The Egyptian (1954)
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney
Synopsis:
A promising young physician finds favor with Pharaoh, only to be led astray by a Babylonian harlot.
Impressions:
I'm honestly surprised how many of these big costume epics Hollywood made, but I guess they must have been the era's equivalent of the massive special effects-laden blockbusters of today. I honestly wasn't expecting much from this, but it proved to be better than I was expecting. Costuming and sets were all fine as far as the visual aspect goes (and in fact a lot of it gets recycled for The Ten Commandments), but what really won me over was the character dynamics. The main cast are all fairly intriguing. Edmund Purdom as the naive Sinuhe who falls into bitter cynicism and bounces back to idealism. Victor Mature as the ambitious Horemheb, Gene Tierney as cold and iron-willed Baketamon, Peter Ustinov as the wily Kaptah, and Bella Davi as the sultry Nefer. Good stuff all to be had, though you may find Sinuhe's change of heart in the third act to be a little strained. Particularly if you like these costume epics, it's worth a watch.
Watch It