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Biographical drama

Queen of the Desert (2017): Ratings & Plot

Queen of the Desert (2017) movie poster

Queen of the Desert is a 2017 biographical drama directed by Werner Herzog. It runs 2 hours 8 minutes. Critics gave it 18% on Rotten Tomatoes and 39 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.7/10.

IMDb rating
5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes
18%
Metascore
39
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Queen of the Desert (2017) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 8m (128 min)
Director
Werner Herzog
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Queen of the Desert About?

The premise of Queen of the Desert without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Driven by a desire for independence, Gertrude Bell leaves behind traditional English society and journeys to the Arab world in the early 20th century. She explores vast, uncharted deserts and becomes deeply involved in the political landscape of the region. Along the way, she experiences a passionate romance with a British officer and encounters the famed T.E. Lawrence, forging a complex and transformative relationship.

Queen of the Desert Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • englishwoman
  • bedouin
  • world war one
  • arabian desert
  • ottoman empire
  • paprika
  • implied sex
  • turkish army
  • turkish government
  • unhappy marriage
  • blonde
  • snow adventure
+38 more
  • title spoken by character
  • cleavage
  • nipples visible through clothing
  • winston churchill character
  • middle east politics
  • pre world war one
  • ends with historical notes
  • ends with biographical notes
  • female politician
  • female archaeologist
  • female writer
  • reference to the victoria cross
  • death in combat
  • breaking a wine glass
  • finding out that lover has died
  • politician
  • camel race
  • applause
  • arab ear
  • falcon
  • king
  • mother son relationship
  • year 1926
  • year 1913
  • year 1914
  • adventuress
  • lawrence of arabia character
  • female scholar
  • archaeology
  • cartography
  • british empire
  • gertrude bell character
  • what happened to epilogue
  • jordan
  • scene during opening credits
  • singer
  • singing
  • song
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Crew

The Director of Queen of the Desert

Directed by Werner Herzog.

Ratings

Queen of the Desert Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Queen of the Desert 18% on Rotten Tomatoes and 39 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.7/10.

Plot

Queen of the Desert Plot Summary

What happens in Queen of the Desert from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The First World War brought about the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which had dominated the Middle East for five centuries. This significant shift opened the door for colonial powers to assert their control, with Britain seizing Egypt in 1914. During this time, Winston Churchill (Christopher Fulford), the defense minister, strategizes how Britain can outmaneuver both the Russians and French to secure influence over Iraq and Kuwait. However, he is confronted with the challenge of navigating the ambitions of Ibn Saud, who seeks to establish his own nation. Amidst this complex backdrop, Churchill realizes the glaring lack of intelligence about the local tribes and their rulers, relying heavily on the insights of Gertrude Bell.

Full summary

The whole story of Queen of the Desert, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Queen of the Desert?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who portrayed Gertrude Bell in the film?

Seen Queen of the Desert?

FAQ

Queen of the Desert FAQ: Runtime, Release Date & Director

Runtime, release date, director, ratings and post-credit scenes of Queen of the Desert, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Queen of the Desert?

Queen of the Desert runs 2 hours 8 minutes (128 minutes).

When was Queen of the Desert released?

Queen of the Desert was released on April 7, 2017.

Who directed Queen of the Desert?

Queen of the Desert was directed by Werner Herzog.

More films by Werner Herzog

How is Queen of the Desert rated?

Queen of the Desert has 5.7/10 on IMDb, 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, 39 on Metacritic and 2.9/5 on Movie Insider.

Does Queen of the Desert have a post-credit scene?

No. Queen of the Desert has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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