Ciel d'enfer

An early film from Youssef Chahine, featuring the debut of Omar Sharif (el Cherif), the talented and gorgeous Faten Hamama, and on location footage in several ancient historical sites, so visually it's sensational. The story includes a romance across class lines between Sharif and Hamama's characters, one that's kindled when they meet each other for the first time since childhood, back when he was calling her "potatoes." What made this a great film for me was that the romance soon became secondary to a web of deceit her father and his henchman engage in, at first to keep the peasants from cutting in on his wealth, and escalating from there. Zaki Rostom and Farid Shawqi play these characters and they're fantastic.

There is a critique of many aspects of Egyptian culture here, most notably the caste system, but also the "honor killing" of women and the justice system when we see how grossly unfair these things are. The setting is slightly before the revolution of 1952, but it made post-revolution, and while its story suggests a level of optimism, it also shows progress to only come with great struggle, because those in power never relinquish it without a fight. Tellingly, the pasha says to his daughter that his crimes have been committed because he wants her and future descendants to be "masters forever."

The film is a little rough around the edges at times in its editing, but I thought the cinematography and soaring music more than made up for it. Plus you have the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and Karnak. This one's a gem.

Omar Sharif ("Ahmed") returns to his Egyptian village to try and help the local agrarian population improve their lot. This does not suit the local Pasha (Zaki Rustum) and so he sets about sabotaging their ambitions to grow and harvest their own crop of sugar cane. What follows is a hybrid love story/crime thriller as the Pasha's daughter - the gorgeous Faten Hamamah returns home after 8 years and begins to rekindle the feelings she had as a child for the hero; whilst becoming embroiled in an ever deepening crisis that only increases as a local Sheikh, who has assumed who was responsible for the destruction of the crop, is slain. It is easy to see why Sharif was snapped up by Hollywood - he is a very good looking man who oozes charisma, and there is a certain natural quality in the scenes he plays - especially with Hamamah. The ending let's it down a bit - I felt that the story sort of ran out of steam, but great onsite photography and a pacily directed (by Youssef Chahine) small cast make this well worth watching.

I think I might be the 1st one to add a review for this masterpiece on this platform. It's stunning, perfectly executed, great performances and everything a cinema lover would ever wish for. A solid 5/5 or 100% by me. It kinda hooked me up in first 30 mins and I kept biting my nails till the last 10 seconds. A very satisfying experience and peak kino for me. Thanks.

I have watched this movie maybe 20 times till now ,and every time i got out with the feeling that this movie is great , it gives you a great picture about Egypt before 1952 , The land owner that control the farmers (Basha) and treat them like salves , the killing circle (Al-Tar) that is well known in upper Egypt , and the love story that will never change with time , and the evil and greedy people that never get enough , it is all in this movies.

The uncountable number of stars with a very talented director gave us this state of art movie

My rate is 10/10 Watch it and then watch it again

A social melodrama by Youssef Chahine that has the particularity of featuring a very young Omar Sharif (only 22 years old).

Structurally it is a typical melodrama, rich girl who loves poor boy, but crossed with a plot that could well be from a western. There are the rich and bad who do everything to deceive the poor and one of them, like an avenging angel of family and class, manages to destroy the conspiracy. The final scene of the Karnak temple duel almost feels like the duel at the OK Corral.

However, there is that social background that always characterizes Chahine's films and that, once again, is present in this scorching Luxor sun. Realism would arrive a little later in Egyptian cinema. Here we are still, at best, in a proto-realism, waiting for the ideal moment to blossom.