The Egyptian
The Egyptian is a 1954 American epic historical drama film made by 20th Century-Fox. Filmed in CinemaScope with color by DeLuxe, it was directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on Mika Waltari's 1945 novel of the same name and the screenplay was adapted by Philip Dunne and Casey Robinson. Leading roles were played by Edmund Purdom, Bella Darvi, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Peter Ustinov, and Michael Wilding. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy was nominated for an Oscar in 1955.
Plot
In 18th dynasty Egypt, while lion hunting with his friend Horemheb, struggling physician Sinuhe discovers Egypt's newly ascendant pharaoh Akhnaton, who has sought the solitude of the desert in the midst of a religious epiphany. While praying, the ruler is stricken with an epileptic seizure, with which Sinuhe helps him. The grateful Akhnaton makes Sinuhe court physician and gives Horemheb a post in the Royal Guard, a career previously denied to him by low birth. Akhnaton becomes devoted to a new religion that he feels has been divinely revealed to him. This faith rejects Egypt's traditional gods in favor of monolatristic worship of the sun, referred to as Aten. Akhnaton intends to promote Atenism throughout Egypt, which earns him the hatred of the country's corrupt and politically active traditional priesthood.
Cast
- Angela Clarke
- Bella Darvi
- Bruno VeSota
- Carl Benton Reid
- Donna Martell
- Edmund Cobb
- Edmund Purdom
- Gene Tierney
- George Melford
- Henry Daniell
- Ian MacDonald
- Jean Simmons
- John Carradine
- Judith Evelyn
- Larry Duran
- Leo Gordon
- Michael Ansara
- Michael Wilding
- Mike Mazurki
- Mimi Gibson
- Nico Minardos
- Peter Ustinov
- Tommy Rettig
- Victor Mature
More details
| author | Casey Robinson Mika Waltari Philip Dunne |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | Egypt |
| director | Michael Curtiz |
| editor | Barbara McLean |
| genre | drama historical |
| keywords | 18th dynasty egypt 18th dynasty of egypt afterlife akhenaten akhnaton aten atenism baketamun beketaten christian condemn embalm epilepsy epileptic epileptic seizure evangelization exile fortune gordien foster parents future generation hate crime hatred help horemheb hunt id iron jesus christ kill life story meet monolatristic monolatry old friend poison pray red sea return home spread struggle the king train typology valley of the kings write |
| musicBy | Bernard Herrmann |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color |
| producer | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| theme | epic religion |