Black Gold

2011 2h 10m EN

😐

6.5

MID

🥫

11%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.5TMDB · 323🥫11%Rotten Tomatoes●32Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 13,287

AdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

On the Arabian Peninsula in the 1930s, two warring leaders come face to face. The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika, lays down his peace terms to rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah. The two men agree that neither can lay claim to the area of no man’s land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return, Nesib adopts Amar’s two boys Saleeh and Auda as a guarantee against invasion. Twelve years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father’s land. Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American from Texas. He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his wildest imagination. Nesib imagines a realm of infinite possibility, a kingdom with roads, schools and hospitals all paid for by the black gold beneath the barren sand. There is only one problem. The precious oil is located in the Yellow Belt.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Mark Strong
Sultan Amar
Antonio Banderas
Emir Nesib
Freida Pinto
Leyla
Tahar Rahim
Auda
Riz Ahmed
Ali
Lotfi Dziri
Sheikh of Bani Sirri
Liya Kebede
Aicha
Corey Johnson
Thurkettle

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Writers: Menno Meyjes
Languages: English
Countries: France, Italy, Qatar, Tunisia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 14% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: France, Italy, Qatar, Tunisia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, shot by Jean-Marie Dreujou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hervé Schneid shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas and Freida Pinto carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1701210 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jean-Jacques Annaud directs. Jean-Marie Dreujou behind the camera. James Horner scores. Hervé Schneid cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Italy, Qatar, Tunisia. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 14% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 15 years ago.
3International production across 4 countries: France, Italy, Qatar, Tunisia.
4Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, shot by Jean-Marie Dreujou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Hervé Schneid shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas and Freida Pinto carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt1701210 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.