to call it completely stripped down, it works with the small tools it's got. Nothing hooked me more into the film than the surprising mid-point turn, director Naji Abu Nowar can be as bold as his titular character at times.

7/10

Felt Like A One Shot... credits POV Film-making

[fulrahul · 9/10 · 10 March 2015]

Set in the Ottoman province of Hijaz, in 1916, around the time of WWI. Really?? The only suggestion to a world war is when the foreigner says "we are in a war". Hussein (Hussein Salameh) and Theeb (Jacir Eid) are from a family of pilgrim guides. The arrival of the train now helps pilgrims reach Mecca ruining their chief source of income. When a Englishman comes to their clan's camp with a desert guide, rules of Bedouin hospitality force the family to send someone(Hussein) with two men to their destination, Theeb joins. It is a engrossing adventure tale of a young boy forced to grow up and survive in a desert full of bandits, untrustworthy adults. You immerse into the story and it feels like you are watching the adventure live in the desert from start to end thanks to the direction that shows the entire journey from Theeb's point-of-view, our curiosity matches that of Theeb, who heads out to follow his brother and the mysterious British officer. Events are surprising and gripping and take you in the opposite direction of what you are expecting. The stunning scenery and cinematography that helps suggests emotional state, struggles and coming-of-age of Theeb supported by a heart stopping score make this film a benchmark. This is a Must-watch one of a kind road journey where you root for Theeb as he looks for his road in the unending desert.

Theeb

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 12 April 2016]

I found out about this Arabic film when it was dotted around during awards season, I read what it was about, it certainly sounded like an interesting film. Basically set during the time of the First World War, in the Ottoman province of Hijaz, a young Bedouin boy named Theeb (Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat), of the Howeitat tribe, experiences a vastly quickened coming-of-age. The is when Theeb is eager, but uninvited, for an adventure that takes him on a perilous journey across the desert, with his older brother Hussein (Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen), to guide a British officer named Edward (Jack Fox) and his guide Marji (Marji Audeh) to their secret destination. Theeb uses his nascent survival skills to outwit potential enemies, this includes the appearance of a seriously injured mercenary, The Stranger (Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh), but both need each other to survive the final stretch of the journey, in the end Theeb shoots the mercenary, to avenge the death of his brother, and he is let go by the Ottoman chief and allowed to ride alone into the distance. This is a very simple story, I admit I found it difficult to keep up with, both reading the subtitles and not understanding everything going on, but there is great imagery with the desert landscape backgrounds, a good use of colour and there are some moments that get your attention, I would say it is a worthwhile enough drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, and it won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, and it was nominated for Best Film not in the English Language. Good!

In WW I Bedouin boy grows into tribal maturity.

[maurice_yacowar · 9/10 · 27 February 2016]

Theeb is a coming of age film with two key differences from our familiar genre.

The Bedouin boy's maturing into an adult involves different criteria than those in the West. Essentially, the adulthood this boy assumes is tribal loyalty not our overriding value — personal fulfilment. As well, our culture's "manhood" often centres upon learning to relate to women. There are no women in this film. Manhood is strictly between, among and for men.

Theeb has no mother, but also no father, just two authoritative older brothers. When he mischievously follows his brother Hussein into a desert mission he for the first time abandons his childhood security. His adventure is premature because he has not yet learned to shoot, just to try to aim. In the crunch, then, he cannot help Hussein, just hinder his self-defence against the thieves.

Theeb shows his growing ingenuity when he escapes the bandits, hides in and escapes from the well, and manages to deal with the wounded thief. First Theeb serves his dead brother, protecting him from the vultures by burying him in sand and marking him with stones. This tribal gesture proves his sense of duty and service.

Then he and the outlaw negotiate a relationship, gradually outgrowing distrust. The boy learns stoicism by helping the bandit remove his bullet and cauterize the wound. They share bread. Theeb accepts the outlaw's story when they pass pilgrims. He may even admire the man, as when he learns from him how to navigate by the stars. He may be slipping into a filial relationship. That stops when the bandit tells the Turkish officer Theeb is his son. The pretended connection reminds Theeb of their difference.

The Bedouin boy has no experience with money. He discards the bag of coins he finds on a corpse. Most dramatically, he rejects the Turk's offer of a coin, even after his "father" has ordered him to accept it. Instead Theeb goes back out to the camel, finds the bandit's pistol and when he emerges from the army outpost kills him. "He killed my brother," Theeb explains, at which the Turkish officer lets him go free.

In the last shot Theeb rides off on the bandit's camel with the authority and posture of an adult. When he earlier rode behind his brother Theeb looked like a bundle, a babe, just hanging on. When he first tries to ride off the camel refused his control. At the end the camel obeys him, as if sensitive to Theeb's adult authority — or aware he killed and replaced the camel's master.

In the West a boy becomes a man by learning self-control, responsibility, forgiveness and an honour based on established moral principles. The honour Theeb recovers in the Turkish office is the overriding value of family honour, which here means tribal vengeance. Tempted to survive as the bandit's protégé he instead acts upon his tribe's implicit command to avenge his brother. Theeb assumes the risks of returning home across a vast, impersonal and dangerous desert.

As 'Theeb' means 'wolf,' our hero is caught in the tension between the lone wolf, which is our modern hero, and the pack, which here would be the tribe. Lines like "the strong eat the weak" emphasize the tribe's pack and primitive mentality.

The second difference is that this coming of age applies not just to the hero Theeb but to the Bedouins as a people. Their society is presented on the turning point between their traditional life and the modern. As the film is set during WW I, the nomadic Bedouins are themselves a rootless, borderless society ill-adjusted to the modern (aka Adult) world. Their simple lives and ancient ways connote a childlike, undeveloped society. They don't use money. Their last jobs are guiding pilgrims but the new phenomenon of the railroad is ending that.

Trapped between two more developed cultures, the British and the Turkish imperialists, the Bedouin seem even more childlike in their unfamiliarity with those societies' ambitions and conflicts and with their equipment (like cigarettes, a lighter, a sentimental locket — and the detonator the Brit drives Theeb away from).

The imperialists shrink the Bedouins. Theeb's bandit friend seems heroic in his survival, self-healing and swagger. But he shrinks to a junk-dealing beggar when he enters the Turk's office. The Brit was planning to blow up the Turkish railroad, the Turk pays a few coins for the stolen detonator, and the adept Bedouin is a helpless unaware innocent caught between them.

When Theeb rides homeward to emblematically crosses the intersection of the camel prints and the railroad tracks, the old natural and the looming technological.

How would the Bedouins come of age, as Theeb does? How is maturing into a higher level of maturity and knowledge different for a class than for a boy?

The society has no models, no trustworthy family seniors, from whom to learn how to negotiate among the alien and destructive cultures. Unless the unworldly tribes find a way to mature into the modern world they doom their children to the archaic values they've inherited — and wasted lives. In this light, the film about the Bedouins hovering on the edge of modernity the way a boy hovers on manhood is as pertinent to the contemporary Middle East as to the early 20th Century. Their world, after all, has since then not changed as much as ours has. And yet, as our wars continue to rage there, we haven't matured much either.

A beautiful viewing experience

[rubenm · 7/10 · 24 August 2015]

For the Bedouins living in the Jordanian desert, the tribe is their most important identity. That's why 'Theeb' starts with an image of a Bedouin boy, staring at his tribe's symbol: a triangle, carved into a piece of rock. The seemingly peaceful existence of this tribe is challenged when another Bedouin, accompanied by a British soldier, asks them to help guide him through the desert. The boy, Theeb, accompanies his brother who will be the guide.

So, without realizing it, Theeb and his brother become involved in a faraway part of the First World War: the fight between the British and the Ottomans in the Middle East. The clash between the values of the Bedouins and those of the soldier becomes clear when the soldier asks them if they understand what fighting for a country means. Clearly they don't. For the Bedouins, there are no borders, nor countries. What counts are the family and the tribe.

These cultural contrasts are interesting, but in the film they are secondary to the adventures during the trip through the desert. After having lost his brother during a violent confrontation with members of a hostile tribe, the boy has to survive on his own in the desert. In the end, this leads to situations he couldn't have imagined at the start of the trip. 'Theeb' is an adventure movie, much more than a film about different cultures. The aesthetics of desert landscapes and nomadic life are prevalent.

'Theeb' is absolutely a very beautiful viewing experience. The landscapes are stunning, and the young Bedouin boy playing the central character is very endearing. The story is told in an unhurried way, much like traveling through the desert on the back of a camel must feel. The story lacks a bit of historical context, however. It never becomes quite clear what brings the British soldier to the Jordanian desert.

A hypnotic story beautifully captured from start to finish

[theSachaHall · 9/10 · 3 July 2015]

As the First World War rapidly approaches Theeb's forgotten corner of the Ottoman Empire, a Bedouin tribe is slowly adjusting to the changes brought upon them following the death of their respected Sheikh. It's a subdued, yet tightly framed portrait of tribal life seen through the youthful eyes of the Sheikh's youngest and ignorantly unskillful son, Theeb (Jacir Eid Al- Hwietat).

Turning to his middle brother Hussein (Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen) for guidance and attention, Cinematographer Wolfgang Thaler paints an exquisitely beautiful image of Bedouin culture as Hussein patiently teaches Theeb the nuances of nomadic life: tracking, hunting, finding water and the duty of Dakheel. The images are heightened by the natural, intimate relationship between Hussein and Theeb, no doubt in part due to, their real-life familial relationship as cousins.

The quiet beauty conjured by Thaler's wide-angled shots of barren landscapes and director Naji Abu Nowar's limited palette of pale sandy hues, unhurried exposition and exotic musical score is hypnotic. The tranquility is palpable until Nowar rudely interrupts the façade with clever transition shots that unnerve the peace.

The first transition encourages audiences to proceed with caution as Theeb's eldest brother and new Sheikh Hmoud, hears unfamiliar sounds whispered in the darkness. It's a gorgeous shot watching Hmoud disappear into the night before returning like an apparition with British soldier Edward (Jack Fox) and his guide Marji (Marji Audeh) following behind him.

Requesting a guide to lead them through dangerous terrain roaming with Ottoman mercenaries and raiders to an ancient water well on the road to Mecca, Hmoud is forced into honoring Dakheel law and volunteer his Hussein to guide the strangers.

Fearful of losing his favourite brother, Theeb mischievously sets out to following Hussein before finding himself in an unforgiving predicament. Too young to track and without the necessary Bedouin survival skills, Theeb soon becomes lost and begins wandering aimlessly across the desert. Finding the safety of the group by chance, Hussein is forced to bring Theeb on his perilous journey when Edward refuses to delay his mission.

The second change in tone arrives violently as the group comes face to face with a band of murderous Bedouin raiders that leaves Theeb as the lone survivor. Forced into immediate adulthood, Theeb soon discovers the great importance of his name as he learns to survive through cunning and impossible feats.

Nowar's decision to use non-actors in his feature film debut was a ballsy move that proves to be spell-bindingly spot-on. Eid Al-Hwietat is outstanding as the precocious Theeb whilst Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh is all sorts of menacing as the ruthless Stranger. I readily admit that I was also mesmerised by Jerry Lane's score of pulsating rhythms and haunting chants so reminiscent of the Silk Road. It's also a fabulous juxtaposition to its east/west setting and its Lawrence of Arabia time period.

Nowar's inclusion of Mdallah Al-Manajah's ode about life is another inspiring selection. You can't help but be moved by its homage to Bedouin tradition of oral story telling and poetry and its words of wisdom from father to son. The meaningful words spoken in voice over drive the emotion in the establishing shot and set a powerful tone for the story that follows.

Theeb is truly a cinematic delight that you must keep your eye out for. It's exquisite, intriguing and downright thought provoking.

Boy Grows Up

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 18 February 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. The first film from Jordan to be nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar has drawn comparisons to the epic classic Lawrence of Arabia, and the legendary Monument Valley canon of John Ford. This feature film debut of writer/director Naji Abu Nowar takes a more intimate approach in being more while also being less.

It's 1916 in Hijaz Province, Arabia – nearing the end of the Ottoman Empire – and the film opens with a voice-over of fatherly advice that provides our basic introduction to the tribe's customs. Soon enough we are watching a couple of Bedoin brothers doing typical brotherly things. The older brother Hussein alternates between teasing young Theeb and teaching him some basic survival skills.

Circumstances are such that the boys find themselves on a cross-desert adventure that is both beautiful and dangerous. It's a rare snapshot into this part of the world as it is transitioning from an era where the tribesmen were renowned guides across this stretch of desert, to the modern era where trains (The Iron Donkey) transport people and cargo in significantly less time.

More than anything, this is a coming of age story for young Theeb. He quickly learns to apply life lessons taught by his big brother and their late father. Each decision becomes a matter of life and death, and it's the expressive eyes and facial gestures of Jacik Eid as Theeb that makes this so much more than a stunningly beautiful film to look at. The sand, the sun, and the colorful canyons are like so much of nature – simultaneously visually spectacular and life-threatening. Watching Theeb react to each moment through wits and quick-thinking is a unique experience, and when we realize that Theeb fully understands his place in making things right for the family, it becomes emotionally profound.

Theeb is defined as "wolf" and it's the strength, independence and savvy of young Theeb that grabs the viewer and prevents us from simply enjoying the landscape and photography. We are engaged with the adventure of this growing-up-too-fast young man.

The story isn't a bad one but it's rather slow and isn't always that compelling

[jimbo-53-186511 · 5/10 · 24 July 2016]

Theeb is the story of two brothers Theeb and Hussein who act as Pilgrim Guides to a British Officer who as part of his mission must find a Roman Well. Upon their arrival at the Well, the group are ambushed by raiders and all of the group (except Theeb) are killed by the raiders. With limited skills and knowledge, Theeb finds himself facing the perilous task of surviving in the desert against all odds.

Director and writer Naji Abu Nowar is clearly in no rush to tell his story here and this 'slow-burn approach' is something that invariably can divide audiences. I personally feel that if a director/writer is opting to allow the story to unfold slowly then they need to make sure that the audience are able to become involved with the characters or care for their plight and so on and so forth. This is part of the problem with Theeb in that the characters here aren't really that interesting and no real dynamic seems to exist between them. Also the first part of the story (which sees them being guided to a Well) simply isn't that compelling. There are momentary bursts of energy (such as when Theeb tries to open the British Officer's 'secret box') but for the most part it is quite dull and uninvolving.

Another problem I had with this film is the way that it was sold to me; the summary of this film on Sky Movies reads "Oscar-nominated coming-of-age tale about a young Bedouin boy fighting for survival in the desert during the First World War". OK the coming-of-age part I can sort of see, but a fight for survival? Where did this aspect of the story come into play? A fight for survival suggests that we are supposed to fear for someone's life and in all honesty I never really felt scared for Theeb which took away much of the intensity. Sky Movies are perhaps partly to blame as their summary massively over sells the film and suggests it to be something that it isn't. That's just one of the reasons that I came away from this film feeling slightly disappointed.

There is one other thing here that I didn't really understand and that is why Theeb didn't just tell the raider to take him back to his tribe when he originally had the gun pointed at him?

Theeb is atmospheric and beautifully shot, but the story unfolds far too slowly and even when it got going it didn't really grip me and only held my interest at sporadic intervals.

A wonderfully engaging work

[rogerdarlington · 23 September 2016]

This 2014 Arabic-language film tells a story set at the same time and in the same place as my all-time favourite movie "Lawrence Of Arabia" (1962): it is located during the First World War in the Hijaz part of the Ottoman Empire. Indeed this new film borrows a scene from the older work to establish the narrative: an Arab boy follows an English soldier into the desert without the latter's knowledge. Both films were even shot at the same location - Wadi Rum in Jordan which I have visited - and the scenery and cinematography are spectacular.

Theeb (the name means wolf) is the name of the young boy who risks everything by embarking on an adventure greater than he could have imagined and his quiet conquest of each challenge is a moving rite of passage. Amazingly the boy who plays Theeb, Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, has never acted before. Great credit goes to British- Jordanian director and co-writer Naji Abu Nowar for a wonderfully engaging work.

The complexities of the world

[peefyn · 7/10 · 30 December 2015]

This movie is visually stunning and has a great soundtrack. The plot is simple, but never boring. Theeb, a young boy, ends up in situations where he needs to make difficult decisions, and face the harsh reality he lives in. The story is in many ways universal. It's in a (very general) sense about growing up, trying to understand the world around you, and being like the people who inspire you. More directly, the movie is about "brotherhood" and loyalty to your own, something the movie reflects over throughout. It gets difficult for Theeb, for the lines between good and evil are blurred, and it's hard to say what is right and what is wrong.

The movie is touching, exciting and thoughtful. The performances are all solid, and especially the young boy who carries the movie on his shoulders, deserves recognition. The movie could be compared with old westerns (think Sergio Leone), with some of the themes, the lack of dialogue, the sandy setting and partly the music - but the mood and the stylistic choices are different enough to make this movie something of it's own.

Captivating suspense

[sana-59344 · 10/10 · 17 December 2015]

The film grabs a hold of you and does not let go until after the credits are finished rolling. The film is through the perspective of the young naive boy who has grown up in an isolated desert, he is curious, mischievous and then struggling to survive. Theeb succeeds in capturing the intelligence and the regality of Bedioun life that the Western gaze is incapable of doing.

While this film is set during World War II, the war and conflicts are simply in the background, and the focus is on the tribal law and way of life of the nomadic, hospitable Bedouin.

The film feels very authentic and well-researched. An epic coming of age story on boyhood, manhood, survival and code of ethics. Beautiful representation of the disappearing Bedouin way of life.

Good production need a better story

[afaaltayyar · 7/10 · 11 December 2020]

As an Arab born and raised in the same spot I found it reflecting the true image almost the same culture and language and conversations at that point of time. Even Badwen words and culture was presented fine. Unlike other movies presenting clowns pretending to be Arabs. However the story wasn't great and it could be better also the conversations and actors were very weak and not big and loud as it should be.

I am raising the hat for the director and I know he can do better than that in the future but should work more on the story and the conversations.

astonishing pure film-making

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 24 January 2016]

These days with every kid in town -- along with their cat -- signing up for film school, it is refreshing to attend what amounts to a clinic on how to captivate and hypnotize an audience with one powerful star and scenery that captures the eye and seems almost an character on its own.

All the more remarkable since, for viewers in the west, you have to deal with subtitles as well.

So to sum up, you have a slow moving film with subtitles that has a star unchallenged by puberty, and nothing really seems to happen for most the film, but you will be unable to turn away.

Not too shabby.

When is the next one due?

authentic coming of age story.

[LW-08854 · 7/10 · 27 December 2023]

A wonderfully intimate foreign film set against a lovely backdrop & shot on location in Jordan. We have a small cast inside a focused story and captured by some lovely cinematography. The unfolding sage is seen through the innocent perspective of a young boy who becomes involved in something of an adventure. Some critics have described the genera as a sort of Arabic Western and I can see why. Washed out colours make up most of the costumes white cotton, browns, and the faded colours of the WWI khaki uniform, this makes the red blood even more striking and distinct when it appears. Theeb the boy finds his quiet simple life turned on it's head by the arrival of a stranger from afar with his strange gadgets and mechanical toys. I suppose the sound and image of the train throughout the film symbolises the end of the old traditional way of life and the beginning of a new modern future full of uncertainty. The film also uses members from the local community rather than professional actors. The movie also really captures the unpleasant aspects of the desert, the heat, the flies, I read that temperatures on location regularly went well over 40 degrees while filming. I appreciate them not doing this against green screen or on a sound stage because the results always look inferior.

An "uncovered" before piece of drama..

[till2028 · 8/10 · 21 March 2015]

It is fascinating to watch a film that is covering areas that never ( or at least I never saw one ) been covered before in cinemas... this is a story of Bedouin boy who happen to be living in an era that played role on forming the world we live in right now, greatly put by the director who had the mainline of the story going with small hints on the side to the great events happening at the time... the child's POV is all about basic human feelings, needs and experience not related in any sense to anything happening in the world, while the narrative container of the subject is about a history in the making... stunning cinematography and location, sucks the viewer in the atmosphere and the surroundings.. and takes you to that place... great to have original language and accent, that is what I think is Mel Gibson's best qualities..

A bit of the story falls beyond reach in the middle, where I lost connection with the characters and the atmosphere... but a debut feature film is very promising in that sense...

Takes a while to get into, but the effort is worth it

[deepakahlu · 7/10 · 12 February 2016]

A Jordanian/ Arabic film from a debuting director as one of the five nominees for this years' Oscar (and BAFTA) for best foreign film. Enough to pique curiosity, but would you actually want to invest an hour and a half in a tale with the following IMDb tag line: "In the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming-of-age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a British officer to his secret destination."

Well I just did, and the result was surprisingly gratifying.

Surprising, because some way into the film I was already wearying of the desert survival saga that seemed to be in store. Seen enough of survival stuff this season in The Revenant.

Gratifying, because the saga held up so well. The pace is deliberate, nothing much happens for long periods, but the backgrounds are rugged, the men are rough,..….and the boy is mesmerizing after a while. You just want to see what happens to him next….

Naji Abu Nowar is a name to watch out for.

Well made adventure film

[Andy-296 · 8/10 · 3 April 2016]

This film is set during World War I in what is now the country of Jordan. Theeb is a young boy living with his Bedouin family. Their traditional nomadic lifestyle has probably been the same for the past several centuries, but the world around is rapidly being changed by the Arab revolt against Ottoman rule. One night an English military officer (obviously modeled after Lawrence of Arabia) arrives at the Bedouin camp and asks for help in getting to a certain well. The presence of bandits makes such a trip dangerous, but the Bedouins felt compelled by traditional hospitality rules to give him an escort to get there, and Theeb goes along others (including his elder brother) for the ride. When things soon get sour in their trip, Theeb has to rely on only himself to survive several adventures.

Arab films don't get much exposure in the rest of the world, even in the festival circuit, but this movie, along with the previous Wadjda, suggests a new wave of Arab art cinema, that is intelligent, professionally made and accessible. Nicely shot in the beautiful Jordanian desert. Most of the cast are Bedouins themselves who have never acted. One of the few exceptions is British actor Jack Fox who plays the English officer.

About a young boy from the wild middle-east.

[Reno-Rangan · 3/10 · 24 January 2016]

Right away seeing this film I was confident that it definitely would get nominated for the Oscars. Yesterday (14-01-2016) AMPAS announced the list and I got confirmed that. Born and raised away from their motherland, after learning filmmaking in the west they returned to the root to make films about the native culture and history.

One such example was the recent Ethiopian film 'Difret' that brought on screen the gruesome culture still practiced and now this. These films are the hidden gems, something we won't get regularly in Japanese, English, German, Russian, et cetera films, due to variation in culture, history and geographical diversity.

This film is set in the year 1916, exactly a hundred years ago from now. But due to take place in the hot desert with gun fights, it looked a lot like a western genre. A story about a young boy named Theeb. When he went along with his elder brother to guide a British officer to a classified destination, he gets stranded and had to face some troubles to get back safely to his tribe.

Right from the beginning it focused only Theeb, but that's when he caught between during the World War I tension and some domestic conflict over pilgrim related. There's no clear picture what those are all about, especially if you got no knowledge about the history of this part of the earth. But something was sure that the British officer was looking for his regiment. So they became the subplots as the boy and his struggle was told through his eyes which is the prime plot. A simple tale, but everything was described through the actions, not the with the words.

"The strong eat the weak."

There were sufficient violence in the tale, but still not that brutal as we've seen in some of the major Hollywood flicks about the two World Wars. Considering the timeline of this narration and revolutionary movement, all makes sense, especially knowing a child involved in it. I don't know whether it was based on the real, but the depiction was natural and that's the commitment paid off very well in the end.

You won't feel like you're watching some middle-eastern film, more like a Hollywood or British film that borrowed cast and story with the original language from that region. I felt that way for many reasons and one of that was the awesome background score. And the landscapes, nothing less than the recent CGI extravaganza 'The Martian'. It's not red, but actual Arabian desert that very well utilised to narrate the plot.

Completely in Arabic language, but there're a very few English lines. It's not anything about related to religion and culture, but survival and revenge. Incidentally, this story and 'Lawrence of Arabia' takes place in the same year. I feel there's a connection between these two, not by mean officially, but like all the WWI and WWII films has the connections respectively. The common thing here was the Arab revolution, so I think this one is only the other side of the story of the title I mentioned in a very small scale.

Initially I thought it might be overrated like the last year's Oscars nominee 'Timbuktu'. But good to know it was much better, the opening 10-15 minutes looked so different and then I came to know it was only an introduction to what comes after.

Excellently written and beautiful cinematography, as well it definitely does not look like the director debuting with this. It's great effort from both the cast and the crew. I congratulate the whole team for earning the Oscars nod. And for you guys, it is a very good movie and I hope you are going to watch it after reading my review.

8/10

a boy can see a lot of violence, even if he doesn't see the war

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 17 January 2017]

Everything that's happened in the Middle East in the past twenty years makes Naji Abu Nowar's "Theeb" (Arabic for wolf, pronounced ðiːb) all the more important. On the one hand, "Theeb" - Jordan's first movie to receive an Academy Award nomination - is one of the many movies about world events as seen through the eyes of a child. But these are events with which most people in the west are probably not familiar.

The setting is Hejaz, right after the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The title character is a recently orphaned Bedouin boy. His brother gets given the assignment of leading a British officer to a Roman well near the Ottoman railway. Theeb follows and witnesses things that will impact him for the rest of his life.

The casting of nonprofessional actors gives the movie additional realism. These could be literally any ordinary people in the Arab world, not realizing that their alliance with the British and French would result not only in further colonialism, but a partitioning of the region that would eventually lead to the current bloodshed. Over the course of the movie, Theeb gets forced to mature, and at the end, he does something that no one would expect a child to do (but he has no other choice, does he?). This world of marauding tribes and treacherous dealings is a dangerous one to inhabit, but is the one that will influence Theeb.

Outstanding movie. I recommend it.