Suez

Biopic upon Ferdinand de Lesseps : Tyrone Power who built the famous canal from Port Said to Suez . It is inspired by real events, being freely adapted by screenwriter Philip Dunne taking some actual facts here and there. It deals with Lesseps , his lovers : Loretta Young , Annabella , and his relationship with historical people as Napoleon III : Leon Ames , Benjamin Disraeli : Miles Mander , Gladstone : George Zucco, Egyptian Sultan : J Edward Bromberg, among others . He changed the map of the World!

This is a stirring and interesting saga about one of the world's most astonishing engineering achievements , dealing with a brave Man of two loves and one mighty deed . Well handling the human drama along with historic happenings , though director is partially unable -undeed unwiling- to combine both strands of his story in contrast to filmmakers as William Wyler , Raoul Walsh , King Vidor or Anthony Mann. In fact , Suez is a series of moving events and unfortunate incidents unconnected by dramatic urgency . In the film appears various historical characters , being well played , such as : Napoleon III : Leon Ames , his wife the Spanish Eugenia de Montijo : Loretta Young , Prime Ministers Gladstone : George Zucco and Benjamin Disraeli : Miles Mander. Adding other notorious secondaries and familiar faces : Nigel Bruce , J Edward Bromberg , Joseph Schildkraut , Henry Stephenson , Sidney Blackmer, Rafaela Ottiano and Sig Ruman . The action/disaster sequences are competently assured without ever going over the top. They are some impressive escenarios, as well as spectacular set pieces , including rocks falling, catastrophes , wild thunders causing destruction , wreck havoc and chaos on the monumental construction that are the highlights of the movie , but marred by excessive matte-painting.

The motion picture was well directed by Allan Dwan, it has virtues and some flaws, too. In his films Allan Dawn is compellingly concerned with the modest virtues of fairness and honesty , he was a prolific artisan, shooting all kinds of genres with penchant for western and adventure, such as : Enchanted island, The Restless Breed , Escape to Burma , Pearl of the South Pacific , Tennesse's Partner , Cattle Queen Montana , Passion , Silver Lode , Montana Belle , Northwest Outpost , Around the World, Young People, The Gorilla, The Three Musketeers , Heidi , Manhandled , The Iron Mask, Robin Hood , and many others . Rating 6.5/10 , decent historical/adventure/drama .

I can't argue with those who say that "Suez" shows us little if anything about the actual building of the canal of the same name. Still, I recommend this film to those who can put aside historical inaccuracies in order to enjoy a well made period film featuring some very good actors. In addition, the viewer will be treated to one of the great disaster sequences of American film. I refer to the giant sand storm which comes near the end of the film.

Tyrone Power is very good in this film, and you have to keep reminding yourself that he was only in his early to mid twenties during production. Power is a clear case of a great movie star who was a much better actor than many give him credit for. Check out "Nightmare Alley" if you need further evidence.

I will say this about the film with respect to the real Suez Canal project. "Suez" makes it clear how important such a canal was going to be and why various nations either favored or opposed its building.

Again, if you want to know the complete history of the canal, go to an encyclopedia. If you want to enjoy a very glossy example of 1930s A-budget film making,"Suez" will not let you down.

There are three reasons why you'd rent Suez: if you think Tyrone Power is the most handsome classic actor ever, if you want to see the chemistry between him and Annabella, whom he married the next year, or if you like special effects movies and want to see an epic sandstorm.

Ty, as exquisitely handsome as he usually is, starts the movie in love with Loretta Young, whom I normally can't stand and still can't, even after watching this movie. She wants to wear a crown, so she becomes engaged to Emperor Napoleon III, played by Leon Ames, instead. To mend his broken heart, and to feed his masculine ambition, Ty becomes involved in architecture, eventually leading him to Suez, where he plans to build a canal. The supporting cast of this movie is huge, with Joseph Schildkraut playing Ty's steadfast friend, Henry Stephenson playing Ty's father, Sig Ruman playing Annabella's father, Nigel Bruce, Sidney Blackmer, Rafaela Ottiano, and Miles Mander as Benjamin Disraeli. While there is a lot to keep you entertained, with all the familiar faces, this movie isn't as well remembered as other special effects epics, like The Rains Came and The Hurricane. Compared against those, Suez does fall short, since the love triangle is hardly entertaining, even with the knowledge that there was a backstage romance going on, and until Ty starts building the canal, his career path is a little boring.

Annabella may have snagged herself the leading man in the film, but she didn't snag herself a very good part. Her character is so irritating, it's no wonder Ty keeps holding a torch for Loretta! With her hair cropped like a boy and most of her costumes as shirts and britches, she appears to be very masculine, as compared to Loretta's gorgeous gowns, jewels, styled hair, and poise amidst royalty. In Annabella's entrance scene, she's bathing, and the filmmakers were able to sneak in a bit of nudity despite the watchful eye of the Hays Code. She's portrayed as illiterate, unfeminine, rude, obnoxious, and pushy, and yet she thinks she can win Tyrone Power over? In real life she did, so check this movie out if you want to see how she did it.

The history and the practical solutions for the building of the Suez Canal are brought to light in this lavish production of Suez. Tyrone Power is perfect casting for this role, and his romantic interest is the Canal, itself. The rest of the cast, however, does a very good job supporting Power. The Egyptian Prince who is a real softie, befriends Power and eventually gets him permission to build the Canal in Egypt. The only sticking point are the Ottoman Turks, who oppose the building of the Canal for political reasons. A good biopic for late at night.

Probably one of the least accurate historical dramas done by the old Hollywood Studio System is Suez with Tyrone Power cast as Ferdinand DeLesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal. Any resemblance to the facts involving the canal and its construction are purely coincidental, in fact both English and French history gets badly skewered in Suez.

Ferdinand DeLesseps should only have been as dashing and as handsome as Tyrone Power, he probably wishes he was. He was never involved in any romantic way with the Empress Eugene of France played by Loretta Young. As for the character that Annabella who was Mrs. Tyrone Power at the time plays, we've sure got no basis in fact for what she does to save Power and the canal itself. Take my word it's quite the sacrifice.

The film has DeLesseps taking over the assignment his father had as consul general for France to Egypt. While there DeLesseps conceives the idea of rebuilding the ancient canal over the isthmus of Suez. And as the film's story unfolds he sacrifices everything to get it. Of course it's all fiction.

The name of Benjamin Disraeli is as linked in history to the Suez Canal as DeLesseps. But how he got involved is also complete fiction. It took place after the canal was complete and while quite a coup for the British at the time, it was hardly anything heroic. Miles Mander plays Disraeli without quite the same flair as George Arliss did nor even Ian McShane in the acclaimed BBC series in the Seventies.

But if you like historical romance than Suez is definitely the film for you.