Justine takes place in the months leading up to World War 2, when a British teacher, Darley (Michael York of "Cabaret" fame) travels to Alexandria, Egypt. He meets the intriguing Justine (Anouk Aim''e, "A Man and a Woman"), the wife of a wealthy Egyptian banker, Nessim (John Vernon), who tolerates her many extramarital affairs. Her sensual adventures hide a deeper secret -- her covert involvement in the illegal shipment of munitions to Palestinian Jews. Once her conspiracy is discovered, the lines between the personal and the political begin to disappear. Based on the first part of Lawrence Durrell's literary "Alexandria Quartet," this 1969 film explores the themes of modern love, national loyalty and human nature. An international cast, also including Dick Bogarde and Philippe Noiret, exotic locales and the deft direction of Hollywood legend George Cukor ("The Philadelphia Story," "A Star is Born") make for a combination of thought-provoking drama, war-time intrigue, and sexual politics.moreless
