Shipwrecked

We seem to be watching a lot of DVDs lately, most recently The Thief of Bagdad, Alexander Korda's Technicolor fantasy epic. I remember it fondly from childhood and once you leave behind modern notions of film-making, narrative structure and political correctness it remains thoroughly enjoyable.

It's hard to believe that the movie was released in 1940 - the special-effects are well ahead of their time - and it's worth checking out the biography of its charismatic Indian actor, Sabu, whose extraordinary but tragic life is worthy of a film in its own right.

Anyway, halfway through the film the evil wizard Jaffar calls down a storm and shipwrecks our heroes, Ahmad and Abu, somewhere between Basra and Bagdad (yes, those names give the film an added poignancy).

Except that it's not Iraq but Kynance Cove on the Lizard in Cornwall. Poor Sabu must have been freezing.

We went and sat on Kynance only a week or so ago. I can attest that it's an excellent place when you're feeling shipwrecked.

(thanks to Rob McLeod for the photo)