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The centerpiece of this movie consists of the building of
the Great Pyramid of Giza, which many scholars have attributed
to the Pharaoh Khufu. As the movie opens, Khufu's forces have
just defeated the city of Kush in battle and made slaves of the
Kushites. Impressed by their cunning defenses, Khufu (portrayed
by Jack Hawkins) recruits the architect who designed them (portrayed
by James Robertson Justice) to be the designer of his tomb, with
the promise that when the tomb is complete all the Kushites except
the architect himself will be granted their freedom. The architect
will be killed to protect the secret of the tomb's defenses.
As construction of the pyramid progresses, Khufu becomes obsessed
with amassing wealth for use both in this world and the next.
He levies heavy tribute on the nations he has conquered. The
king of Cyprus sends his daughter Nellifer (portrayed by Joan
Collins) as his tribute. Nellifer becomes Khufu's second wife,
and quickly becomes a favorite. She too becomes obsessed with
the wealth Khufu is accumulating, and begins her own schemes
to acquire wealth and power. She targets both the Pharaoh himself
and his first wife with her plots. I won't offer further detail
because I don't want to spoil it in case you decide to watch
it, but suffice it to say that the various plot threads all come
to reasonably satisfying endings.
The plot is not the most riveting one I've ever seen, but
it offers a relaxing bit of entertainment. Generally speaking,
the casting is well-chosen, and I enjoyed watching Joan Collins
in one of her early movie roles carrying on the same scheming
and machinations that made her famous in the television show
Dynasty decades later. For me, the biggest appeal was the lavish
scope of the movie, with thousands of extras, detailed sets portraying
the inside of the pyramid being built and its mechanisms, and
the general feast for the eyes. There are a couple of enjoyable
plot twists. It's not great fiction, but it's not a bad way to
spend a couple of hours.
You Will Probably Like This Video If
- You would enjoy a sumptuous costume drama set in ancient
Egypt.
- You're a fan of either Jack Hawkins, Joan Collins, or James
Robertson Justice and you would enjoy seeing a movie featuring
one of these performers.
- You enjoy plots centered on greed, scheming, and deception.
You Probably Won't Care For This Video If
- You're looking for compelling plot and character development.
In Conclusion
When it comes to lavish productions, this movie offers a visual
feast that's enjoyable to watch just for the sake of the spectacle.
As a costume drama set in ancient Egypt, I found that it could
hold my interest from beginning to end, but it's not the kind
of movie I would go back and watch frequently. The plot is not
particularly compelling, but it does have a few twists that made
me smile, and the casting is well-chosen, especially Joan Collins.
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