FILM REVIEWS

“Caravans,” a big-budget political adventure, is the screen adaptation of James Michener’s best-selling novel about N American diplomat given a dangerous assignment.

Michael (“They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”) Sarrazin plays Mark Miller, a low-level diplomat

Ellen Jasper (Jennifer O’Neill) is the daughter of a prominent U.S. politician who has married Nazrullah (Behrooz Vosoughi), an Iranian colonel.  But she’s fallen in love with Zulfigar (Anthony Quinn), a Bedouin rebel leader, and has run off with him.

Miller is instructed to find Ellen and bring her back home safely to the United States. Complications arise when Ellen refuses to leave Zulfigar.

The supporting cast includes Christopher Lee and Joseph Cotten.

“Caravans” was an American-Iranian co-production, but it had the misfortune of being released just as relations between the two nations were tense, which was detrimental for its commercial performance at the box office.

Oscar Nominations: 1

Costume Design: Renie Conley

Oscar Awards:

Oscar Context:

Anthony Powell won the Costume Design Oscar for the Agatha Christie picture, “Death on the Nile.”

Running time: 127 Minutes.

Directed by James Fargo.

DVD: June 22, 2004