Besieged (1998): cast, story & where to watch
1998 · Film · ★ 6.9
Released in 1998, Besieged is a drama and romance film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, running about 93 minutes. “Touched by Genius. Cursed by Madness. Blinded by Love.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. When an African dictator jails her husband, Shandurai goes into exile in Italy, studying medicine and keeping house for Mr. Kinsky, an eccentric English pianist and composer. She lives in one room of his Roman palazzo. He besieges her with flowers, gifts, and music, declaring passionately that he loves her, would go to Africa with her, would do anything for her. "What do you know of Africa?," she asks, then, in anguish, shouts, "Get my husband out of jail!" The rest of the film plays out the implications of this scene and leaves Shandurai with a choice.
Who’s in it. Besieged stars Thandiwe Newton as Shandurai, David Thewlis as Jason Kinsky, Claudio Santamaria as Agostino and John C. Ojwang as Singer, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Besieged has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Besieged page.
If you liked it. Fans of Besieged tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Besieged (1998)?
- In US, Besieged is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Besieged worth watching?
- Besieged holds an audience score of 6.9 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama and romance. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Besieged?
- Besieged stars Thandiwe Newton, David Thewlis, Claudio Santamaria, John C. Ojwang and Massimo De Rossi.
- When was Besieged released?
- Besieged was released in 1998, with a runtime of about 93 minutes.