Product Details

• Actors: Ahmed Zaki, Naglaa Fathy, Farid Shawqi, Mahmoud El-Meliguy, Ezzat El Alaili
• Directors: Youssef Chahine
• Writers: Youssef Chahine, Mohsen Zayed, Yousry Nasrallah
• Producers: Abdel Hamid Daoud, Humbert Balsan, Mahmoud Bakr, Marianne Khoury
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: Arabic
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Fox Lorber
• DVD Release Date: August 1, 2000
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004TX0T
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #117,340 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Alexandria Trilogy" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The second of Youssef Chahine's autobiographical Alexandria Trilogy takes place largely in the mind of Chahine's cinematic alter ego, Yehia Mourad (Nour El Cherif), or, to be more accurate, his torso. Rushed into emergency open-heart surgery after an on-set heart attack, Yehia is put through a fantasy trial in a courtroom situated in his rib cage (a rather theatrical-looking contraption of white sheets draped over wooden ribs) as he flashes back on his life. Chahine embraces the absurdity of the silly device with fanciful fun (his inner child rebels against the stodgy grownup by crawling through his veins and undoing the surgery) but it's the flashbacks that carry the film's power. Think of it as Chahine's All That Jazz, only less flashy and more thoughtful. The young director struggles within the industry, sacrificing his vision and his politics in commercial compromises, sacrificing his family for his art, still dreaming of Hollywood while toiling in the low-budget environs of Egypt.

Fans of Chahine will recognize startling re-creations of two of his most famous films, Cairo Station and The Sparrow, but you don't need to know his work to feel the strain of his conflicts. Inspired by his real-life bypass surgery and the self reassessment it triggered, Chahine is more critical than you might expect; he forgives himself his sins, naturally, but never quite lets himself off the hook. Followed by Alexandria Again and Forever, which stars Chahine himself as Yehia. --Sean Axmaker

From the Back Cover
ALEXANDRIA...WHY?
Set against the panoramic backdrop of war-torn Egypt, director Youssef Chahine tells a highly personal tale of love and determination. Amid the poverty, death and suffering caused by World War II, 18 year-old Yehia, retreats into a private world of fantasy and longing. Obsessed with Hollywood, he dreams of one day studying filmmaking in America, but after falling in love and discovering the lies of European occupation, Yehia profoundly reevaluates his identity and allegiances.

AN EGYPTIAN STORY
Famed Egyptian director Yehia falls ill with a heart condition that requires surgery. During the operation, a child embodying his conscience accuses him of betraying his ideals. A metamorphic trial ensues in which various witnesses offer their testimony about "the defendant." These proceedings force the filmmaker to come to terms with hidden emotions involving his life, his work and his country. Yehia's conscience loses the trial and a redundant organ is expelled from his body. But will this loss be fatal?

ALEXANDRIA AGAIN and FOREVER
This complicated and surreal autobiographical film, explores the personal life and fantasies that have shaped the motion pictures of Youssef Chahine. Taking a stand for democracy, Yehia (Chahine's on-screen alter ego) joins a hunger protest which has rallied together the entire Egyptian film industry. As the strikers mount their demands, the director becomes overwhelmed by his infatuation for Amir, the young actor whose career he launched with the film Alexandria...Why? But this obsession is soon overshadowed by his interest in Nadia, the beautiful inginue whom he decides to cast in his next feature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great quality, at times too much art, November 22, 2000

By	AA "ashour001" (Newton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alexandria Trilogy - 3 Pack [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I am going to divide my review to three parts, the basic reproduction / packaging, the subtitles and last the actual art:

The basic reproduction is good in comparison to any other Egyptian movies you can buy. Good is by no means very good nor excellent

The subtitling is very poor. It is very clear and will help keep non-Arabic speakers in the game, but it is seriously inaccurate and in my view often distorts the meaning of the movie. I was particularly amazed to see things like "damn you all" being translated into "fxxk you all". It is truly absurd to subtitle anger into profanity

As to Youssif Chahine own work, it is very clever, at times way too clever. The symbolism goes to the extreme that you just end up going in circle. See how clever and symbolic I can be

The presentation of the gay side of Mourad is certainly brave, but does not seem to be much more than a "dare" game, often it is unclear why it is there and what impact does it have on the whole thing, except for possibly the middle film

As to the camera work, direction, music, acting etc. it is all excellent, well above anything else coming out of Egypt in the last 25 years or so. The real shame is to be the only really good moviemaker in Egypt and to use this to make such narrow movies with too much symbolism.

At any rate, make no mistake about it this is great stuff

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Artistic and insightful, March 5, 2001

By	Isis S. Mikhail (Birmingham, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: An Egyptian Story [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the second part of Chahine's Alexandria Trilogy. The first part "Alexandria, why?" is a biography and courageous self-examination of his adolescent years. This part moves on to examine his adult life. It is, again, a very courageous, honest, and insightful self-trial of himself as an adult and his choices in his professional life as a movie director, as well as in his personal and family life. His artistic talents as a director and his creative thinking are reflected in his representation of his turbulent relationship with his inner child. This is another distinguished piece of work by this talented movie director and a must-have for those who appreciate his art.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mix of styles worth your time, July 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: An Egyptian Story (DVD)

An interesting mix of the struggles of an independent international filmmaker, combining surrealism and recent Egyptian history.
There are elements of "8 1/2" and "All That Jazz" in the story of a film maker who faces a trial in which the child and young man he was testify against the person he has become. The surrealist settings are cheap but fun and the central performance is nicely done. The many characters and switches in time are a bit complex and it helps to have a little knowledge of modern Egyptian history, but there is humor and insight worth your time.