Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- earnest
- sweeping
- historical epic night
- desert adventure marathon
What critics said
Critics found the film ambitious and visually expansive but ultimately tedious, dramatically inert, and undermined by performances and dialogue they considered unconvincing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story spans rival emirates, a contested no-man's-land, oil exploitation, and armed conflict across early-twentieth-century Arabia.
Nesib seeks hospitals, schools, and modernization through oil while Amar defends conservative tribal authority.
Auda must decide whether to support his father Amar or Nesib, who raised him and becomes his father-in-law.
The discovery of oil in the Yellow Belt causes the American company to violate the peace pact and destabilizes both emirates.
Films like Black Gold, and why
Lawrence of Arabia
shared historical adventure scale, desert setting, tribal politics, and conflict between tradition and modernization
The Message
shared sweeping desert landscapes, political intrigue, anti-colonial tensions, and epic adventure structure
Syriana
shared Middle Eastern setting, oil-driven power struggles, family loyalty, and historical drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Release Date
- 2011-12-21
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (321)
Cast
- Mark Strong
- Antonio Banderas
- Freida Pinto
- Tahar Rahim
- Riz Ahmed
- Lotfi Dziri
- Liya Kebede
- Corey Johnson
- Akin Gazi
- Ériq Ebouaney
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Gold about?
- A prince caught between rival fathers navigates tribal honor, oil-fueled modernization, and a fragile peace in early-twentieth-century Arabia.
- What is Black Gold like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Gold as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Black Gold violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Black Gold as moderate.
- What did critics think of Black Gold?
- Critics found the film ambitious and visually expansive but ultimately tedious, dramatically inert, and undermined by performances and dialogue they considered unconvincing.
- Which films are like Black Gold?
- Films with a similar feel include Lawrence of Arabia, The Message, and Syriana.
- How long is Black Gold?
- Black Gold runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Gold?
- In United States, Black Gold streams on Philo.
