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The Egyptian

Released Aug 24, 1954 2h 20m History Drama List
Tomatometer 3 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In ancient Egypt, Sinuhe (Edmund Purdom) is a would-be doctor who saves the life of a young man (Michael Wilding) suffering from a seizure. When the afflicted youth awakes, he introduces himself as the Pharaoh Akhnaton and makes Sinuhe the royal healer. While working at his new, prestigious post, Sinuhe suffers through a botched romance and the death of his adoptive parents. Despondent, he leaves the Pharaoh's court to bury his loved ones, and, in the process, incurs the wrath of Akhnaton.

Critics Reviews

View All (3) Critics Reviews
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins By the end, “The Egyptian” does muster the epic vibe it sought to obtain, even if it fails to match the grandness of “The Robe,” which it so clearly borrows from – and from which it cannot escape comparisons. Rated: 7/10 Aug 29, 2022 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Lavishly produced by Zanuck, this big-budget historical epic is preposterously plotted and acted, though Shamroy's color cinematography is good. Rated: C Jan 31, 2012 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Overlong, risible and plodding historical blockbuster. Rated: C Jan 22, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (38) audience reviews
Steve D Dated and unconvincing. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/24/24 Full Review StephenPaul C The greatest 02 hours: and 20 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/07/23 Full Review Audience Member This film is loosely based on a 1950s novel that's so overly packed with detail to make it tedious to read. The script thankfully removed the suffocating pessimistic tone but, unfortunately, replaced it with a 50s pop culture interpretation of the Egyptian sun-god Aten as being a precursor to Christianity. It would take almost a decade before films set in the ancient world would be free of religion, thanks to Kubrick's Spartcus. This quaint addition shifts the focus off Sinuhe and away from the Machiavellian maneuvers of Pharaoh's sister and general, and nowadays makes the story seem dull and contrived. The other problem of the film is the casting of Bella Davi as the prostitute Nefer. A cruel but accurate joke on the set was "she's the actress who Nefer was." On the up side, the acting, sets, costumes etc are compelling. The downfall of Sinuhe after Nefer makes for a tragic tale that should have been at the core of the film. When you consider there have been at least eight reboots of Batman movies - no, not another origin story - this film is begging to be remade. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Tom M Far too long epic that has almost no action, long winded speeches and poor acting by lead roles. Simmons is the only reason to keep watching. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/15/20 Full Review adam b It's a beautiful film that is a bit boring but has enough interesting plot points to be excusable Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting movie, good acting and plot. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Egyptian

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis In ancient Egypt, Sinuhe (Edmund Purdom) is a would-be doctor who saves the life of a young man (Michael Wilding) suffering from a seizure. When the afflicted youth awakes, he introduces himself as the Pharaoh Akhnaton and makes Sinuhe the royal healer. While working at his new, prestigious post, Sinuhe suffers through a botched romance and the death of his adoptive parents. Despondent, he leaves the Pharaoh's court to bury his loved ones, and, in the process, incurs the wrath of Akhnaton.
Director
Michael Curtiz
Producer
Darryl F Zanuck
Screenwriter
Philip Dunne, Casey Robinson, Mika Waltari
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 24, 1954, Original
Runtime
2h 20m