The Egyptian (Import)
by Michael Curtiz
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DVD details
Director: Michael CurtizPrimary Contributor: Jean Simmons
Primary Contributor: Victor Mature
DVD: Region Code 0.0
Format: Color, Import, NTSC, Subtitled
DVD Reviews of The Egyptian (Import)
DVD Review: the egyptian
Summary: 5 Stars
great story - excellent actors - import; only complaint - copy, not great quality - could be better.DVD Review: Short on historical accuracy?
Summary: 1 Stars
If you take this story as just a tragic story about an idiot that wants what he cannot have and loses everything in pursuit of it, then the story isn't half bad.
On the other hand however, I can tolerate a historical/fantasy epic every once in a while, we know most of them are never completely historically accurate, but this movie is nothing more than a distorted euro-centric depiction, as usual, of Egypt, an African nation, with all white characters and racist images of subservient blacks. Anyone who has done even just a little reading on Egypt knows that the 18th dynasty was ALL black Africans. But then again it was made in 1950s america and making a movie of such a great African nation at that time with all black characters, lol, Hollywood would have shut down and cease making movies rather than do that. Imagine Spike Lee making a Greek epic with all black characters with a few white slaves in it. There'd be uproar.
That said, it is rather funny to watch europeans prancing around the screen acting as if....
DVD Review: Quality Control Lacking
Summary: 3 Stars
Ths DVD copy was not great quality. It stopped after 3/4 of movie and would not regain momentum. Too bad, it really is a great movie.DVD Review: A Great but Flawed Classic Epic
Summary: 4 Stars
When this film gets it right it really gets it right. And when it goes wrong... I'd say that a full 3/4s of the film is great. I can even isolate the bad bit. It's everything that has to do with the romance. Everything that you need to know about it is said in the first five minutes but it drags on for about 30. I'd recommend skipping that section if you can. It does nothing except explain his exile. It should have been a minor plot point quickly thrust aside. Fortunately, the period from about 0-30 and 1:00-2:19 (The End) is excellent.
There are a number of excellent performances in this film, and an equal number of terrible ones. Just like everything else in this movie the acting is either perfect or terrible. Peter Ustinov as the slimy one-eyed slave Kaptah is perfect. It is one of his best performances, up there with his role in Spartacus. Victor Mature as the ambitious Horemheb is also perfect. Again, one of his best roles. Jean Simmons is wasted as Merit, the perfect girl in love with our hero John Carradine gives a nice supporting role as a philosophical grave robber; and Michael Wilding is excellent as Akhnaton, the idealistic pharaoh who tries to bring peace and monotheism to Egypt only to see it fall apart due to his unwillingness to fight. Now for the bad. Edmund Purdom as Sinuhe is sadly miscast. This is doubly unfortunate as he is the main character. The entire film revolves around him. He actually does rather good as the disillusioned exile and the wise old man. This is because of his sorely limited range. He doesn't seem able to put any passion into his words. This is especially apparent during the love scenes which are beyond awkward. He spends the last half of the film as an old man, a performance at which he is decent enough at. He does have the perfect voice for the character. The less said about Bella Darvi as Nefer, the treacherous Babylonian woman, the better.
The costuming and sets are magnificent. This is the only film that I know of that attempts to depict life in Egypt that isn't overshadowed by Jews or Romans. The film takes place in the 14th Century B.C. which is before even Exodus. The only monotheists are the pharaoh Akhenaten and his followers. There is the same strong element of religious zeal that can be found in most epics, but it is done differently and it only shows up at the very end. An interesting note: by having Akhenaten followed by Horemheb as pharaoh, the film completely skips over the most famous pharaoh of all: Tutankhamen. Seems kind of a strange thing to do when using that name could increase awareness of the film.
The DVD of this film is really crummy. It's a region free Asian release and the film quality is terrible. It is widescreen although it's not anamorphic. There are no Special Features and the DVD menu is just a series of clips with options in English and Chinese. At least I think it's Chinese. This film really needs an official release.
Be warned: this is a 1950s epic film. If you don't like that type of thing then don't expect this one to be different. It is different, but it is still an epic. I appreciate this film, and I appreciate what it did and what it tried to do. This is a film that should be better remembered than it is.
DVD Review: THE EGYPTIAN
Summary: 2 Stars
Too much black space above and below picture, Asian script at bottom was distracting. After 15 minutes gave up on watching the movie until I found something to block my view of the Asian script. Regretable purchase.
Description of The Egyptian (Import)
In eighteenth-dynasty Egypt, Sinuhe, a poor orphan, becomes a brilliant physician and with his friend Horemheb is appointed to the service of the new Pharoah. Sinuhe's personal triumphs and tragedies are played against the larger canvas of the turbulent events of the 18th dynasty. As Sinuhe is drawn into court intrigues, and bizarre secrets are revealed to him, he learns the answers to the questions he has sought since his birth. Short on historical accuracy but strong on plot and characterization. ++++ DVD FEATURES: This officially licensed release from South Korea is All-Region NTSC Code 0 (playbale worldwide) with 4:3 Full Screen color display and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound in ENGLISH with optional Korean subtitles. Includes Scene Selection. *** FULLY LICENSED SO. KOREAN IMPORT RELEASE. *SUPERIOR* QUALITY/NTSC - ALL REGION PLAY. -- Will Play on ALL North American DVD Players. *** DOLBY DIGITAL 2.0 MONO; FULL SCREEN [4:3]. *** REMOVABLE English/Korean Subtitles *** NON-REMOVABLE Chinese subtitle ***General DVDs
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