Kiss of Araby: Stiff Upper Lips and Sand Dunes

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school melodrama where honor is treated like a religion and everyone talks like they're reading from a pamphlet, you might get a kick out of Kiss of Araby. If you need pacing that doesn't feel like it’s stuck in quicksand, skip it. This is strictly for people who enjoy watching 1930s-style moral dilemmas play out in costumes that look like they were pulled from a trunk in the basement.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kiss of Araby (1933) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing hinges on a "stiff upper lip" that honestly gets a little exhausting after the first twenty minutes. Lieutenant Lawrence is the kind of guy who would probably let a building fall on him just to avoid an awkward conversation. When he takes the fall for the commander's wife, you’re just sitting there yelling at the screen for him to just say something. Anything.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kiss of Araby (1933) through its definitive frames.

There’s this weird shift in the second half where he suddenly becomes a desert sheik. It’s handled with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. One minute he’s in a stiff uniform, and the next he’s basically wearing curtains and leading a tribe into battle. It feels like two different movies taped together.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kiss of Araby (1933) through its definitive frames.

The combat scenes are a trip. They mostly involve people waving swords around while the camera tries to hide the fact that there are maybe twelve extras total. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Mad Parade, though with significantly more sand.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kiss of Araby (1933) through its definitive frames.

The confession at the end? Oh boy. Randall, who is basically the villain because he’s got that mustache-twirling energy, decides to come clean while he’s dying. It’s the ultimate "oops, my bad" moment that resolves the entire plot in about three minutes flat. It’s so convenient it’s almost impressive.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kiss of Araby (1933) through its definitive frames.

• The uniforms are remarkably clean for a desert war.
• Claire Windsor is doing a lot of heavy lifting with just her eyes in the early scenes.
• The tent sets look suspiciously like they might collapse if someone sneezed.
• Honestly, I spent way too long wondering how they kept the sand out of their hair.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s a relic. If you’ve seen The Soaring Maiden, you’ll recognize the vibe of "let's just get the story over with before lunch." It’s charmingly dusty, slightly nonsensical, and features enough dramatic posturing to last a lifetime. 🐪