The Emigrant (1994)
Overview
The biblical tale of Joseph is told from an Egyptian perspective in this interesting character study. In this film, Joseph is called Ram. Ram, tired of his family's backward superstitious life, and tired of being picked on by his brothers, wants to go to Egypt to study agriculture. His brothers travel with him across Sinai, but then suddenly sell him to Ozir, an Egyptian who works for a Theban military leader, Amihar. Amihar is impressed by Ram's drive and personal charm and so grants Ram some desolate land outside the capital. Ram soon finds himself a pawn in the political and sexual games between Amihar and his wife Simihit, a high priestess of the Cult of Amun.
Cast
Khaled El Nabawy
Ram
Yousra
Sumed
Mahmoud Hemida
Minahar
Ahmad Bedir
Tut
Safia ElEmary
Basma
Hanan Turk
Hati
Michel Piccoli
Adam - Ram's father
Seif Abdelrahman
Sailor
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CinemaSerf
It is really quite interesting to watch this story from a Egyptian film-makers' perspective. Khaled Nabawy ("Ram") is the favourite son, despised by his older brothers, who ends up working far away for the Commander of Pharoah's bodyguard. He soon ingratiates himself with him, and his visionary, open-minded attitude soon attracts favour from the Pharaoh himself... It is pretty much a straight adaptation of the story from Genesis 37 but unfortunately it has a bit of a made-for-television feel about it. Youssef Chahine still manages to keep it all going well enough, and Nabawy in the lead is at times quite engaging, but at other times he comes across a bit amateur, and the whole thing lacks much of the intensity of the director's earlier, more gripping, black and white creations; the action scenes - for example - are quite clunkily choreographed and the fight scenes lack any, well, punch!
