Land of the Pharaohs

After years of war victories and accumulated wealth circa 2600 BC, Pharaoh Khufu (Jack Hawkins) becomes obsessed with building an impenetrable tomb for his body & riches, etc. Khufu turns to the brilliant architect and newly acquired slave, Vashtar (James Robertson Justice), to build the Great Pyramid, aka the Pyramid of Cheops or Giza. Joan Collins in on hand as Nellifer, Dewey Martin plays Vashtar's son and Alexis Minotis the high priest of Egypt.

"Land of the Pharaohs" (1955) is a sword & sandal epic that doesn't overstay its welcome at well under 2 hours. It was director Howard Hawk's first box office failure and so he took four years off from filmmaking to tour Europe before returning with the hit Western "Rio Bravo" (1959). It has since become a cult film and Martin Scorsese admitted that it is one of his favorites.

The subject is fascinating. The Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to remain relatively intact. It is estimated to have taken almost three decades to build. There are several theories of its planning & construction and the movie brings this to life for the viewer. The Egyptian government supplied 3000-10,000 extras for the 50-plus day shoot, half of them soldiers. While Jack Hawkins and the actor who plays Vashtar look decidedly European as opposed to anyone from the ancient Egypt region, producers wisely darkened Joan's skin and her potential lover looks serviceably Egyptian.

Although critics decry the subplot in the second half concerning an assassination conspiracy, there's plenty to enjoy in this lush spectacle: cowards thrown to crocodiles, the curious beliefs behind building such a unique colossal structure, the obsession & perseverance it took to see it through, thousands of extras, real vessels in the river, authentic locations, recreations of hauling the 2.5 ton stones, the Pharaoh taking on a bull, death traps, athletic dancing, Joan's youthful beauty, a quality sword fight to the death, the tragic close and Dimitri Tiomkin's great score.

Lastly, the flick inspires one to look up the actual pyramid, its history and videos of its exterior and innards. It might even inspire you to see it firsthand.

The film runs 1 hour, 46 minutes, and was shot in Egypt with studio stuff done in Rome.

GRADE: B.