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Posted: |
Apr 10, 2015 - 11:10 AM
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By: |
Doug Raynes
(Member)
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Anyway, just looked this movie up in Maltin's "Classic Movie Guide" where it gets only two stars (even THE ROBE only merits two and a half stars) and is called "often unintentionally funny." I think that's a bit harsh. Yeah, the movie has its faults, is mostly guilty of being dull and ponderous, and does indeed fail at being the intellectual epic it had ambitiously started out as to a degree that to call it camp just can't be denied, but still it's not a disaster, and unless you're just hopelessly snarky and a movie loving philistine, THE EGYPTIAN is worthy of remembrance. At least it has nice photography, and a great score.
I don't consider the film dull and ponderous in the least and those fairly frequent criticisms of the film really baffle me.
I saw THE EGYPTIAN for the first time about 15 years ago (one of the rare films where I bought the soundtrack before seeing the film) when it had a TV showing. Having previously read dismissive reviews I suppose I wasn’t expecting much but on the contrary I was hugely impressed. I don’t understand how Leonard Maltin, who I usually agree with, can describe it as ponderous and unintentionally funny when he gives higher praise for the silly ancient-world epic SOLOMON AND SHEBA for which those epithets are vastly more apt!
The EGYPIAN has ambition; a quality in films which is always worth encouraging and I loved the theme of the film; Sinuhe searching for meaning and redemption. For me the film was engrossing, moving and profound. It’s well directed and has great production design. Edmond Purdom gave a fine performance as did Michael Wilding. I also though Bella Darvi was well cast – even though critics of the film delight in claiming the opposite.
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Posted: |
Apr 10, 2015 - 12:53 PM
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By: |
CinemaScope
(Member)
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I don't consider the film dull and ponderous in the least and those fairly frequent criticisms of the film really baffle me.
Damn right!
These film guides will always give fifties epics a rotten review (except Ben-Hur). I'd call The Robe & Cleopatra dull & ponderous (but I still like 'em, after all they are epics). I don't think there's anything dull or ponderous about The Egyptian, for me it's quite magical...& odd (but in a good way). I first saw it as a Christmas night movie in 1959 (or '60 or '61, it was a long time ago), & even on our tiny b/w telly it worked its magic. The TT Blu-ray was the most expensive Blu-ray I've bought, $40 plus p&p (I think), but it was well worth it, it looks stunning.
...& the Bella Darvi casting is perfect in the film, with her exaggerated features & odd voice, she really does suit the roll. I don't know about her in any other roll, but she didn't do much after that.
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Posted: |
Apr 30, 2015 - 10:59 PM
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By: |
adelmosj
(Member)
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I totally agree. Critics have always dismissed her performance because, supposedly, she was Zanuck's girlfriend at the time. As great as Jean Simmons is, she gives Merit more of the "mannered" characteristics of classic Hollywood. Darvi's Nefer, the exotic foreigner, has none of those "normative" qualities, allowing her cat-like presence to lead the film (and Sinhue, her prey) into a threateningly irrational state. After destroying Sinhue's innocence with "the perfection of love," she disappears, making way for the higher love of Merit, which ultimately redeems Sinhue. But when Darvi returns later in the film, diseased and broken, her exotic qualities evoke a naked desperation more raw and heartbreaking than a more "polished" actress might convey. (Yes, I always cry when Merit dies, but I attribute that more to Alfred Newman capturing my heartbeat and strapping it to the interplay of those weeping strings, those ever more emphatic drum beats, and the devastating finality of the horns blasting out the love theme's final four notes.)
I always loved the movie for its music - but I love all of it, Darvi included. There never could be another Nefer.
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Hello ! I have a little question about this LLL release.
On previous releases it was incorrect chorus mix in track "Hymn to Aton".
Is this problem fixed in LLL release ?
Cheers, Michal
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Hi Doug !
Thank you very much for clarification.
All the best for you.
Best regards,
Michal
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Posted: |
Aug 24, 2023 - 5:06 AM
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By: |
Rozsaphile
(Member)
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I totally agree. Critics have always dismissed her performance because, supposedly, she was Zanuck's girlfriend at the time. As great as Jean Simmons is, she gives Merit more of the "mannered" characteristics of classic Hollywood. Darvi's Nefer, the exotic foreigner, has none of those "normative" qualities, allowing her cat-like presence to lead the film (and Sinhue, her prey) into a threateningly irrational state. After destroying Sinhue's innocence with "the perfection of love," she disappears, making way for the higher love of Merit, which ultimately redeems Sinhue. But when Darvi returns later in the film, diseased and broken, her exotic qualities evoke a naked desperation more raw and heartbreaking than a more "polished" actress might convey.
I'd liken the Darvi problem to another oft-criticized "Nefer" performance in an Egyptian story: Anne Baxter in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. The problem isn't with the actresses; it's just that there's too darn much of them. Their excessively prolonged scenes, exacerbated by Zanuck's titillation, tend to drag the audience away from the main thrust of the respective stories.
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Are there any major differences between the LLL and Varese?
They are different recordings. The Varese was a mono recording by Alfred Newman of highlights from the film score for the 1950s soundtrack album. La La Land is the original tracks.
Varese also put out an expanded edition similar to the LLL Edition in 2011 (which is the edition I have) to coincide with the film’s Twilight Time Blu-ray, which I believe is what Spymaster was asking about.
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Varese actually substantially remastered and expanded the original film recording, compared with the prior FSM edition which was apparently taken from inferior sources before better (less damaged) ones showed up. The LLL further remastered and repaired that source with new tech, but when it came out the Varese 2CD Deluxe Edition was a REVELATION. I only wish they had done a 3 CD set and included a remastered reissue of the original album recording, along with the expansion of the film recording.
But the LLL did improve the sound even further compared with the Varese, as well as having an even nicer booklet with nicer art design.
Yavar
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