The biblical tale of Joseph is told from an Egyptian perspective in this interesting character study. In this film, Joseph is called Ram. Ram, tired of his family's backward superstitious life, and tired of being picked on by his brothers, wants to go to Egypt to study agriculture. His brothers travel with him across Sinai, but then suddenly sell him to Ozir, an Egyptian who works for a Theban military leader, Amihar. Amihar is impressed by Ram's drive and personal charm and so grants Ram some desolate land outside the capital. Ram soon finds himself a pawn in the political and sexual games between Amihar and his wife Simihit, a high priestess of the Cult of Amun.
The Emigrant is showing in 1 cinema in Los Angeles — next screening Friday 14 August at 13:00 at Los Feliz 3 Theatre.
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Netflix added a bunch of Youssef Chahine's films and I decided to check out The Emigrant. A re-telling of the story of the Biblical Joseph, some names have been changed and some situations have been tweaked. Joseph is re-christened "Ram" (Khaled Nabawy) and the film has a beautiful, emotional finish.Vegan alert:-Men eating from a huge pile of meat-Lots of costumes are made out of fur
It's embarrassing to realize that I've spent a lifetime soaked in Egyptian iconography in film, from Raiders and Cleopatra to Lucifer Rising, and have never until today seen a film about ancient Egypt directed by an Egyptian.This is Youssef Chahine's version of the biblical story of Joseph (Ram), charting his roundabout journey to Egypt for knowledge about agriculture. It's mostly great though time and context can change rapidly in the center of the film without much warning, and the relationship between Ram and Simhit doesn't produce much chemistry.That aside, the level of detail and understanding about the culture and customs on display is unlike any film about Egypt I've ever seen, and we are given beautiful Khaled El Nabawy to stare at while we soak it all in.Youssef Chahine: Ranked
There’s something special in seeing ancient Egypt as imagined by an Egyptian instead of a director from the West, especially when it’s Youssef Chahine. To great controversy he tells the story of Joseph from the Torah/Bible/Qur’an, “the righteous one” betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. Chahine alters the story to include a couple of love triangles, as well as a triangle of another sort between the Gods, with the adherents of Amun and Atun clashing while Joseph calmly espouses his monotheistic view. He also gives a very modern sense of one of the aspects of being an immigrant in that Joseph is made to feel more than once that he’s not a “real Egyptian” despite having toiled there for years. The visuals in this film are a real highlight, like when the action is out in the desert, or when rituals are being performed, or the scene when giant statues are being pulled down, the last of which is maybe the fate of everything that is once put on a pedestal. The leading women (Yousref and Hanan Tork) give the film a spark and more than keep up with Khaled el-Nabawy as Joseph/Ram. What held me back from the truly loving the film, however, was the storytelling, which I thought was sometimes muddled, especially in its middle. Certainly worth seeing though, especially if you’re in the mood for a variation on a religious epic.
The film follows the story of Ram, a young man who leaves his rural life to travel to ancient Egypt to pursue knowledge, but instead becomes entangled in complex political and romantic power struggles within a prominent Egyptian household.
Youssef Chahine, an influential and acclaimed director central to the history of Egyptian cinema, directed the film in 1994.
While the film encountered significant censorship hurdles upon release, it received widespread recognition for its technical execution and remains a defining work in Chahine's filmography. Follow Youssef Chahine on Mood.
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