This lush anthology of erotic tales was filmed in four countries (Iran, Nepal, Yemen, and Eritrea) over a period of more than two years. Completing the literary cycle begun by Pier Pasolini in Il Decamerone and I Racconti di Canterbury, this one is perhaps the most controversial of the lot, engendering reactions from admiration to dismissal. The connecting story deals with Aziz (Ninetto Davoli), a prince searching for his slave girl (Ines Pellegrini), who has been kidnapped, only to become ruler of a village. Azizs quest takes him to the ends of his known world, where he listens to several stories of carnality and betrayal. The exact number of stories depends on the version, because negative reaction at initial screenings caused Pasolini to cut the film from 155 minutes to 130, with other available prints running 98, 110, and 128 minutes. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide