In this tale of a village steeped in the rigid traditions of a polygamous culture, Chouikh unveils the harem myth, exposing women's oppression, anger, and frustration as well as society's fundamental intolerance towards new roles for either sex. The Citadel presents a day in the life of Kaddour, a simple man who cannot get with the program of male privilege; while his adoptive father, the arrogant weaver Sidi, has three wives to mistreat, Kaddour's more harmless lusts (he is in love with the cobbler's wife) only seem to earn him the wrath of the males in the community. "Chouikh fills out his grim fairy tale with a great sense of humanity, witty dialogue, and poignant portraits of the victims of religious-cultural excess. The cast is first-rate, though Khaled Barkat stands out in memory as the unforgettable little-man hero." (Deborah Young, Variety)