The Egyptian
Short description
Set in ancient Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty, The Egyptian follows Sinuhe, an orphan raised by a physician who becomes a skilled doctor serving the poor. After he and his ambitious friend Horemheb save the life of the pharaoh Akhenaton, both are brought into royal service, with Sinuhe becoming a court physician and Horemheb rising in the military. Their new positions draw them into palace intrigue and unrest surrounding the pharaoh's religious reforms, while Sinuhe's entanglement with the Babylonian courtesan Nefer brings personal ruin.
Michael Curtiz directed the film, the twenty-first of the twenty-five features he made in chronological order, arriving between White Christmas and We're No Angels. Casey Robinson and Philip Dunne wrote the screenplay, and Darryl F. Zanuck produced for 20th Century Fox. Edmund Purdom leads as Sinuhe, with Victor Mature as Horemheb, Peter Ustinov as the servant Kaptah, Jean Simmons as Merit, Gene Tierney as Baketamon and Bella Darvi as Nefer, among a credited cast of fifty-nine.
Released in August 1954, the 139-minute historical drama was made for about 5 million dollars and returned roughly 4 million worldwide, falling short of its cost. On IMDb it holds 6.5 out of 10 from about 4,900 votes, and on TMDB it also sits at 6.5 out of 10, from around 110 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- Marilyn Monroe longed to play the role of Nefertiti, which, however, was reserved for the producer's protégé, Bella Darvi. This was Darvi's second of only three films. She later returned to Europe, where she committed suicide in 1971.
- After Akhenaten's death, it was not Horemheb who ascended the Egyptian throne, but Akhenaten and Kiya’s son – Tutankhamun. Nefertiti – Akhenaten’s wife, who is not mentioned at all in the film – was likely the regent during his reign. However, the film shows Baketaton ascending the throne, who historically never ruled, as she died in childhood.
- After Tutankhamun's death, Egypt was ruled by Aye, who was likely Akhenaten’s uncle. Only after Aye did the throne of Egypt actually pass to Horemheb.
- The film is based on the novel "Sinuhé, the Egyptian" by Mika Waltari.
- The first thing Akhenaten did upon taking power was to move the capital from Thebes to Akhetaten – a city built by his order specifically for the god Aten. Therefore, the hero's return to Thebes after several years and his meeting there with an 'old friend, the pharaoh' seems rather strange.
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