Director Howard Hawks was known for his love of the outdoors as shown in "Red River", starring the immortal John Wayne, as well as his personal penchant for deep sea fishing with pals like Ernest Hemingway, and surfing back before The Beach Boys made it popular.
Hawks was a master of all genres, including comedy "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", war "Sergeant York", drama "The Big Sleep", gangster films "Scarface", cowboy movies "Rio Bravo", and song and dance tales. In 1955, he decided to take on the Epic. "Land of the Pharaohs" was the result.
"Land Of The Pharaohs", stars sex kitten Joan Collins, as "Nellifer", and he-man Jack Hawkins as the Pharaoh, Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid.
Collins does a great job as the villainess who worms her way into the Pharaoh’s confidence, first becoming a member of his harem, later, through treachery, becoming his principal wife.
The cinematography is impressive, seeming to encompass the whole land of Egypt. The pyramid is first shown as an architect’s cutaway model, designed by prisoner James Robertson Justice. Later the Pyramid is shown partially completed, rising into the sky, as a symbol of bitter toil, as forced laborers by the thousand work on it.
At the root of the pyramid is the Pharaoh’s insatiable greed for gold and desire to take it with him. The pyramid is a tomb that will forever safeguard his treasure, treasure he stole from the lands surrounding Egypt in his incessant wars. "Princess Nellifer" wants to grab the gold herself and never ceases to plot how to get it at any cost!
"Vashtar", well played by James Robertson Justice, designed the pyramid with its myriad traps and clever blocking mechanism to save his captive people, whom Pharaoh otherwise threatened to throw to the crocodiles!
There is plenty to like, with good performances by all, including the grand vizier, Hamar, played sympathetically by Alexis Minotis, who enforces the Pharaoh’s will while kindly treating the prisoners.
I have watched this film many times and marvel at the completeness of it. Many have criticized it for bad acting and campy dialog, but I believe it is exactly the type of movie an epic should be, entertaining.
The surprise ending (surprise for Joan Collins!) is very well done and ranks with the best plot twists I can think of.
Any viewer who likes "sword and sandal" epics will like "Land of the Pharaohs"
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