''The Will'' or ''Determination'' ( ar, العزيمة, translit. Al-Azeema) is a 1939 Egyptian film, directed by Kamal Selim. It is considered one of the greatest Egyptian movies of all time, and has been voted the best

Egyptian film The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing film industry based in Cairo, sometimes also referred to as Hollywood on the Nile. Since 1976, the capital has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the Intern ...

of all time in the list of Top 100 Egyptian films in 20th century, among other websites and magazines.

Plot

A young couple, Muhammad and Fatima, fall in love and get married. However, their bliss is cut short when Muhammad loses his job and is forced to work as fabric salesman, without telling his wife. Some of the neighbors then scheme to get Fatima to see her husband working as a fabric salesman. Things turn around when his reason for dismissal from his old job disappears and he is rehired, and all seems well for the young couple. The film paints a vivid picture of the economic crisis that ravaged

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in the 1930s.

Cast

* Hussein Sedki as Mohamed Hanafi * Fatma Rouchdi as Fatma * Anwar Wagdy as Adly Nazih * Abdel Aziz Khalil as El Etre

Production

Director Kamal Selim took great care on the production design aspect of filming, in order to make it seem as if he had filmed live at the slums of Egypt. As a result, it is considered the first film to accurately and realistically display the slums of Egypt.

Themes

The Will was one of the first films to accurately portray the slums of Egypt. It has been praised for its realistic depiction of life in the slums, and the struggles men and women go through within these slums. Released in 1939, The Will has carried on an enduring legacy, due in part to its sympathetic view on the lives of the average Egyptian people, who did not enjoy much luxuries at the time, and who often faced struggles with love and employment similar to the ones faced by the protagonist in the film, making the film a social commentary on its era.

Critical reception

The Will is considered by many to be the greatest Egyptian film ever made, and is well respected, not only in Egypt, but in the international cinematic community as well. It was voted the #1 Egyptian film by egypty.com, and is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made.

Legacy

The Will is considered one of the first examples, or one of the precursors, of the

Italian Neorealism Italian neorealism ( it, Neorealismo), also known as the Golden Age, is a national film movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class. They are filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors. They pri ...

movement in film, which would later expand to include films such as

The Bicycle Thief ''Bicycle Thieves'' ( it, Ladri di biciclette; sometimes known in the United States as ''The Bicycle Thief'') is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It follows the story of a poor father searching in post-World War ...

and

Pather Panchali ''Pather Panchali'' (; ) is a 1955 Indian Bengali (language), Bengali-language Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of West Bengal. It is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Ba ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Will 1939 films 1930s Arabic-language films Films set in Egypt Egyptian black-and-white films Egyptian musical comedy films 1939 musical comedy films