Saladin

Not only an extraordinary piece of epic filming, but also, in typical Youssef Chahine vein, a very humane view of territorial struggles and religious warfare. A remarkably pacifist outlook for 1963, preaching tolerance and honest diplomacy, decrying the crude pursuit of Glory at the expense of the lives of humble soldiers.

In response to the number of epic films produced in the 1950s and 1960s, Youssef Chahine took the genre and spun it at 180 degrees. He is attacking the imperialism ambitions of Europe and modifying our perception of the crusades.

Saladin even with a much smaller budget than American films has great production values. The battles are great, the music played by an orchestra conducted by Carlo Savina, an Italian composer and conductor who has worked with world-renowned directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Federico Fellini, and Roman Polanski, is rich. Furthermore, Saladin does more than ripping-off the aesthetical codes of American films. It experiments with cinematography and editing.

I would say that Chahine proves once again the richness of each nationality, their customs, and their talents.

I decided to write this review after I watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven I watched this movie about 10 times or so, and I'm ready to watch it again really great movie and gathers a lot of best actors in Egyptian cinema the story line is the original story of Salah Eldin and the crusades in Bayt EL-Makdes as documented in History The Movie shows the Human side of the great leader, the manners of Arabs specially in wars.

It Showed that although Salah El Din is Richard-Lion Heart's enemy but his principles refused him to accept to betray him and accept what August tried to offer him to retreat his troops and betray Richard Lots and Lots of situations and all lead to same result A real Great Movie

It is interesting to see an Muslim movie about the Crusades, and this is generally well done. Some of the special effects are, however, a bit hokey.

It is not clear in the movie that Saladin was a Kurd rather than an an Arab. Instead he is presented as a hero for calling for Arab unity in the face of western colonialist intrusion.

In this respect director Chahine makes Saladin a prototype of Gamel Abdul Nasser in calling for Arab unity in order to expel the western intruders.

El Nasser Salah ElDine is the true story about Saladdin, It reveals how Saladdin was one of the greatest leaders of all time.

Saladdin battled in order to gain Bayt El Makdes (Jerusalem), and he did not prevent the christians from visiting it at any time.

But false news is told to King Richard -Lion Heart- that Saladdin is torturing the christians and that he is preventing them from entering Bayt ElMakdes.

Then King Richard along with King of France and several other countries form a very vast army, that aims to free Bayt El Makdes from the rule of Saladdin. What will happen next.........You better see the movie.

Excellent performance by Ahmed Mazhar (Saladdin) and Hamdi Geiss (Richard Lion Heart) and very good directing by Yussef Chahine.

This movie is a must see.