‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ Celebrates Storytelling
With an ending that’s open to interpretation.
I try not to watch trailers before watching a film because they often ruin the film. But when I went to the theaters several weeks ago, I could not escape the trailer for Three Thousand Years of Longing. I sometimes try to look away or distract myself while the trailers are playing before a movie, but I simply could not look away during this one. The visual splendor and absolutely bonkers concepts in that three-minute-long trailer sucked me in. I’m confident I was more lost about what this film was about after the trailer than beforehand. I suppose it accomplished its mission: I was intrigued!
Surprisingly, the film is far less chaotic than the trailer seems to suggest. Three Thousand Years of Longing is an incredible journey through time, space, and cultures while exploring the nature of storytelling. Three Thousand Years of Longing follows Alithea (Tilda Swinton), a single British scholar of narrative, who stumbles upon a Djinn (Idris Elba) who tells her epic stories from his past adventures. This film feels like such a celebration of storytelling and the power it holds to shape us, connect with us, and move us deeply.
What was fascinating about this film is the way that the ending positioned my interpretation of the film’s thesis in different ways. Based on different interpretations of the metaphors and symbolism in the ending scene, the film’s themes evolve and change for me personally. Let’s unpack those different interpretations a bit more, and explore the many dimensions of storytelling that this film presented to me personally.
Note: spoilers for Three Thousand Years of Longing ahead.
Interpretation #1: The Djinn as a Real Creature
A literal reading of the film’s events would have us believe that the Djinn is a real creature that existed and interacted in Alithea’s world — the real world. This reading of the film also believes in the romantic relationship that unfolds between Alithea and the Djinn. This was my initial interpretation of the film’s events.
What is noteworthy about this interpretation is the suggested transformation that Alithea undergoes. She begins the film as a single British scholar of narrative. She is characterized as a solitary creature by nature who enjoys being on her own. Alithea is content with the vibrant intellectual curiosity of her mind. In the climactic moment of the film, she declares that her wish, the deepest desire of her heart, is for the Djinn to fall in love with her.
This transformation in Alithea’s character is fascinating because it ushers in this thesis about the power of stories to move us and shape us. The stories of flourishing love and spectacular romance from the Djinn perhaps ignite a desire for romantic love within Alithea. Through visual cues in a series of scenes depicting the Djinn’s story of his lover, Alithea’s mannerisms and quirks are reflected directly in the mannerisms of the Djinn’s lover. This suggests that Alithea may begin to see herself in the story, or at least she desires to put herself in the shoes of his lover.
Alithea’s transformation suggests that in many of the same ways, audiences often project themselves into the characters of a story. And by seeing ourselves in the characters of stories, these stories can powerfully shape our desires, our understanding of ourselves, and our imaginations for what we pursue in our lives.
Interpretation #2: The Djinn as a Figment of Her Imagination
In the days after seeing the film, my thoughts began to ponder different interpretations of Alithea’s transformation. In some ways, the suddenness of her transformation from her contentedness to her deepest desire to fall in love irked me. Was this really just another example of the archetypal woman who just wants to be loved? Haven’t we seen enough of that archetype? I couldn’t bear to accept it! There had to be another explanation.
One of the most compelling parts of Alithea’s character that we learn through a flashback is how she used to have a colorful imagination as a child, but it began to fade as she became older. The flashback sequences showed her drawing and creating an imaginary friend named Enzo, who was a character in the stories she wrote as a child. He also served as a calming presence for her during asthma attacks. In this scene, present-day Alithea was disappointed about the loss of her imagination as she became an adult.
Thus, when the scene arrives where Alithea is finally ready to declare her wish, I hypothesized that she would wish for her imagination to return to her. Instead, she wishes for the Djinn to fall in love with her. What we see unfold next, during the third act of this film, is how their relationship develops. We see the sweetness of their interactions, their care for one another, and the companionship Alithea gains.
But what if the Djinn was simply the representation of her imagination reignited? Childhood Alithea dreamt up Enzo, and adult Alithea dreamt up the Djinn. This positions the events of the entire film, all of the epic stories told by the Djinn and the adventures Alithea personally embarks on together with him, as all part of her imagination.
Therefore, Alithea’s transformation is no longer her awakened desire for romantic love. Instead, Alithea’s transformation is her awakened imagination and creativity. The thesis of this film then becomes the way that stories are born out of our ability to dream, imagine, and adventure throughout the recesses of our minds. The vastness of our imaginations is the source of our most epic stories and greatest myths.
Whether you interpret the events of this film literally or symbolically, Three Thousand Years of Longing presents an opportunity to ponder the impact that stories have on our perspectives, desires, and worldviews. The ambiguity of the film’s ending offered me a chance to dive a little deeper into these different dimensions of storytelling: how do stories shape us, and the vital role of imagination in great storytelling.
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