Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      The Sheltering Sky

      R Released Dec 12, 1990 2 hr. 17 min. Drama Adventure Romance List
      45% 29 Reviews Tomatometer 79% 5,000+ Ratings Audience Score An American couple (John Malkovich, Debra Winger) drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Nov 21 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      The Sheltering Sky

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent The Sheltering Sky on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      The Sheltering Sky

      What to Know

      Critics Consensus

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

      Read Critics Reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (232) audience reviews
      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 Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      12% 53% The Blue Lagoon 86% 83% The English Patient 9% 43% Wild Orchid 14% 72% Beyond Borders 43% 85% Paraiso Travel Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All The Sheltering Sky photos

      The Sheltering Sky

      The Sheltering Sky (1990) The Sheltering Sky (1990) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (29) Critics Reviews
      Pauline Kael 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

      Movie Info

      Synopsis An American couple (John Malkovich, Debra Winger) drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa.
      Director
      Bernardo Bertolucci
      Executive Producer
      William Aldrich
      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
      Sound Mix
      Surround
      Most Popular at Home Now