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Took in Youssef Chahine's much-touted "Destiny" over
the weekend. Chahine is Arab cinema's preeminent figure, and he's
had to jump through several hoops to achieve that status. His
last film was banned by the government, and it's not surprising
that this picture, which exuberantly tells the 12th C. story of
the Andalusian Caliph Al Mansour, the fatwa ordered by the Calips
against the humanist philosopher and Grand Judge Averros, and of
Averroes' and his followers' resistance to the fatwa, is a
heartfelt and commendable reaction against religious
Fundamentalism. The problem with picture, though, is that's all
it is, and as such remains dramatically thin. It's breezily
entertaining (did I mention this is a musical?) and a nice, light
history lesson, though, and won't take any years off your life or
anything. Just don't expect to be moved.
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