Cinema plays a very important role in modern life. What was recently regarded as a kind of entertainment now can be considered as art. There are a lot of films that describe certain historical events and periods. These films are of great interest among the public and they have already gained recognition around the world. Every film has its certain idea and serves to forward some message to the audience. Due to the professional work of the directors, we can enjoy wonderful films. This paper deals with the works of Youssef Chahine, a famous Egyptian filmmaker. He is one of the most outstanding persons in Arab cinema.
Every work of Youssef Chahine is unique, as it contains a certain political message, which keeps the audience on the tenterhooks during the whole film. “Although it underwent a later resurgence, especially in Egypt, both in the film of revisionist vehicles directed by Youssef Chahine, among others and in the incorporation of music video aesthetics into youth-oriented, so-called shopping mall films” (Ginsberg and Lippard 289).
One of the most interesting and outstanding films by Chahine is The Sparrow that was shot in 1972. It is also one of the most divisive films of the director. The idea of The Sparrow was written in teamwork with Lotfi al-Kholi, a famous avant-gardist, and also co-produced with Algeria. This film is shot previous to and for the duration of the Six-Day War, which happened in June 1967. In general, the film is an obsessive insightful social cram that focuses on a family ragged by political dissimilarity as Egypt is beaten. Chahine tries to demonstrate certain political events. This film depicts Chahine’s political response to conducting the war with Israel and attacks the existing corruption in Egypt.
The Sparrow put the beginning to a new mainstream in cinema and the development of Chahin’s unique style. The Sparrow has spiky oppositional frames. This film is the so-called investigation of the reasons for the events of 1967 and the try to shame those politicians and participants who caused this war. So, it is no surprise that the film was banned for some time and its release was permitted only in 1973. Chahine does not miss the opportunity to touch upon the issue of religion in the film, demonstrating people’s and his attitude to Islam, as the main Arabian religion. Moreover, the problem of relative bounds is also described in the film, depicting the story of the adopted son of a superior officer, who faces the problem of scruples as he looks for his genuine father, who is supposed to be a left-wing militant.
Nasserism is another issue that is discussed in the film. The author demonstrates the actions of the government and people who were inspired by this ideology that leads to awful results. The author tries to show that it is impossible to return what has already passed, especially using people’s victims. Eschewing the usual story, the film is an exhilarating mixture of realistic and some expressive elements. The main aim of such way of description is to demonstrate Chanine’s image of the country which appeared in the war.
Undoubtedly, The Sparrow makes a great impression on the viewers due to its interesting and captivating plot, which helps to understand completely the problems, touched upon in the film.
Works Cited
Ginsberg, Terri, and Chris Lippard. Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema (Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts). Canada: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2010.