Conclusion to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

The shortfalls and successes aside, Arthur Lubin’s 1944 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves offers much to its viewers. Whether it be a modern-day perspective of war or a faint reminder of the origins of Ali Baba in The Arabian Nights, the film somehow manages enough content to escape the label of an exclusively escapist production. As with all popular media, films help to construct an awareness of our own culture—and in the case of those with Arab settings—exposes our lack of understanding of others. However, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves holds its place in the lineup of films derived from the Nights, and provides a basis for later films on similar subjects. Though it may have escaped the line of critical thought due to its genre, Ali Baba is nevertheless an important work representing ‘Eastern’ traditions infused with ‘Western’ themes. To understand the differences and similarities between the two is to better understand the social and political climate of the world today—increasingly important in an expanding global environment.

Precedent Works:

Chraibi, Aboubakr. Galland's Ali Baba and Other Arabic Versions. Marvels & Tales. 2004;18.2;159-169.

Evans, Peter W. From Maria Montez to Jasmine: Hollywood's Oriental Odalisques . New Eroticisms: Changing Patterns in the Construction of Otherness. Rodopi. 2000.

Shaheen, Jack G. Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 2003;588;171.

Shohat, Ella. Gender In Hollywood's Orient. Middle East Report. Jan-Feb, 1990

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