The movie "The Forgiven" is an adaptation of the novel by Lawrence Osborne but it got "lost in translation". The first hour of the movie serves to introduce the characters at a pretentious party in the middle of the desert in Morocco. Dialogues are made up of ready-made phrases, without expression or feelings, they seem like memorized dialogues. Not even Jessica Chastain as Jo Henninger or Ralph Fiennes as David Henninger could save the poor script.
The second half of the movie improves a bit. The scenes are more elaborated, but still without connection or too much emphasis concentrated on the life of the eccentric characters and less on the servants. Even so, the movie manages to transpose to the screen the question of Western imperialism, the lack of importance of having an African alive or dead, and the insignificance of the country's local tradition.
The film takes place in the 20th century but could easily be transported to the 18th or 19th century since Western bourgeois society continues to see Africa and the Middle East as a region for carnal and exotic attraction, where there is still a clear vision of servants and lords of lands.
The second half of the movie improves a bit. The scenes are more elaborated, but still without connection or too much emphasis concentrated on the life of the eccentric characters and less on the servants. Even so, the movie manages to transpose to the screen the question of Western imperialism, the lack of importance of having an African alive or dead, and the insignificance of the country's local tradition.
The film takes place in the 20th century but could easily be transported to the 18th or 19th century since Western bourgeois society continues to see Africa and the Middle East as a region for carnal and exotic attraction, where there is still a clear vision of servants and lords of lands.