The Sheltering Sky

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The Sheltering Sky ★★★ 1990 (R)

American couple Winger and Malkovich flee the plasticity of their native land for a trip to the Sahara desert where they hope to renew their spirits and rekindle love. Accompanied by socialite acquaintance Scott with whom Winger soon has an affair, their personalities and belief systems deteriorate as they move through the grave poverty of North Africa in breathtaking heat. Based on the existential novel by American expatriate Paul Bowles who narrates and appears briefly in a bar scene. Overlong but visually stunning, with cinematography by Vittorio Storaro. 139m/C VHS, DVD . Debra Winger, John Malkovich, Campbell Scott, Jill Bennett, Timothy Spall, Eric Vu-An, Sotigui Koyate, Amina Annabi, Paul Bowles; D: Bernardo Bertolucci; W: Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci; C: Vittorio Storaro; M: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Richard Horowitz. Golden Globes '91: Score; N.Y. Film Critics '90: Cinematog.