To me, this movie is perfection.

Redundant and unnecessary.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's 1784 France. Aimée Dubucq de Rivéry chafes under the strict nuns. She is too independent and her uncle sends her back to the nuns. Pirates capture her ship and she is kidnapped to Algiers ending up in the Ottoman Sultan's harem. She resists being renamed and the scheming by Sineperver (Maud Adams). Sultan Abdul Hamid (F. Murray Abraham) picks her and she refuses. When he offers to not sleep with her, she relents. She becomes his favorite and gives him another heir. Sineperver's son Mustafa is in line to be the next Sultan and she sends an assassin to kill Aimée's son. The Sultan gives her Mahmud to adopt. The Janissaries are restless for war against the Russians but they are outmatched without modern weapons.This is a strange movie. It's half exploitative melodramatic romance. It's also a period piece historical drama. It's reminiscent of a pulpy romance novel. Surprisingly, this has a couple of interesting veteran actors. On the other hand, the lead is a young amateur although she's not the problem. Amber O'Shea definitely has model good looks. She has spunk and that is charismatic enough. The production is lower value but the locations are pretty good. This is cheese but I must admit that it's memorable cheese.

Although I can see where the dissers are coming from, I found this film charming. Yeah, the script and acting could have been better, but man, what a story! Aimee Dubucq de Rivery, cousin of the French Empress Josephine, captured by pirates and sold into the Turkish ruler's harem, in later life ends up transforming Turkey into the modern age through her son. She was known as the Sultan Valideh, the Veiled Power, and she made herself and her son a bridge to the West.She must have been something and a half, and Amber O'Shea, with a pretty crappy script, somehow manages to sell it. And of course any harem run by F. Murray Abraham is my kind of harem.All in all, a pleasant couple of hours. I await the REAL movie of Naksh, the Sultan Valideh.

Years ago I saw this as a late night movie, and have remembered it since. It is a haunting story. It begins with a flash-forward, an abduction of a priest. The rest of the move is a flash-back, explaining why he is abducted. A British woman is on a ship which is attacked by Muslims and taken captive, then sold to be in the harem of the king. The plot includes palace intrigue, loss of innocence and freedom, rules and resistance, jealousy and hate, war and death, survival and double cross, an unlikely romance, the bonds of love and devotion. I seem to remember that the story has some basis in historical fact, and would like to know more about that. Even having seen the movie only the one time, it was so unique and compelling that I recall the story and details to this day. Adult themes: Not a movie for children, but they are being exposed to worse. (I'm pleased to have found this movie on your list, since it is not well known.)

I have to disagree with the former review. While it has been a long time since I have seen this particular movie. I can think of far worse ways to spend an hour and 45 minutes!It is however, a movie that has a hard time fitting into a category. As an historical movie, it is highly fictionalized (although it is based on a real person who did in fact bring Christianity to the royal family of, I believe, Turkey.) It has too much gore to really be a romance. As for the acting, I really liked F. Murray Abraham's performance. Amber O'Shea could be seen as rather Lackluster, but I generally prefer an understated performance. Ron Dortch, as Tulip, was really good.One final word of warning. While I saw nothing in this movie that was not included to further the storyline, I did recommend this to a friend who was highly offended by the sexual nature of a few scenes. But hey, the movie was about a young European girl who finds herself married to a Turkish Aga, and conceives his heir. What can you expect!