Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

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“Three Thousand Years of Longing” is mainly about a Djinn’s attempts at love and freedom over three thousand years.

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Film Summary

Many times throughout his 3,000 years of existence, falling in love with a human has spelled doom for a Djinn. Whether Queen Sheba, who chose King Solomon over him or a young girl, Zefir, trapped in a tower like Rapunzel, the Djinn has had very little luck in love. But, what makes matters worse is, after the betrayal of the Queen of Sheba, he was subject to having to grant three wishes to release himself from a curse by King Solomon.

Over and over, attempts were made to have someone ask for three wishes and grant the Djinn his freedom, but each time, just when he was so close to being released, something happened. However, there is hope that with a modern woman named Alithea, maybe Djinn can finally be free. Even if she might be the most challenging person to extract three wishes from yet since she believes him to be a trickster.

Things To Note

• Reason(s) for Film Rating: Cursing (Yes), Violence (Scenes of medieval war), Sexual Content (Nudity – with no genitalia and simulated sex), Miscellaneous (There might have been drinking)

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Djinn

Made of fire, which relates to the passion he has long had for humans, the Djinn is a romantic. One whose various love affairs with humans have left him trapped, nearly dead, and yet his fascination with them and their advancements are never-ending.

Sheba

A beautiful and poised woman, alluring in all ways possible, Sheba is introduced as Djinn’s first great love.

King Solomon

The man who seduced Sheba and trapped Djinn in his first bottle.

Zefir

Djinn’s second greatest love was a child bride, 12 to be specific, who discovered Djinn after being imprisoned in a bottle for centuries. She was a genius, ahead of her time, not only because of her wishes but because of her natural born aptitude. But, due to the sexism of the times and her being trapped within a room like a caged bird, Zefir didn’t have the opportunity to show anyone her genius but Djinn.

Alithea

A literary academic, Alithea is divorced and pushes the idea she likes the solitude of her life and is far more content than given credit.

Review

Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Highlights

Notably Strong Supporting Characters

Despite the notable names of Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, it could be submitted that “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is barely about them at all. Alithea and Djinn may share narrating duties, but the majority of the film recounts how Djinn ended up in Alithea’s possession. It recounts how he fell in love with humans, tried to coax others to find him, or in desperation, quickly tried to get people to make three wishes for his freedom.

Thanks to this, whether they have extensive dialog or not, we’re treated to many actors, ranging from Aamito Lagum to Burcu Golgedar, getting the kind of showcase you usually see on television from guest stars. And whether they are Djinn’s lovers, or someone he is trying to get to make three wishes, Elba allows the other person to shine on screen, and the writing of Miller and Gore allows them to leave an impression.

On The Fence

The Majority Of The Film Is Backstory, With Very Little Focus On Moving Alithea and Djinn’s Story Forward – In Comparison

Most of the “Three Thousand Years of Longing” focuses on Djinn’s past, and with that, when it comes to Alithea’s present and where she is going, that takes a backseat. The issue is that it gives you very little reason to get invested in her character or the ending. Because of how strong the supporting characters are, I’d even say you may not even care about Djinn’s fate.

All of Swinton and Elba’s star power and charisma are so lovingly given to actors who are potentially on the come-up that nothing is given to them. They are simply marketing tools after a certain point, used to tell a series of stories that, on their own, would likely never get the budget needed to produce a film like this.

Because of that, it makes the end of the film feel like a bit of a drag, as Alithea isn’t presented as interesting as any of the supporting actors. While the others were queens, warlords, geniuses, or young girls whose love for a prince spelled their doom, Alithea is just an academic who hides her loneliness. Add in a lack of notable chemistry between Elba and Swinton, and that makes “Three Thousand Years of Longing” appear to be an opportunity to show off new talent, with Swinton and Elba acting as hosts for the event.

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Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

Overall

“Three Thousand Years of Longing” is the rare film that invests far more time in its relatively unknown actors, and building them up, than its stars. Which ultimately leaves you uninterested in the lead characters to the detriment of the film’s ending, after an exceedingly large amount of time on Djinn’s backstory.

Highlights

Notably Strong Supporting Characters

Disputable

The Majority Of The Film Is Backstory, With Very Little Focus On Moving Alithea and Djinn’s Story Forward – In Comparison

82

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