Ali Baba et les 40 voleurs (2007)

In the sands of the Middle East, old Ali Baba travels with his granddaughter Kenza and agrees, for the thousand and first time, to tell her his story. In the year 800, the Caliph of Baghdad had sent three ambassadors bearing gifts to Emperor Charlemagne, with the aim of making peace. In return, the emperor had sent two of his ambassadors, the young monk Séraphin and the knight Clodic, to deliver his most precious possession to the caliph: his personal cross, made of gold and precious stones. Guided by the three ambassadors, the two men stop at the home of the old magician Al Miradjan and his daughter, the beautiful Morgiane. Meanwhile, Ali Baba, a simple, kind-hearted woodcutter, returns from the market in Basra with his two donkeys and is robbed by a band of forty thieves led by their cruel chief, Malik. Malik then raids Al Miradjan’s carpet factory. The magician, his sons and his people are killed, along with Clodic and the caliph’s three ambassadors. Morgiane and the other women are captured and enslaved. The only survivor of his delegation, Séraphin is wounded and abandoned in the desert, though Malik does not recognize him. Malik orders the ambassadors beheaded and their heads put in salt. It is then revealed that someone paid him to carry out the attack. Without water and facing certain death, Ali is saved only through the intervention of Al Miradjan, who has been reincarnated as an eagle and fills his water flask. He also asks the woodcutter to protect his daughter Morgiane and save the world. Perplexed, Ali returns to Baghdad and goes straight to his elder brother, Cassim, a wealthy cloth merchant. Unlike Ali, Cassim is greedy, selfish, lazy and quick-tempered. He is also married to Ouria, who is much younger than he is, and refuses to grant her dearest wish: to have children. Cassim is also unwilling to give Ali financial help or even listen to his story. The woodcutter goes home, where he is reunited with his wife, Yasmina, and son, Sliman. Ali then goes to the caliph’s palace to try to recover his furniture, which the vizier’s tax collectors have seized to pay the family’s taxes. There, he overhears a strange conversation: the grand vizier Ya-Ya has planned the ambassadors’ assassination and intends to kill the caliph so he can rule the East and the entire world. Troubled by what he has discovered, Ali goes home and tries to find another way to raise money: marrying his son to Fouzia, the daughter of Youssef, a wealthy apothecary. Youssef agrees to the match on condition that Ali pay him a thousand dinars. To pay for the wedding, Ali tries to borrow money from his brother. Cassim scornfully turns his younger brother away, but Ouria secretly tries to help her brother-in-law. Ali refuses, not wanting to steal from Cassim, whom he sincerely loves despite their difficult relationship. At the palace, the vizier Ya-Ya secretly receives the ambassadors’ heads and informs his accomplice and lover, Zubayda, the caliph’s wife and Malik’s mother. The two lovers are determined to lead the East into war against Charlemagne and conquer the world. Later, while gathering wood far from Baghdad, Ali comes across the forty thieves and, hidden from view, watches them enter a cave while saying the words, “Open, Sesame.” After they leave, the woodcutter goes in using the same words and discovers an incredible quantity of wealth and treasure. Amazed, Ali takes a thousand dinars to pay for his son’s wedding, enough to pay his taxes, a ring for his wife, a beautiful gold cross (Charlemagne’s, stolen from the ambassadors by Malik), a carpet and a tin lamp. In the market square, Morgiane and her companions are sold to the highest bidder. By chance, the young woman is bought by Cassim Baba, who takes her home. Despite her initial disapproval, Ouria quickly takes pity on the newcomer, who is unhappy and has no home, and decides to protect and welcome her. Back home, Ali tells his family everything and buries the treasure in his garden, without revealing the magic words to them. By chance, Cassim overhears his story and asks Ali to return everything to the cave to protect his family from the thieves’ revenge. On the pretext that he does not want to put his brother in danger, Cassim agrees to go to the cave himself and return the cross, carpet and gold, allowing Ali to keep only the lamp and the thousand dinars for the wedding. In reality, Cassim wants to seize the cave’s riches. Instead of returning anything to the hiding place, he uses the words his brother told him to enter the cave and loads his donkeys with the forty thieves’ treasure. But the thieves catch him and kill him on the spot, much to Malik’s anger, since he has no idea who stole from him. The chief grows suspicious that someone else knows the cave’s secret. He orders Cassim’s body to be cut into pieces and posts several men to watch for any accomplices who might arrive. Ali pays Youssef, who agrees to the marriage. But Sliman is soon dismayed when he sees his bride-to-be’s face and discovers that she is very ugly. Still, the young man does not back out of his commitment, wanting to save his family from poverty, and goes to have a wedding suit made at his uncle and aunt’s shop. There he meets Morgiane, and the two young people fall in love at first sight. Ouria, who knows the sadness of an arranged marriage, watches them grow close with affection. Yasmina also disapproves of her son’s marriage, having herself known a love match with Ali. At nightfall, Ouria tells the woodcutter that Cassim has disappeared; he left that morning with ten donkeys. Realizing that he went to the cave to plunder it, Ali mounts his donkey and sets off. To his horror, he finds his brother’s dismembered body and is caught by Malik’s sentries, who try to torture him. But Ali is saved once again by the eagle Al Miradjan, who uses his magic to kill the thieves. After bringing his brother’s body home to the family, the woodcutter faces a major problem: if people learn that Cassim was killed and cut up, the thieves will quickly discover Ali’s identity and kill all the Babas. Morgiane suggests putting the body back together, spreading the rumor that Cassim is seriously ill and making his death appear natural so as not to arouse suspicion. Everyone agrees. The deception works, and, to give his older brother a proper burial, Ali discreetly calls on an old blind cobbler to sew Cassim’s limbs back together. During the funeral, the imam tells Ali that, as a divine duty, he must take Ouria as his second wife. Though the old woodcutter has no feelings for her, he agrees in order to honor his late brother’s memory and protect Ouria. She is delighted, having always liked Ali for his honesty and kindness, but Yasmina is unhappy with the news, fearing her husband will neglect her in favor of Ouria, who is younger and more attractive. Meanwhile, Malik secretly visits the palace and meets his mother, Zubayda. Using her sorcery, she reveals Ali’s face to the chief of the thieves. She also discovers, to her horror, that her son killed the magician Al Miradjan, whose spirit and power are still present. She also sees that Malik inadvertently left Séraphin, Charlemagne’s ambassador-monk, alive. Malik decides to kill the monk so he cannot meet the caliph and risk foiling his mother’s plot. He sends Toufik, his right-hand man disguised as a pilgrim, into Baghdad’s market to investigate the man who robbed their hideout and find out his name and who his accomplices are. In the desert, the eagle Al Miradjan saves Séraphin from death by giving him water and asks him to protect his daughter. The monk resumes his journey, unaware that the vizier Ya-Ya has also put a ten-thousand-dinar price on his head. After Cassim’s funeral, the Babas move into the late merchant’s luxurious home with Ouria and Morgiane. Morgiane grows even closer to Sliman, who tells her he no longer wants to marry Fouzia. The young man also gives her a talisman he bought from a mysterious merchant; it is shaped like an eagle, like his father’s totem animal. The atmosphere in the house remains tense, however: Yasmina and Ouria do not get along, and Ouria wants Ali to father a child with her soon, once her three months of mourning are over. To encourage him, Youssef gives the woodcutter a powerful aphrodisiac. At the palace, the caliph receives a sailor (actually one of the vizier Ya-Ya’s men in disguise), who gives him a chest containing the ambassadors’ three heads, supposedly sent by Charlemagne. Zubayda and the vizier then persuade the ruler to wage war on the West to avenge this insult. By bribing the cobbler, Toufik learns Ali’s name and address. He alerts all his companions, who, on their chief’s orders, hide inside jars. Disguised as an olive-oil merchant, Malik arrives at the Babas’ home and asks for hospitality. Ali agrees and helps him put his jars in the courtyard. But Morgiane recognizes the thief despite his disguise and discovers the trick with the containers. She steals scorpions from Youssef’s shop and drops them one by one into the jars, killing all the men hidden inside. Malik catches her by surprise. She tries to kill him too, to avenge her father, and wounds him, forcing him to flee and warn his mother. Zubayda advises her son, now deprived of his men, to use cunning and gives him a potion to help him. After gathering up the dead thieves, Ali and his son throw the bodies into the river during the night. By chance, they come across the monk Séraphin, completely exhausted, and take him home. At first wary of the stranger, whom they know the vizier is hunting, the Babas learn from Morgiane that he is an ambassador sent on a peace mission for his emperor. Ali also learns that the young woman is his rescuer’s daughter and that the carpet he brought from the cave (which Cassim had kept in his shop) belongs to her. The vizier’s guards then arrive at the Babas’ door, forcing them to hide the monk—in midair, using Morgiane’s carpet, which turns out to be magic. Luckily, the soldiers are only looking for the shop’s fabrics to outfit their army and leave immediately. The women then treat Séraphin, washing and feeding him and giving him a restorative, unaware that it is the aphrodisiac Youssef gave Ali. The potion makes Séraphin feverish, forcing Ali to go to the apothecary for a remedy and tell a few lies. While he is there, Youssef reveals the vizier Ya-Ya’s plan to Ali and tells him that the thieves killed the ambassadors, even admitting that he put their heads in salt. Meanwhile, Malik roams the streets of Baghdad and eventually kills an old beggar. Using Zubayda’s spell, the thief exchanges his facial features for those of the dead man. Passing by, Ali and his family find the beggar’s corpse with Malik’s face and believe they are safe. Ali is then pleased to see Séraphin recover and hopes he will leave soon. The monk asks the Babas to help him speak to the caliph, but his condition keeps him from moving—which does not displease Ouria, who is drawn to the stranger’s charm and, in return, finds that he has developed new feelings for her. Disguised as an old man, Malik arrives at the Babas’ home, pretending to be a traveler from Alexandria. Morgiane, for her part, considers leaving so as not to jeopardize her beloved’s marriage and future. But Ouria encourages her to take Sliman with her and admits that she will not marry Ali, so she will not break the love he shares with Yasmina. While speaking with Séraphin, Ali realizes that the monk is looking for Charlemagne’s cross, which Ali happened to take from the thieves’ cave. He eventually finds it in Cassim’s house and gives it to the monk. To protect the cave’s secret and avoid being thought a thief, the woodcutter claims that his tin lamp is magical and can grant wishes. With Morgiane’s help and her flying carpet, he makes the cross appear in front of his guest. Séraphin is astounded by this miracle, but happy to have recovered his gift, and decides to leave the next day. To carry out their plot, the vizier and Zubayda send the captain of the guards, Mustapha, who is devoted to them, to search the city for the ambassador. They order him to kill anyone who might have given the ambassador shelter. Saddened by Séraphin’s departure, to whom she has become attached, Ouria decides to spend one last night with him. But Ali catches them and gets angry, upsetting Yasmina, who sees it as proof that her husband loves Ouria. The woodcutter grows even angrier when his son and Morgiane tell the family they want to leave and marry in Abyssinia. In response to Ali’s attitude, Yasmina decides to accompany the two lovers, while Ouria decides to leave with Séraphin. In the morning, Youssef warns Ali that a manhunt for the stranger is about to begin and invites him to take part. Ali appears to accept, but decides to hide the monk in his stables, which reconciles him with everyone. Despite a thorough search of the house, Mustapha does not find Séraphin. Morgiane then suggests speaking directly to the caliph to warn him of the plot against him. To do so, however, they must enter the harem, the most secure part of the palace. The Babas disguise the monk as a woman and sell him to a slave merchant, who takes him to the palace. Before leaving, the monk steals Ali’s lamp, believing it is magical and hoping to use it as a last resort if things go badly for him. On the way to the palace, Mustapha stops and searches the slave merchant, discovering Séraphin’s identity. The merchant is killed, and the trapped monk tries to call on the lamp’s powers. The lamp proves useless, but the powers of the eagle Al Miradjan save him by knocking out the soldiers and allowing Séraphin to continue on his way. But Fouzia, who has seen Sliman with Morgiane and heard their plans to marry, tells her father everything. He decides to get rid of Morgiane and sends a child to deliver a false message to the young woman, supposedly asking her to meet Sliman. She goes there unsuspectingly and is kidnapped by a soldier of the caliph, who, on Youssef’s advice, sends her to the harem. Sliman happens to be at the meeting place and is knocked unconscious, but manages to get home half-conscious. Youssef treats him, and he tells his father everything. The child sent by the apothecary then arrives seeking a reward Morgiane promised and tells the Babas that Youssef is responsible for her abduction. The apothecary reveals his intentions and where Morgiane has been taken, and threatens to have Ali arrested by the vizier. But Ouria knocks him unconscious, allowing Ali to fly to the palace on the carpet to save the woman under his protection. At the palace, Zubayda tries to use her magic to find Séraphin, but the powers of his protector, Al Miradjan, are too strong for her. At the same time, the unconscious Morgiane is taken to the sorceress’s chambers. Zubayda has learned from a prophecy that her husband will die at the hands of a young virgin wearing an eagle talisman. She has also learned that removing the talisman will strip the magician of his powers. Overjoyed, Zubayda hypnotizes her prisoner and takes her to the caliph’s chambers, giving her a dagger and ordering her to kill any man who tries to touch her. She also removes Morgiane’s necklace, depriving her of her magic. At the same time, Ali and the carpet crash in the desert and are found by Séraphin. The two men are soon captured by Mustapha. The monk then tries to use the lamp, which, to Ali’s great surprise, contains Kif the Genie, a real djinn, who tells Ali he will grant him three wishes. Without hesitation, the woodcutter orders Kif to knock out Mustapha and his men, which the djinn does at once. Using the horses stolen from the guards, the two men reach the palace. Near the fortress, Séraphin asks Ali to go to the caliph first, since the caliph knows nothing about the thieves or the monk’s existence. To save Morgiane and prevent war, the woodcutter enters the palace, ready to expose Ya-Ya. But Ya-Ya himself receives Ali. To avoid arousing his suspicions, Ali pretends to be Youssef’s accomplice and tells him that the wanted stranger is hiding in the city’s bathhouse. At that moment, the guards announce that they have captured Séraphin. Distracted by the news, the vizier leaves his visitor. Ali then asks Kif the Genie to get him into the harem, since Kif has told him he does not have enough power to bring the caliph directly to him. Séraphin is taken to the dungeons and tortured by Ya-Ya and Mustapha, who question him about the strength of Charlemagne’s army. With ingenuity and intelligence, the monk buys time by telling his captors about powerful, unimaginable war machines—including flying machines to transport soldiers and ships that can travel beneath the surface of the water—which are all inventions of his own imagination. The vizier has him untied so he can draw them. Disguised by Kif’s magic as a slave eunuch, Ali enters the harem and manages to find Morgiane. But, following Zubayda’s orders, the young woman tries to stab him. Ali defends himself and manages to bring her back to her senses with a blow to the head. At that moment, the caliph and his retinue enter the room. The woodcutter throws himself at the caliph’s feet and tells him that a plot is afoot against him and that an innocent man is being tortured in his palace. At first furious at the intrusion into his harem, the caliph agrees to listen to Ali and then orders the arrest of Mustapha and his vizier. Hoping to save himself, Ya-Ya also exposes Zubayda’s involvement in the plot and her many infidelities. Morgiane’s testimony, together with Zubayda’s knife in Morgiane’s possession, finally convinces the ruler, who orders all the traitors to be impaled. Later, Séraphin is received with great ceremony by the caliph and his entire court and is finally able to give him Charlemagne’s cross. To thank Ali Baba, the ruler offers him Ya-Ya’s position. The woodcutter politely refuses and leaves with Morgiane, who has recovered her talisman and her powers, while a great celebration is held at the palace in Séraphin’s honor. Back home, the family reunites, happy that everything has turned out well. But they are interrupted by Malik, still disguised as the old traveler from Alexandria. To celebrate his victory, Ali invites him to his table. During the evening, he gets drunk and recounts in detail what happened to the conspirators, unknowingly telling Malik what became of Zubayda. But Morgiane eventually sees through Malik’s disguise—he did not share the salt, as is customary in Alexandria—and kills him with a dagger, revealing his true face and saving the Babas once again. Some time later, as Sliman and Morgiane’s wedding is celebrated, Ali calls on Kif the Genie one last time and asks, as his third and final wish, that he find a man for Ouria so she can be happy and, as she wishes, start a family. Soon afterward, Séraphin joins her, renounces his vows, and takes her to his homeland, where they live happily and have two sons. Back in the present, Ali finally reaches the destination of his journey: the cave of the forty thieves, still filled with its treasures. He then passes the secret words on to Kenza, so that one day she can do the same for her own children.