Change Your Image
AmrK_77
Reviews
Al-ard (1970)
A lecture in the art of acting!
This film can be considered one of the world's best movies, actually it was chosen on top of the best 100 movies in Egypt.
The movie is adopted from a novel written by Abdel Rahman El Sharkawi and was directed by Youssef Shahin.
Abdel Rahman El Sharkawi is a well known novelist and play-writer, in fact he's much more recognized for the plays he wrote. The movie "El-Ard" was produced in 1969, which falls inn a very important period of time in the Egyptian history, at this time the Egyptian ideology was being restructured.
As for the film itself, I would start by the choice of actors, when you think of the actors that were in Egypt at that time, you can't find a replacement for any of the actors in the movie, and you feel that no one else can play in any of the roles.
I would start by the Great actor Mahmoud El-Meliguy. His performance in this movie is like an intense lecture in the art of acting, Mohamed Abu Swelam, that character he played is so nicely written by Abdel Rahman El Sharkawi, it's a character facing so many struggles and at the same time with a history to be proud of, but it reached a point where he feels helpless in the struggle between him and the rich man in his village, who is connected to the Egyptian Royal palace (the time of the story was before Egypt changed from a kingdom to a republic). At the same time he's facing struggles with the English authority, which he has a long history with, and finally a struggle with the people of his village who are facing the same in justice he's facing!! This dilemma reflects to a great extent how the human behavior changed over the years. Back to Mahmoud El-Meliguy's acting, if this movie was translated to other languages I bet he would have been rewarded for his performance. I believe he's one of the best world's actors. He was known for playing the roles of gangsters and bad guy's, although all his friends and colleagues refer to him as the kindest person, in this movie his character was the main character in the film, another actors in this film were, Ezzat El Alaili and Yehia Shahin, they were both performing amazingly in there roles. The movie can be considered as a success story, even the music and the song performed were so distinguished and were so related to the movie. As for the directing, I believe Youssef Shahin did the right choice of actors which got his mission even easier. But this does not mean he wasn't good. In fact this is his masterpiece.
Finally, I would like to recommend this movie for any one who wants to enjoy acting
Spawn (1997)
Simply..More than silly!
The movie has no little piece of good acting,also the directing of the movie gives you the feeling that there is nothing to be said in the movie,it's just a silly and boring idea..by the way, the book is totally different.
Maybe the music is not very bad,but it can make up for the rest of film elements.
As for the actors,Martin Sheen definitely lost when he acted in such a movie, this not Martin Sheen who played great roles in Badlandes or Taxi or later West Wing.
Melinda Clarke was just a nice body,she didn't act! same as Theresa Randle, no actor in the movie can get you to the point that you start reacting with the character he's playing, the worst thing in any character being played in any movie is that it can't get any emotional feedback from the audience,if a character can't get the audience hate or like it,then there is a problem either with the actor or the director or the way the character is written, i tend to believe that if you put them in order then the first responsibility lies on the director,then the writer then the actor In this movie.. they are all to blame..!!