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Smitten by cinema - a photo album of Egyptian movies
The Golden Years of Egyptian Film: Cinema Cairo 1936-1967 Edited by Sherif Boraie Cairo-New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2008 Pp. 236
THIS IS a stunningly beautiful book, with text in English and Arabic, and over 200 sharp, full-page, black-and-white photos of Egyptian films, most of them from the archives of Studio Bakr. Each picture is accompanied by a short synopsis of the film, and the names of the actors, director, producer, writer and photography director.
There is a dizzying array of familiar faces and names, from directors like Kamal El Sheikh to actors such as Rushdi Abaza and Leila Murad. Because the book covers three decades, many of the film stars are shown as both young and old, in their earliest and later roles. One is particularly struck by the costumes, ranging from traditional Arab robes and tailored suits to relatively revealing female attire. Taken together, these photos constitute a social document of an Egypt that is no more, although Egyptian cinema is still alive and well.
The images are not film stills. As Yasser Alwan writes in an essay paying tribute to photographer Hussein Bakr who took a large number of the pictures, "What makes these photographs so compelling and unique is that they immediately evoke the Egyptian film classics and yet they are not actual film stills, but still photographs that were made for documentary and promotional purposes during the shooting of these films."(p. 16)
Editor Sherif Boraie introduces the book with an Arabic poem titled "Lost Love" and an English one called "Cinema Cairo". In the latter, Boraie presents the Egyptian film industry as a product of cultural fusion, combining native Egyptian, Arab and Mediterranean influences: "Ancient nation voicing its youth." As to the films' themes, he mentions honour, betrayal and pride, but above all, "Love is the obsession - love won, love lost." (p. 6) A quick scan of the photos confirms this line, for love stories predominate, spiced by family intrigues, cases of mistaken identity, quests for power and crime.
In an essay titled "Dream Works on the Nile", Mustafa Darwish notes that cinema arrived early in Egypt, and "once Egyptians saw the shadows dancing across a white screen, they were instantly smitten". (p. 8) At first, filmmaking was centred in Alexandria and initiated by foreigners or naturalized Egyptians, but in the 20s Mohamed Bayyumi started the Egyptianisation process, becoming the first Egyptian to shoot feature films.
After a few years of silent films, talking films commenced in the 30s, and Egyptian cinema came into its own with three films directed by Mohamed Karim: "Zeinab", based on Mohamed Hussein Heikal's novel, "Children of the Well-to-do" and "The White Rose", which was the first musical, starring Mohamed Abdel Wahab. "Widad", Um Kulthoum's first feature film, soon followed. Two main trends were established: melodrama and comedy on the one hand, and musicals on the other, along with the cult of the stars.
Rafik El Sabban writes about the socio-political context in an essay titled "Mirrors", asserting that "Egyptian cinema in its evolution illustrates that cinema, more than any other art form of the twentieth century, is a true reflection of society, revealing both defects and qualities." Especially with musicals, it reached people's hearts and "opened the Arab market, imposing the Egyptian dialect, music, and art on the region." (p. 12)
Egyptian cinema began in the shadow of the monarchy and British colonial censorship. "Lasheen" (1938), the first film to be banned, told the story of poor people rebelling against oppression, while "Black Market" (1945), which featured a popular uprising against greedy wartime merchants and government negligence, was also banned.
Political films emerged only in the wake of the 1952 revolution. Also in the 50s, "a directors' cinema emerged with names like Youssef Chahine, Hassan el-Imam, and Salah Abou Seif," as did more realistic films and a new type of actress, personified by Soad Hosni and Nadia Lotfy. (p. 13) "God Be With Us" (1955), directed by Ahmed Badrakhan, was one of the first post-revolution films to condemn the royal regime and suspect arm deals during the 1948 war. The star Faten Hamama abandoned her initial "helpless woman" image in favour of a more forceful role.
For those who have seen the classic Egyptian films, this book will be a pleasurable, nostalgic journey; for those who haven't, it will serve as a fascinating introduction to Egyptian cinema.
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