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| Youssef Chahine: الأرض / Al-ard / La Terre / The Land (EG 1970) with Ezzat El-Alaili (Abd El-Hadi) and Nagwa Ibrahim (Wassifa). |
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| Youssef Chahine: الأرض / Al-ard / La Terre / The Land (EG 1970). |
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| Youssef Chahine: الأرض / Al-ard / La Terre / The Land (EG 1970). |
الأرض / The Earth / Earth / La Terre / La terra.
Director: Youssef Chahine. Year of release: 1970. Year of production: 1969. Country: Egypt. Sog.: from the homonymous novel (1953) by Abderrahmane Cherkaoui / Abd al-Rahman al-Charqawi / عبد الرحمن الشرقاوي . Scen.: Hassan Fouad. F.: Abdelhalim Nasr. M.: Rachida Abdel Salam. Scgf.: Salh Gaber, Gabriel Karraze. Mus.: Ali Ismail.
Int.: Mahmoud Al-Méligui (Mohamed Abou Swelam), Hamdy Ahmed (Mohammad Effendi), Yehia Chahine (Hassuna), Ezzat El-Alaili (Abd El-Hadi), Nagwa Ibrahim (Wassifa), Ali El Scherif (Diab), Salah El-Saadany (Elwani), Tawfik El Deken (Khedr).
Prod.: Organizzazione Generale del Cinema Egiziano. DCP. D.: 130’. Col.
Not released in Finland.
Restored by Association Youssef Chahine in collaboration with MISR International Films at Rotana laboratory from the original negative.
Copy from MISR International Films.
Arab version with English subtitles.
Youssef Chahine – The Last Arab Optimist.
Introduce Amal Guermazi (musicologist), hosted by Ehsan Khoshbakht.
Viewed at Cinema Jolly, Bologna, Il Cinema Ritrovato, e-subtitles in Italian by Sub-Ti Londra, 27 June 2019.
Tewfik Hakem (Il Cinema Ritrovato): "In a village in the Nile Delta in the 1930s, a few major landowners exploit the impoverished peasants. When famine threatens, a petition is drawn up. A peasant named Abou Swelam is charged with bringing it to Cairo. Swelam is also the father of a pretty girl and there are many competing for her hand. But latent conflicts soon reach an uncontrollable height when the cotton fields are hit by drought and the poorest farmers find that their water allowances have been arbitrarily reduced. Instead of the usual ten days’ irrigation they will only be able to irrigate for five days, so that a politician can divert a road in order to be able to reach his luxury villa more easily."
"The Arab left – thriving at the time – saw this film as a manifesto against major landholders and an ode to the green revolution. Chahine was proud of the fact that he had turned a highly urban actor (Mahmoud Al-Méligui, at the height of his cop-movie fame) into the epitome of a poor Egyptian farmer, a fellah. This powerful agrarian story found new audiences for Egyptian cinema at Cannes in 1969. Even though the story betrays the influence of Bondarčuk-style Soviet cinema, Al-ard remains a profoundly Egyptian film, with a dramatic intensity and a depth of human emotion that far outclass mere activist cinema." Tewfik Hakem
AA: I saw for the first time Al-ard / The Land / Earth. It belongs to a handful of my most powerful Bologna experiences. Often ranked as Youssef Chahine's best film, the best Egyptian film and the best Arab film, it remains a profoundly moving work of art, boasting engrossing performances, masterful cinematography by Abdelhalim Nasr and a stirring score by Ali Ismail.
As for the English title, I don't know Arabic, but I guess an ideal translation might be simply Earth, same as for Alexander Dovzhenko's masterpiece Zemlya. In French and Italian Dovzhenko and Chahine's films share the same title. It would feel natural in English, as well.
Al-ard, a strong epic movie, excellent in its own right, also gives thoughts about world cinema in general and how little it is known, France always being the exception.
Egypt has a magnificent film heritage, and in its Golden Age from the 1940s till the 1960s Egyptian film production was one of the biggest in the world. Egypt was the leading film production country in Africa, Arab countries, Muslim culture and the Middle East. Important turning-points were the abolition of the British Empire, the end of King Farouk's monarchy, the foundation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1953 and the nationalization of the film industry in 1961.
Al-ard is an achievement of a cultural tradition that for me reflects all that. It is based on the debut novel (1954) by Abd al-Rahman al-Sharqawi (1920–1987). Sources say that the novel, a classic of modern Arab literature, has been translated into many languages, including Swedish. The writer was an adherent of Arab socialism, and his novel was influenced by socialist realism.
Youssef Chahine's film may have been influenced by socialist realism, too. Besides Dovzhenko it has affinities with King Vidor's "war, wheat and steel" trilogy. It also evokes epics from the golden age of Indian cinema such as Mother India – without their abundance of exalted musical melodrama numbers, although beautiful songs are prominent in Al-ard, as well. Nordic viewers may find points in common with our bondesfilmer (peasant films). But Al-ard is an original achievement beyond socialist realism or other styles.
Despite its status as the best Arab film in various polls, Al-ard is sometimes not even mentioned in resumes of Egyptian cinema or Youssef Chahine. Epic realism and social criticism are not to everybody's taste. Al-ard is firmly traditional, not hip or cool. In this festival's context, Al-ard belongs to the films that are both well-known and unknown, like Henry King's State Fair.
To me Al-ard evokes a contemporary Finnish masterpiece, Under the North Star (Täällä Pohjantähden alla, 1968, directed by Edvin Laine, based on the novel by Väinö Linna), one of the most popular films in Finnish history. There was no feudalism in Finland, but a conflict existed between crofters and landowners with affinities with the situation depicted in Al-ard. The Finnish film and the novel were not universally acclaimed by cineastes and critics, perhaps because they are works of traditional realism, and because of their account of the social conflict.
The cast of Al-ard is excellent, the performances deeply felt. Youssef Chahine relishes portraying the fabric of life in the traditional countryside. Set in the cotton fields of the Nile Delta in 1933, there is a wealth of observations of manners and mores in the countryside. The conflict is violent, but there is also a dimension of vitality and a sensual joy of life in the film, with romances, dances, and songs. Unlike in Nordic films, swimming is conducted fully clothed. Female characters are strong, radiant and wonderful, and they appear unveiled in this period (see photo above). The epic scenes are never mere tableaux; they are always full of life.
The famous highlighs are still effective such as rescuing the cow from the well, and the harrowing final sequence where white cotton fields are spattered in blood from the hands of Mohamed Abou Swelam, digging his fingers deep into the earth as he is dragged away.
This restoration has a pronounced digital look, the vibrant quality of photochemical cinematography polished away.
After the film we were having a quick lunch in the corner bar next to Cinema Jolly, and when Ms. Amal Guermazi who had introduced it was passing by we praised the film to her. We asked her for her favourite Youssef Chahine movie. Her answer: Al-ard of the Egyptian ones, and Al-massir of the international ones.
WIKIPEDIA
تدور أحداث الفيلم في إحدى القرى المصرية قريه رمله الأنجب عام 1933 يفاجأ أهلها بقرار حكومي بتقليل نوبة الري إلى 5 أيام بدلا من 10 أيام فيبلغ العمدة الفلاحين أن نوبة الرى أصبحت مناصفة مع أراضي محمود بك الإقطاعى، فيجتمع رجال القرية للتشاور ويتفقوا على تقديم عريضة للحكومة من خلال محمد أفندي ومحمود بك لكنه يستغل الموقف وتوقيعاتهم لينشأ طريق لسرايته من خلال أرضهم الزراعية، ولكن يثور الفلاحين -وعلى رأسهم محمد أبو سويلم- دفاعا عن أرضهم ويلقو الحديد في المياه، فترسل الحكومة قوات الهجانة لتسيطر على القرية بإعلان حظر التجوال، ويتم انتزاع الأراضي منهم بالقوة، ويتصدى محمد أبو سويلم لقوات الأمن وبتم سحله على الأرض وهو يحاول التشبث بالجذور
الجوائز
م ترشيح الفيلم لنيل جائزة السعفة الذهبية لمهرجان كان السينمائي[3]
رأي النقاد
الناقد السينمائي حسن الحداد :[4]
أربعة وعشرون عاماً مضت، على العرض الأول لفيلم (الأرض - 1970)، رائعة المخرج الكبير "يوسف شاهين".. هذا الفيـلم الذي يعتـبر من أفضل ما انتجـته الســـينما المصرية عن الفلاح والريف المصري. وليس كلنا يعرف، بالطبع، مدي قيمة وأهمية هذا الفيلم الخالد.. لـكن هناك مشاهد عديدة من الفيلم ما تزال عالقة بذهن وذاكرة المتفرج العربي من الخليج إلى المحيط فبالإضافة إلى أهمية هذا الفيلم الفنية والتقنية، فهو أيضاً فيـلم جماهـيري من الـدرجة الأول.. إنه فيلم يحمل رؤية فنية وفكرية واضحة، ويتحدث عن الفلاح والأرض وضرورة الانتماء إليها.. وبالتـالي فهـو فيـلم يدعـو إلى الثـورة والـدفـاع عن مثـل هـذه المبـــادىء الإنسانية السامية.
ولا ننسى أن نذكر بان فيلم الأرض قد اختير ليتصدر قائمة أفضل عشرة افلام في تاريـخ السيـنما المصـرية، وذلـك في إستـفـتاء أجـرته مجــلة "فنـون" المصرية في عام 1984. كتب السيناريو والحوار لفيلم "الارض" الكاتب والصحفي والفنان "حسن فؤاد"، عن رواية بنفس الاسم للاديب "عبد الرحمن الشرقاوي".
يحكي الفيلم عن نضال الفلاحين المصريين ضد الإقطاع في ثلاثينيات هذا القرن.. ولكنه في نفس الوقت يحمل، رغم بساطته التعبيرية، مضامين وإسقاطات على واقعـنا الحاضر، ويتحـدث عن صراعنا الحضـاري، ضمن رؤية سـياسـية وإجتـماعية عن الـواقــع المصري والعربي.
ففي هـذه القـرية المصـرية الصغـيرة، يـدور صراع بين الفـلاحين، وعلى رأسـهم محمد أبوسويلم (محمود المليجي)، وبين الاقطاعيين، حول مـسألة الـرّي التي هي عصـب الحيـاة في كـل قرية زراعـية.. ومن الطبـيعي أن لا يتم إنتـصار الإقـطاعـيين إلا بمـسانـدة الدولة، عبر أجهـزتها الأمنـية والعـسكرية.. وبالـتالي لا يستطيع تحالف أهـالي القـرية (الفلاحين) أن يصـمد أمـام تحالف الإقـطاع والـدولة.. فقـد نجـح هذا التحالف الأخـير من إحداث انشقاق في وسط الفلاحين، يجد معه محمد أبوسويلم نفسه وحيداً في النهاية مع أقلية. وقد كان بوسع الانتصار أن يتم لأهالي القـرية لولا هـذا الإنشـقاق، والـذي حدث انطلاقاً من مواقع طبقية.. فالشيخ حسونة (يحي شاهين) مثلاً، وهو المناضل الذي يعيش علي أمجاده الوطنية السابقة، يتخلى في اللحظة الحاسمة عن موقعه النضالي المفترض، حتى يضمن مصلحته الخاصة، وكذلك المثقف والتاجر وغيرهم ممن خافـوا على مصالحـهم الفردية الخاصة.
وهكذا تفشل انتفاضة الفلاحين في النهاية، بالرغم من اللقطة الأخيرة ذات الدلالات القوية والتي تحمل الامـل كما تحمـل اليـأس في نفـس الوقت.. ولا يمكن لمن شاهد فيلم الأرض، أن ينسى تلك اللقطة الختامية ل"محمد أبوسويلم" وهو مكبل بالحبال والخيل تجرُّه على الأرض وهو يحاول التشبث بجذورها. إن الفـيلم بنـهايته هـذه يفتـح الباب على مصراعيه أمام سؤال كبير، يترك للمتفرج الإجابة عليه.
نحن إذن، في فيـلم الأرض، أمـام مضـمون قـوي يحـمل رؤيـة تقدمية عن ذلك الصراع الطبقي الحادث بين الفلاح والإقطاع في الفيلم.. وهذا المضمون، بالطـبع، يقف وراءه مخرج فنان ومثقف فيلسوف، يعد من بين الكبار في الوسط السينمائي المصري، فـ"يوسف شاهين" في هذا الفيلم قد توصل إلى جـودة فنـية وتعبـيرية لم يكـن قـد توصـل إليها في أيٍ من افلامه السابقة لهذا الفيلم.. فقد برز كلاعب حاذق بالكاميرا، إلى جانب حرفيته في إدارة من معه من فنيين وفنانين.. وقد شهد له العالم ولفيلمه بذلك.
فعند الحديث عن الاستقبال الحار والنجاح الكبيرالذي لقيه الفيلم، منذ عرضه الأول حتي يومنا هذا، فمن الأهم ذكر ورستعراض آراء النقاد السينمائيين العالميـين عن فيلم الأرض.. حيث أن الفيلم، وخلال العشرين عاماً الماضية، عرض في أكثر من مهرجان عالمي، وشارك في العديـد من الاسـابيع السـينمائية الخـاصة للفيـلم المصري والعربي في أغلب عواصم العالم في الشرق والغرب.
رأي النقاد الغربيين
عرض الفيلم في العديد من العواصم والمهرجانات العالمية ونال استحسان النقاد [4]
فعرض في مهـرجان "كان" وقال النـاقد الفرنسي كلود ميشيل "إنه من الضروري أن يعـرض المصريين افلامـهـم في المهرجانات، طالما أن لديهم مستوى الأرض الرفيع"
النـاقد الفرنـسي جـي أنبـيل "إن الأرض يتـمـيز بصدقـه وأمـانـته وواقعيته النقدية الراقية"
مـارسـيل مـارتـان "إن الأرض فيـلم ملـتزم تنـبـع شاعريته من رسالته الثورية.. وانه يفتح المجال العالمي للسيـنما المصرية.. وذلك الفـتح الذي تأخر كثيراً"
النـاقد الفرنسي جـان لـوي بورمي في مجـلة الابزرفاتور "إن الأرض ليس حدثاً بالنسبة للسينما العربية وحدها ولكن بالنسبة للسينما العالمية أيضاً"
الناقد السينمائي ماريو براون إن فيلم الأرض المصري يتميز بالموهبة، وإنه يعكس قصة الأرض والذين يزرعونها.. الأرض والذين يستفيدون منها.. الفلاحين وأبناء المدينة الفقراء.. والأغنـياء الأقـوياء.. والضعفاء...).
"جيرارد كونستابل": (إن فيـلم الأرض علامـة طريق في تـاريخ السينما المصرية، وهو جدير بإعجاب العالم مثل افلام هوليوود وروما وباريس).
أبرز المشاهد في الفيلم
مشهد إخراج البقرة التي سقطت من الساقية ونزول رجال القرية لإخراجها وتكاتفهم يد بيد وتوحدهم بعد عراك على حصة المياه واكتشافهم أن عراكهم يجب أن يوجه للاقطاع والحكومة.
المشهد الذي يجمع أبوسويلم بشباب القرية مع الشيخ حسونة ويحكي لهم كيف كان كفاحهم وهم شباب وأنهم لم يخافوا مثلما يحدث في هذا الوقت. ويتحمسون بعدها ويقومون بإلقاء الحديد في الترعة.
مشهد الختام سقوط أبو سويلم وسحله على وجهه وتشبثه بالأرض ممسكاً عيدان القطن وامتزاج دمائه بالأرض ليرويها مع موسيقى على إسماعيل هذا المشهد يستحق أن يكون من أجمل مشاهد السينما العربية والعالمية.
THE ARABIC WIKIPEDIA ENTRY TRANSLATED BY AN INTERNET TRANSLATOR:
The film revolves around one of the Egyptian villages of Ramleh, the village of Al-Anjab, in 1933. Its people are surprised by a government decision to reduce the irrigation frenzy to 5 days instead of 10 days. The farmer's mayor becomes equal to the lands of Mahmud Bey, feudal, and they agree to submit a petition to the government. While the farmers, headed by Muhammad Abu Sweilem, defend their land and throw iron in the water. The government sends the Haganah forces to control the village by declaring the curfew, and the lands are taken from them. By force, Mohammed Abu Sweilem security forces and addresses and dragged on the ground Pettm as he tries to cling to the roots.
Awards
The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or of the Cannes Film Festival
Film critic Hassan Haddad:
Twenty-four years ago, on the premiere of the film (Earth - 1970), the great director Youssef Chahine. This film, which is considered one of the best produced by the Egyptian cinema about the peasant and the Egyptian countryside. Not all of us know, of course, the value and importance of this immortal film. But there are many scenes of the film is still stuck in the mind and memory of the Arab spectator from the Gulf to the ocean. In addition to the importance of this film technical and technical, it is also a popular film of the first degree. It is a film that carries a clear artistic and intellectual vision, and talks about the peasant and the land and the need to belong to it. Therefore, it is a film calling for the revolution and the defense of such lofty humanitarian principles.
The film was chosen to lead the list of the top ten films in the history of Egyptian cinema in a poll conducted by the Egyptian magazine "Fonoun" in 1984. Script and dialogue for the film "The Earth" writer, journalist and artist "Hassan Fouad", the same novel Name of the painter "Abdul Rahman al-Sharqawi."
The film tells about the struggle of the Egyptian peasants against feudalism in the 1930s. But at the same time, it carries, despite its simplicity of expression, contents and projections to our present reality, and talks about our civilizational conflict within the political and social vision of Egyptian and Arab reality.
In this small Egyptian village, there is a struggle between the peasants, headed by Muhammad Abou Swelam (Mahmud al-Meligi) and the feudalists, on the issue of irrigation, which is the lifeblood of every agricultural village. It is natural that feudalists can win only with the support of the state and the military. Therefore, the alliance of the people of the village (peasants) can not stand in front of the feudal alliance and the state. This alliance succeeded in creating a split in the middle of the peasantry. Muhammad Abou Swelam finds himself alone in the end with a minority. The victory could have been achieved for the people of the village had it not been for this schism, which took place from class positions. For example, Sheikh Hassouna (Yahia Shahin), a fighter who lives on his former national glory, abandons at the crucial moment his supposed fighting position, as well as the intellectuals, merchants and others who feared for their own individual interests.
This is why the peasant uprising in the end fails, despite the last snapshot of strong signs that carries hope and despair at the same time. The filmmaker cannot forget the final shot of Mohammed Abou Swelam, which is tied with ropes and horses. Trying to cling to its roots. The film by its end opens the door to a big question, leaving the spectator to answer.
We are, therefore, in the film Earth, in front of a strong content that carries a progressive vision of that class struggle between the peasantry and feudalism in the film. This content, of course, is behind the director of an artist and intellectual philosopher, "In this film he has reached the quality of artistic and expressive was not reached in any of the previous movies of this film. He emerges as a skilled player with the camera, in addition to his professionalism in the management of his technicians and artists. The world has seen him and his film.
Speaking of the warm welcome and great success of the film, from its first screening to the present day, it is more important to mention and review the views of international film critics around the world. The film, during the last 20 years, has been featured in several international festivals and special film weeks of Egyptian and Arab film in most of the world capitals in the East and West.
Opinions of Western critics
The film has been shown in many capitals and international festivals with acclaim.
"It is necessary for Egyptians to show their films at festivals, as long as they have a high level of land," said French critic Claude Michel.
French critic Guy Hennebelle, "The Land is characterized by sincerity and honesty and high social reality".
Marcel Martin "The Land is a committed film stemming from his revolutionary poeticism. It opens Egyptian cinema to a global recognition. An opening which is seriously delayed."
French critic Jean-Louis Bourme: "The Land is not an event for Arab cinema alone but also for international cinema".
Film critic Mario Brown: The Egyptian movie The Land is distinguished by talent. It reflects the story of the land and the people who cultivate it. The land and those who benefit from it. The peasants and the poor people of the city. The rich and the powerful and the weak.
Gerard Constable: "The Land is a milestone in the history of Egyptian cinema. It deserves the admiration of the world like Hollywood, Rome and Paris."
Highlights of the movie
The scene of the cow that fell from the legs and descend the men of the village to take them out and hand in hand and unite them after a fight over the share of water and discover that their fight must be directed to feudalism and government.
The scene that brings together Abou Swelam with the young people of the village with Sheikh Hassouna and tells them how their struggle was in their youth and they were not afraid as it is at this time. They are excited and throw iron in the canal.
The final scene of the fall of Abou Swelam and the roll on his face and clinging to the ground holding cotton chopsticks and mixing blood to the ground to narrate with music on Ismail this scene deserves to be regarded as one of the most beautiful scenes of Arab and international cinema.
PORTUGUESE WIKIPEDIA
A vida do dia-a-dia numa aldeia egípcia dos anos 30 decorre tranquilamente, até que o período de rega, designado pelas autoridades, e o qual já era de escassos dez dias apenas, é encurtado para cinco dias.
Os camponeses opõem-se. Os seus líderes são presos, humilhados e maltratados, enquanto, simultaneamente, a sua terra morre. Os mearistas unem-se aos camponeses para evitar a revolta destes. Simultaneamente um latifundiário quer fazer uma estrada para o seu palácio através do campo. Novos distúrbios fazem com que as forças da ordem intervenham, arrasando as colheitas e matando os anciãos da aldeia que são respeitados por todas as partes em conflito.
Neste fresco, esplendidamente construído, alternam-se cenas intimistas, plenas de encanto, com outras épicas e mesmo brutais, o que confere ao filme um interesse e uma emoção constantes; assim, entre outras coisas, vêem-se os aldeões a destruir o dique construído pelas autoridades.
A influência do cinema russo (Eisenstein, Poudovine) é óbvia, o que, não obstante, não mutila a criatividade inspirada do realizador. A produção tem uma tal força expressiva que a terra assume a personalidade de uma pessoa viva, que respira e que sofre. Também o retrato de Abdel Halim Nasr nos fascina. O filme impressiona do princípio até ao fim, desde as doces melodias de esperança, audíveis e visíveis, durante a chegada de uma criança da cidade, até ao comovente e inesquecível final, quando as mãos ensanguentadas do ancião tingem de vermelho as brancas flores do algodão.
Este filme permanece, sem dúvida, a obra-prima do realizador. É uma adaptação do romance homónimo de Abderrahman Cherkaoui (1954) e foi traduzido para várias línguas.
PUT THROUGH AN INTERNET TRANSLATOR
Day-to-day life in an Egyptian village from the 1930s runs smoothly until the watering period, designated by the authorities, which was only a few days old, is shortened to five days.
The peasants are opposed. Their leaders are arrested, humiliated and mistreated while their land dies. The Mearistas join the peasants to prevent their revolt. At the same time a landowner wants to make a road to his palace across the countryside. New disturbances cause law enforcement to intervene, razing crops and killing village elders who are respected by all parties to the conflict.
In this splendidly constructed fresco, intimate scenes, full of charm, alternate with other epic and even brutal, giving the film a constant interest and emotion; thus, among other things, villagers are seen destroying the dike built by the authorities.
The influence of Russian cinema (Eisenstein, Pudovkin) is obvious, which, however, does not cripple the director's inspired creativity. Production has such an expressive force that the earth takes on the personality of a living, breathing, suffering person. Also the portrait of Abdel Halim Nasr fascinates us. The film impresses from beginning to end, from the sweet audible and visible melodies of hope during the arrival of a child from the city, to the moving and unforgettable ending, when the old man's bloodied hands dyed the white flowers of cotton red. .
This film undoubtedly remains the director's masterpiece. It is an adaptation of the homonymous novel by Abderrahman Cherkaoui (1954) and has been translated into several languages.
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