Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Three Thousand Years of Longing 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Djinn and tonic.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 18, 2022

George Miller's first film since Mad Max: Fury Road (and a brief detour before Furiosa, which just completed principal photography a few months ago), the monumentally-titled Three Thousand Years of Longing brings to mind a sweeping, multi-millennial love story... which it is, of course. But's it's also an intimate, close-quarters tale of two kindred spirits: one is Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), a successful narratologist who's poured her life into her career, and the other is a Djinn (Idris Elba) who she frees from his glass prison while on a speaking engagement in Turkey. It combines standard genie-in-a-bottle tropes and Arabian Nights-inspired flashbacks where we learn about Djinn's previous loves and losses, which intrigue Alithea as a more grounded individual who's recently suffered from disturbing supernatural visions. While emotionally impactful at key moments and led by two committed performances, Three Thousand Years of Longing still can't help but feel like it's missing the polish and precision of a film that matches its ambitious concept.

If nothing else, Three Thousand Years of Longing starts off well enough: after landing in Turkey, Alithea encounters her first demonic vision at the airport, after which she's greeted by speaking partner Professor Gühan (Erdil Yaşaroğlu) and several event organizers. Things take a disturbing turn during her speech in a crowded auditorium, where a pale-faced figure -- who brings to mind the stained-glass knight from 1985's Young Sherlock Holmes -- causes her to pass out on stage. She later confides in Professor Gühan about her recent flights of fancy but insists they're nothing to worry about and, during a brief visit to an antique shop, selects a small blue-swirled bottle to add to her collection of trinkets back in London. Returning to her hotel room, Alithea's relaxing evening is interrupted by Djinn himself after the bottle is cleaned, where he abruptly appears as an imposingly oversized figure. Naturally, he grants her three wishes -- along with a few ground rules, of course -- with another stipulation that they must truly come from the heart.

Skeptical of Djinn's claims, Alithea is reassured by four separate stories about his previous owners: the beautiful Queen of Sheba (Aamito Lagum), teenage concubine Gülten (Ece Yüksel), a morbidly obese woman nicknamed Sugar Lump (Anna Adams), and a Turkish merchant's brilliant wife, Zefir (Burcu Gölgedar). Each distinct tale features an ambitious scope and production design as Djinn weaves a narrative thread that Alithea can't help but accept at face value. As a woman formerly married but now laser-focused on her career and legacy, she sees Djinn as a similarly broken figure whose own desire for emotional connection -- and similar fear of imprisonment -- has drawn them together.

It's a long-winded way of reminding us that "once you go black, you never go back"... but to its considerable credit, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a refreshingly original production whose intense atmosphere and visuals aim for the back row, elevating a handful of its weaker moments to respectable heights. The same can be said of its supremely well-crafted sound design, a similarly great effort that brings depth and intensity to key moments in an effective way. But its uneven structure make this film feel like more of a rough draft or rehearsal for the real thing, even though the crucial performances of Swinton and Elba absolutely carry their own weight. A scattershot anthology masquerading as a heady and dramatic fantasy epic, Three Thousand Years of Longing is certainly well worth a watch -- and quite possibly a future re-evaluation -- despite having the vaguely bitter aftertaste of a partially missed opportunity.

For a slightly less positive take on the film, please see Brian Orndorf's theatrical review.

Its projector-worthy A/V strengths (which even warranted a short introduction from Miller during theatrical screenings) are thankfully imprisoned on a shiny 4K disc from Warner Bros., part of a combo pack whose included Blu-ray is also available separately and comparatively just as strong. Unfortunately, the complete lack of extras, when combined with the film's somewhat niche appeal, make either option more of a purchase for established fans only.

Three Thousand Years of Longing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Three Thousand Years of Longing is quite a visually arresting adventure when we aren't confined to Alithea's sterile hotel room: from bustling, modern urban sprawl to exotic Middle Eastern locations of various time periods, it rarely stays in the same place for more than a few minutes at a time, skipping freely between color palettes and lighting setups to a create a pleasing range of scenery that proves almost all of its $60M budget made it on-screen. Fine detail and textures are quite stunning with incredible depth and stability, while lighting and compositional choices work in tandem with its wide color and dynamic contrast to serve up no shortage of pause-worthy moments. The effectiveness of its HDR enhancement may vary depending on your system's compatibility, but I was able to view it in Dolby Vision and noticed clear improvements in overall color depth, shadow detail, and of course black/white levels, all of which reached both ends of the spectrum with no visible crush or blooming. Fire and supernatural effects, such as the cotton candy-colored smoke that arrives with Djinn, leave an immediate visual impression, as do the somewhat stylishly graded flashback sequences and even the idealized sunny skies seen during the film's final stretch -- London rarely looks that inviting, does it? It's a potent experience and one that absolutely deserved the 4K treatment, even though several other WB films that failed at the box office this year didn't get the same courtesy.

For my thoughts on the included Blu-ray's similarly outstanding 1080p transfer (which is the source for this review's screenshots), please see my separate review of that title.

Three Thousand Years of Longing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As good as its visuals are, Three Thousand Years of Longing features absolutely stellar sound design that translates perfectly to this default Dolby Atmos mix -- or Dolby TrueHD 7.1, if your receiver doesn't support the newer format. Dialogue and front-field effects are obviously up to par with clear separation, excellent dynamic range, and crystal clarity that makes everything easy to follow. Yet it's the rears, height channels, and subwoofer that leave the most lasting impact here, showing early signs of life during Alithea's first-act hallucinations, Djinn's reveal and voice, the sporadically epic flashbacks, and no shortage of other natural and supernatural effects as the story gradually unfolds. It's a perfectly measured mix that kicks into overdrive at all the right moments and then some, offering an extremely visceral and memorable listening experience that will keep your ears engaged every step of the way.

Optional English (SDH) and Spanish subtitles are both offered during the main feature. All of its frequent instances of foreign dialogue (including "Djinnbish") are paired with forced subtitles which were also present in theatrical showings. No idea why someone chose vertically-stretched "Papyrus" for the font, though. Yeesh.

Three Thousand Years of Longing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with no slipcover and a Digital Copy code. Sadly, no extras are included here -- not surprising given the film's box-office performance, but a disappointment nonetheless.

Three Thousand Years of Longing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing is an interesting attempt at fantastical drama for a director mostly known for the Mad Max franchise; it's an ambitious story decorated with solid visuals, mammoth sound design, and committed lead performances, but it also has pacing issues and could've used a script re-write. Yet even in its current form this is a film worth watching and may even strengthen its case after repeat viewings. Warner Bros.' welcome 4K combo pack deserves top marks for its outstanding A/V presentation, but the disappointing lack of extras -- and the film's niche appeal -- don't make it an ideal blind buy. Established fans will want to indulge, though.