Where have all the good movies gone?
November 19th, 2009Every summer or holiday season, I convince myself that the Egyptian movie I’m about to see is going to be different. It’s going to have an actual plot , it’s going to lack sexism and racism and if I got lucky, it might divert from the usual (Read: corny!) slapstick humor. Armed with a friend( to keep me patient ), all the understanding I can muster and cinema-specific comfort food, I sit down a few seats away from the nearest kid.
Most of the time, I leave the cinema hall feeling disappointed, offended and ripped-off. Here I am, after wasting nearly two hours of my precious life, feeling slightly older and bitter that my intellect wasn’t stimulated in any way.
The question we need to ask here is not why such pathetic attempts at film-making are still being made, it’s simply: why is the public still interested in such films?
After all, the supply of what Egypt Today, called “brainless comedies” reflects the demand for such films.
I have to admit, the Egyptian cinema was blessed in recent years with the production of films such as Sahr Al Layaly and Yacoubian building and even the recent controversial “Ehky ya Shahrezad”.
The aforementioned movies reflect Egypt’s bittersweet reality.
The divorce rates are increasing at an alarming rate, Sahr Al Layaly points out the reasons, it introduces us to the problems and challenges of marriage in modern day Egypt.
Yacoubian building takes us on a long rollercoaster-style journey into Egypt’s social ills, economic woes and the current politically-chaotic scene.
I’m writing this with poor Mona Zaki in mind, the media wasn’t particularly nice to her this summer. She delivered a memorable performance as a talk show host on a difficult mission to give a voice to voiceless Egyptian women. She gives them a voice and lets them take us hand in hand down an often painful memory lane.
Let’s go back to the other side of the wall. Egyptian comedy movies usually rely on the actor’s looks for “cheap laughs”. Maybe I’m naive, but I always thought comedy should depend on clever and witty writing. This is exactly what a lot of comedy flicks lack, good writing. Whether the movie features Mohammed Saad or Saad al Sagheer, the actors try to generate laughter based on their looks or their ability to play dumb. Al Limby, a popular movie, features Mohammed Saad, as a “mentally-challenged” person. Al Limby went on to become one of Egypt’s highest-grossing films.
It’s a shame that making fun of mentally-challenged, overweight, unattractive people makes a lot of people laugh, it doesn’t make me laugh.
Any Egyptian or non-Egyptian feminist or any woman interested in the portrayal of women in the cinema is surely mortified when she hears sexist jokes. Even good-old Adel Imam, one of the greatest actors in Egyptian history seems to be saying a lot of sexist jokes lately. Foul jokes about a women’s body are not funny, they are just foul, for lack of a more bitter word!
Then, there is the blatant racism, I cringe every time I hear “jokes” about dark people being dirty, ugly, or if there are women involved, then they are really ugly “prostitutes”.
In yet another Egyptian comedy, Ali Spicy, Hakem walks into a room only to find his friend in bed with a black woman. The racist epithets go on and on, until he scolds him by saying “they are not women, they are animals”. This was of course one of the many tasteless climaxes in the movie. I wasn’t as bothered by it as I was by the fact that it was one of the funniest scenes for most of the audience members. It was so funny, it deserved a round of applause.
It’s hard to think of contemporary Egyptian cinema without such nuisances coming to mind. I appreciate good films and I can name all the well-respected and talented Egyptian artists, but I just can’t be bothered to sit through another sad excuse for a movie.
My friends tell me the interest in such movies comes down to one thing:- economic problems. The Egyptian public wants to escape the difficult living conditions by laughing out loud. I reluctantly believe them….although I think the public deserves better.
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Well, first of all welcome Reem,
2nd, I want to ask you, are you really offended by sexist and racist jokes in the movies, because you’re a Sudanese female, or you’re just against any form of racism and sexism, you didn’t mention that in your article.
3rd, what art is all about?! I’m asked this question to a photographer before, and it’s hard as it sounds. I know. However his reply has enlightened me some way. I was really fascinated that he delivered me what I really wanted to hear as an answer, he said, “art is a mixture of old experiences, originality, creativity, innovation, and some breaking to the rules, breaking peoples’ privacy, and of course some discrimination as you mentioned.”
Exactly! No art can be created without offence, go to YouTube and watch any stand up comedy, they’re racists against Indos, Africans, and Jews. Britain is racist against Pakis too. Here, in Egypt, the racism against black people isn’t very perceived by the common public as racism, because actually the mainstream don’t know what that means, they laugh and laugh and laugh. And only black Egyptians, who form very small percent of the population esp. in the south, only offended, not because they’re against racism, but because they really get hurt.
4th, Hollywood itself has good and bad movies, just like UK, France, Italy, India, Germany, and of course Egypt is no deviate. There’re some good, and some bad. Taking into consideration that in the last fre years, as you mentioned, the good movies are more.
5th, I was just clarifying my point as a follower for the Egyptian media and cinema by nature, because I’m Egyptian living in Cairo, so this reply isn’t from a “big fan” to the national cinema. I’m not a fan at all. I was just clarifying some point out there. I myself criticise this fool low-class Mohamed Saad, and others, who are not a good façade for the Egyptian cinema.
Thank you
Hello Ahmed,
Thanks for your comment and thanks for welcoming me:)
I dislike any movies with sexist or racist jokes, I’m sure I was gonna feel the same if I were Chinese or a male. Movies affect us, direct or indirectly, so we should discourage breeding a culture of intolerance.
Just because stand-up comedians make sexist or racist jokes doesn’t make it ok. Ethnic humor has been exhausted. Art , for me, is an experience, it’s spiritual , mental and psychological, I want to leave the cinema, theatre or gallery feeling stimulated, excited , bettered as an individual and I also want to feel like I have a contribution to this world.
Well, many Egyptian movies in the last few years were offensive to women too. Egypt has a harassment problem, you can’t objectify women and degrade them in movies and then expect a burdened and poor class to not act on this.
All countries have bad movies, but I wanted to share something about Egyptian movies because they make up the majority in the ME. Also, I’m saddened when I watch not one, but so many bad Egyptian movies because there are a lot of talented actors and I always want to catch up with movies here.
Also, why are individuals like Mohamed Saad and why are their movies more popular than say…more serious movies? I think the Egyptian public needs to address that and stop pointing out to poverty as the only reason behind this phenomenon. It’s a complicated problem…very complicated!
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Reem, totally concur with your comments.
Ahmed, regarding your comment on racism in Britain; you used a totally unacceptable and racist word there, although I do not think you mean any harm by it, it is worth noting that racism is widespread in the Arab world and the majority are in denial of its existence (which is why they continue with the silly jokes about black people)……
dear reem
i agree with your point that we lack today good movies as we used to have in old days with great ,brave directors and brave producers who invest in art more than profit ,but today movies are not as bad as you think ,yes they had a shallow concepts with less regards to racism and sexiest jokes ,.but we had also few brave movies that touch the souls of the people ,Ahmad helmy has presented few good movies in the last few years , kareem abod alazeez movies are well made ,ahmad saka , mona shalaby ,mona zaky and hind sabry had made very good choices in the last few years , also yussry nasr alla movies , khaled yousif has put lines for new cinema ,movies from Lebanon are making new changes with great stories and plots
so next time i hope you find nice movie to watch and better stories to enjoy