In Arabesque, Sophia Loren brought wit, elegance and a quick sense of fun to a stylish spy adventure, proving that glamour could also be clever.
Arabesque (1966), directed by Stanley Donen, stars Gregory Peck as an Egyptologist drawn into a plot involving a murdered professor and a coded message, with Loren as Yasmin, a woman whose loyalties are not at first clear. The film is a colourful thriller, full of chases, disguises and exotic settings, played with a light touch.
Loren’s Yasmin is central to that lightness. She is intelligent, resourceful and funny, and she keeps the audience guessing about her motives while never becoming merely a puzzle to be solved. Her chemistry with Peck is easy and amused, which suits a film that wants to entertain first and explain second.
Arabesque is a signature role because it shows Loren in English-language popular cinema at her most relaxed. After the intensity of Two Women and Marriage Italian Style, this is Loren enjoying a genre, and inviting the audience to enjoy it with her.