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On the DVD
Like other classic fantasy films such as Wizard of Oz, The Thief of Bagdad in Technicolor is an experience that many consider formative to their visual senses of cinema. In it, benevolent Prince Ahmad (John Justin) is blinded by Jaffar (Conrad Veidt) out of jealousy over the Princess of Basra (June Duprez), and embarks on adventures with loyal friend Abu (Sabu) to save the Princess and reclaim Bagdad. Famous sequences featuring Abu commanding the genie, Djinn, and riding the magic carpet are ubiquitous in the minds of children and adults alike. Originally screened in black and white, Criterion Collection has, of course, opted to re-package the vivid color version, but the extras invented for this release, namely interviews and commentary with everyone to Ray Harryhausen to Francis Ford Coppola to Martin Scorsese, offer extraordinary insight into the film’s making. In turn, the extra disc here is an educational foray into the history of not only this film but of all cinema, from its segue into color to the special effects that make The Thief of Bagdad so famous. Coppola and Scorsese’s commentaries range from Coppola’s historical trivia about producer Alexander Korda and Hungarian cinema to Scorsese’s conceptual ruminations about “eye” imagery throughout the film. But the short documentary, “Visual Effects,” starring Harryhausen, Craig Barron, and Dennis Muren is the most enlightening special feature. Harryhausen discusses how The Thief of Bagdad shaped his very ideas of filmmaking, while Barron explains Technicolor’s influence on the film as well as the invention of blue screen. Film sequences in black and white are shown alongside the color to elucidate how the miniature sets and painted backdrops work as optical illusions. Another short, “The Lion Has Wings,” Korda’s propaganda film for England’s Royal Air Force, is a good historical tidbit but counteracts the deep study of fantasy. Audio from Miklos Rozsa and co-director Michael Powell adds further historical context, though the strength of these extra materials lies in the notion of The Thief of Bagdad as a breakthrough example of cinema magic. –Trinie Dalton

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