Igricheff, the Amiris' instructor, refuses to take part in the Cadi's arms deal. Deposed, he flees and joins the Ghafaris, determined to help his former enemies against the Amiris. Taken prisoner, he is saved by his young slave, Yasmina, while the Ghafaris are almost completely annihilated. He takes refuge on the ship of the trafficker Mordhom. Having provoked the death of his servant, he is put on trial by Mordhom but acquitted by his peers. Mordhom then lands Igricheff on the coast, and the latter succeeds in saving the Frenchman from an Amiri attack. The two men reconcile and set off on their adventures together.
Cinematography
Glorious Technicolor North African locations shot on location.
Acting
Pedro Armendáriz brings wounded dignity to a thankless role.
Score
Soaring orchestral themes that desperately want to be epic.
Director
Bernard Borderie
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bernard Borderie later directed the wildly popular Angélique series, proving his taste for florid romantic adventures.
Shot in French Morocco during the final years of colonial rule, the film's politics aged like milk in the Sahara.
FR
