I thought this movie was superb. It is a visually beautiful, well acted, moving real-life story—genuinely dumbfounded at the low ratings.

I watched this movie after viewing the documentaries "Letters from Baghdad" and "The Real Lawrence of Arabia" and was very disappointed. I can never understand the need for Hollywood to create fictional events in the life of historical people. Gertrude Bell had plenty of real life experiences to draw from for dramatic effect. And their portrayal of T E Lawrence was shallow and appalling. Most of their interactions in this film never happened. Very lazy research and writing.

Queen of Desert's miscasting is so incredibly bad it almost makes one cry. Kidman is usually so great though certainly not here. It's like if the actors and director know this movie is going to flunk in a major way. Watch Lawrence of Arabia instead or to compare how this very important topic should have been treated at each level. While Franco was somewhat miscast, Pattison is way not credible as Lawrence at all. Kidman looks more like she should be her father's younger wife than his daughter, why she took on this role leaves one feeling bewildered and sad since she is typically such a great actress and seems to choose her roles wisely. Sad, sad, sad.

Disappointing. The real life story was complex and compelling, and the 'love interests' (four, not two) were disastrous, each in their own way. Yet the characters are portrayed as romantically beautiful (Bell wasn't, nor was Lawrence) and the storyline lacks a central meaning. The whole thing came across as a pastiche of beautiful but largely unconnected scenes looking for a reason. Pretty to look at but rubbish story-telling.

Probably the story could have been better, but I enjoy it anyway. Again and again

I think it is mesmerising. The scenery, the different way of life through an eye of a woman.

Excellent, underappreciated, well worth watching I've just finished watching "Desert Queen" in all its 2 hour length. The movie is underappreciated, and reviewers in its year of release were jaded by bang-bang-shoot-em-up and missed what this movie has to offer. Gertrude Bell – Gertrude of Arabia, who inspired jealous comments from many including TE Lawrence – was born into the 6th richest family in England, the first Oxford woman graduate, incredible adventures in the Middle East, tragic love life with two potential husbands dead which constrained her life. Through this all . Ms Bell gained the respect and confidence of the Bedouin (fiercest Arab tribes) and had major role in the creation of the Middle East after the First World War. She published numerous books including photographic records, advised British imperial policy, seeking to win nationhood and independence for the Arab countries. This is a powerful life, and we can understand why famed director Werner Herzog, who also wrote the screenplay, had difficulty getting it all in. The movie, Lawrence of Arabia, covered similar historical and dramatic territory and took almost 4 hours to tell the full personal and historical story. So perhaps this movie was too short to fit in the life, the history, the tragedy and all. But the movie is wonderful. It reads as a reverie, a homage to the career of Ms Bell and also the sociology of the Arab tribes. It has very sophisticated lines, for example, a Bedu sheikh discussing the French poet Rimbaud in his tent with Ms Bell, And this throwaway interchange when Arab guide Fattuh comes with eggs in his hands to Gertrude Bell: F Can the lady show me how to do it? G. To cook an egg? F. The desert knows no eggs, the desert knows no hens G. You boil it for five minutes F. The desert knows no minutes G. The length of a prayer F. Oh. Ever present. (cut to next scene) The photography is glorious. It will get you immediately planning a trip to Morocco to check out the locations. The soundtrack of Arab inspired music is wonderful. Nicole Kidman does a good performance, Damien Lewis is good, others too. I think that Hertzog was trying to present the British "stiff upper lip" attitude of the era while portraying the seething emotions below. He wasn't wholly successful in that aspect, unlike other masterpieces he's done. But who complains about low-key characterisations when we see "2001" or Ibsen or Bergman, when we are expected to be actively thinking about the back story, the environment, the historical milieu. This ain't John Wick. So the movie is definitely worth watching. It's a homage, a dream, a history. It will make you want to find out more about Gertrude Bell, get her books, watch the documentary about her life, and think about travel to Morocco if not Iraq just now.

Sad that such a great woman gets a weak movie from a male director.

You don't see Gertrude Bell but Nichole Kidman (much more when she pretends to be a young girl), characters lack the personality they should have in real life... Even, the power of the direction of Herzog looks undermined to offer just another epic, classic-like exotic story, with space of romanticism enough to be another repeated story... In the portion of movie I have seen, T.E. Lawrence appears little, but, frankly, it is not good for such a young actor as Robert Pattison to be compaired with the legend of Peter O'Toole... In the end, looks a spoilt opportunity.

If you're looking for another Indiana Jones or Game of Thrones this isn't for you, but the photography is wonderful and the story and characters engaging. I really enjoyrd it.

I enjoyed it. Part of the reason I'm writing is because I'm really surprised at all the negative reviews. I don't know if it's their expectations of Herzog or "Lawrence of Arabia" or of common action-adventure plots or what. My impulse is to say that they're very stupid. I enjoyed it for what it was. The film-making itself filled in the blanks about her enrapturement with the two men and with the Middle East. Most films need the addition of concrete words to do this. This isn't most films.

Awful. I only made it about a quarter of the way in, but that was enough. Slow-moving pointless romance, with the unexpected bonus of the always insufferable James Franco. The rest of the movie could be packed with thrills, and it still wouldn't have been worth it.

I'm a huge fan of movies like the English Patient and Out of Africa and I was so disappointed by this movie. It felt aged, way more than the movies I mentioned. The kissing felt super staged like circa 1930s or before, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. The only reason I finished it is because I wanted to see what Jordan and Syria where supposed to look like before ww1 and I knew it would be done with that nostalgic romantic perspective I like. James Francos accent was terrible by the way - and he looks like he did in Pineapple Express not Tristan and Isolde, I didn't believe him and wasn't empathetic toward his character. It wasn't all bad but I wouldn't recommend it. :(

Beautiful movie. Amazing.

I've never seen a movie before where the characters whisper all the way through, until this one. This is such a boring movie that I'd give it zero stars, except for the cinematography and just watching Nicole Kidman elegantly glide through the movie in exotic clothing while on a camel. Kidman is exceptional in everything, at least in some way. The portrayal of the real Gertrude, and others reaction to her in a time where women were treated like chattel in that part of the world is unbelievable. Overdramatic, whispering dialogue, with long periods of people just looking at each other.

Definitely prove that most people who seem to watch movies don't have the patience or imagination to go beyond the formulaic claptrap. This was an amazing movie, if it didn't have the generic explosions and plot twists, so much the better, it was real

Pointless Mary Sue movie.

While it was a pretty movie. Nicole Kidman's hair was distracting. First off, the real Ms. Bell had brownish hair. Yet, Kidman had constantly flowing, brown, wavy hair. Sexy hair. I highly doubt a dusty, dirty woman in the desert would have pretty hair or even care about her hair. The real person was more down to Earth. I think it could have been more exciting. But that could be Kidman's constant flat portrayal. She doesn't have much personality in real life, so she always seems a bit wooden. Yet, she was better in this than, in other movies. I think Cate Blanchett might have been better for the role.

i didn't care about this movie

The deliberately slow pace of the film brings the viewer into harmony with the timelessness of the desert, creating an introspective and contemplative mood reflecting the philosophy and religion of the native people. Bell says, she writes not about things but about their attributes. The movie conveys the story of Bells life in much the same impressionistic way.