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The Sheltering Sky

Play trailer Poster for The Sheltering Sky R Released Dec 12, 1990 2h 17m Drama Adventure Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
45% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
An American couple (John Malkovich, Debra Winger) drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa.
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The Sheltering Sky

The Sheltering Sky

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Critics Consensus

The Sheltering Sky puts its talented stars at odds with a misguided and largely unsatisfying adaptation of potentially unfilmable source material.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Would I like the movie better if Bertolucci had put in the novel’s cheap thrills? You bet I would. Sep 12, 2023 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader A disappointingly reductive adaptation of Paul Bowles's first novel. Dec 7, 2007 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) The picture is cleanly directed but lacks the visual excitement and emotional resonance of even lesser Bertuloci Films. Rated: 1.5/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) This film is not ideologically malignant. It is simply bad. [Full review in Spanish] Jan 21, 2023 Full Review Monica Dorenkamp OutWeek Insufferably dull. May 19, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Perezbermuda X Magical setting which appeals to all the senses. Don't listen to the critics and decide for yourself. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/13/23 Full Review Audience Member A master work based on a master work. A film that will find its true audience probably years from now... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Over the years I've found many of Bertolucci's features uneven. He's simultaneously capable of creating meaningful films such as The Conformist (1970), along with the dreadfully tedious Last Tango in Paris (1972). Since the release of The Sheltering Sky, Bowles has subsequently disowned the adaptation, saying "it should never have been filmed. The ending is idiotic and the rest is pretty bad". Unfortunately, I have to agree. The weakness consists of the excessive length and incredibly slow pace. As Port says in one scene "God! What a bore". Admittedly, the luscious landscapes make some beautiful visuals. However, due to the drawn-out narrative and uneven performances, The Sheltering Sky unravels as Last Tango in Tangier. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review william k Beautifully photographed and well-cast adaptation of Paul Bowles' novel is less about the couple's deteriorating marriage, but more about their inability to realize or understand their surroundings and the culture they are traveling through. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Stunning cinematography & music from Ryuichi Sakamoto. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member This long film starts off slow and then gets much slower. About halfway through, it gives up on story-telling almost altogether, and turns into mostly just a beautiful travelogue. Memorable mainly for its cinematography and its score. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Sheltering Sky

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Movie Info

Synopsis An American couple (John Malkovich, Debra Winger) drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa.
Director
Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer
Jeremy Thomas
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Adventure, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 12, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.4M
Runtime
2h 17m
Sound Mix
Surround
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