Review of Land of the Pharaohs (1955) by Tonypolito — 03 Feb 2012
If you enjoyed "Ben Hur," "Cleopatra," "Spartacus," and other such Mid-Century 'sandal and sweat epics,' then you should surely click into this Cinemascope spectacle sleeper - even though the final product's truly a mixed bag.
On the plus, it contains a highly fictionalized but reasonably intellectual and suspenseful plotline, compliments of William Faulkner. Yet the wooden dialogue seems the hack job; viewers will righteously wonder at the British accents and everyone calling Pharaoh 'sire' and 'my lord.'.
Another plus: Director Hawks filled every inch of Cinemascope's wide screen with scene-upon-scene of thousands of extras tugging limestone to Luxor. And there's plenty of other worthy panoramic viewing throughout.
The film's major shortcoming is that this extravaganza wasn't shot in Technicolor; rather it was wasted on WarnerColor. To technicians, that's one-strip Kodachrome cooked on the cheap in the Warner Labs. To viewers, that's overshifted and overdone blues, vulgar tarty-lipstick reds - and skin tones suggesting a psycho airbrush tanner was loose on the set.
There's no outstanding performances here; Alexis Minotis as Pharaoh's savvy wingman is the best of the bunch. Costume and set design visuals are above-average, but not top-notch. Peter Bogdanovich delivers lame commentary.
The neat/clever plot with satisfying climax - and the epic wide-screen wonder of it all - make for rewarding viewing. Meanwhile all the pointy, conical bras and garishly bronzed faces/bodies make for a new college drinking game called "Hail, Osiris!".
TRIVIA: It's uncredited, undocumented and totally unverifiable, but once the viewer listens carefully enough, he/she will know it's also undeniable. At minute 13, James Earl Jones thunders as the voice of Anubis, the dog-faced God of the Dead. Whether that represents post-work toward the 2007 DVD issue - or Jones' first voiceover gig at 24 years old - is anyone's guess.
RECOMMENDATION: Faulkner authors the come-uppins of a Pharaoh and his shrewish tart. Do you want to say you weren't there?
This review of Land of the Pharaohs (1955) was written by Tonypolito on 03 Feb 2012.
Land of the Pharaohs has generally received mixed reviews.
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