L'Egyptien

When I read Mika Waltarii's extensive novel many years ago, it was a profound experience for me on all levels. Waltari conceived "The Egyptian" as an opportunity to bring everything known about ancient Egypt and its culture to the Western reader at the time of the novel's creation. Egyptology is still developing, and new discoveries might slightly revise the content of Waltari's text, but I still believe that if I returned to reading it, I would definitely not be disappointed. Michael Curtiz's film is just a historical reminder of a certain chapter in the development of American studio cinema. In the 50s and 60s, these expensive costume projects from ancient empires were everywhere and represented the showcase of the production at that time. The Egyptian certainly is not one of the better films, and today the shallowness and trimming of the multi-layered novel motives directly annoy me. It's just a costume blockbuster from the 50s... Overall impression: 40%. (27/03/2024)

Sure, the film is full of historical inaccuracies, but if you approach it as a product of 1950s Hollywood, you’re bound to be more than satisfied. It’s undeniably an epic piece of cinema — everything from the grand exteriors to the brilliant cinematography, and of course, the compelling story that’s genius in its origins from Mika Waltari’s novel. The setting, which was quite unique for films of that era, adds to its charm. If this film sparked interest in Egyptian mythology at the time, I’d say it fulfilled its purpose at least 220%. (11/03/2022)

What's great about The Egyptian is that it can be seen as the next stage in the development of the historical spectacles that Michael Curtiz, then still Michael Kertész, was already making in Austria in the 1920s. His big-budget films like Queen of Sin and the Spectacle of Sodom and Gomorrah, Harun al Raschid, and The Moon of Israel preceded The Egyptian as naturally as can be imagined. Waltari's celebrated novel is the perfect material for a CinemaScope epic in De Luxe colors. The story is spectacular, entertaining, informative, and has all the makings of becoming immortal, which it is. Traditionally, Ustinov stands out as an actor, but Victor Mature is also excellent. However, I have not yet come to terms with his performance in Samson and Delilah. Of the statuesque Egyptian women (who are in fact whores of Babylon), Bella Darvi rules my heart. (08/01/2014)