A big part of Egypt's massive cultural output in the mid 20th century was its' literary output, most famously the novels of Naguib Mahfouz, who went on to win the Nobel Literature Prize. Adrift On the Nile was one of his most famous novels, written in 1966. It prophetically foresaw the Six Day War and painted a rather accurate picture of Nasserite Egypt. This movie adaptation was filmed five years after the book's release, in 1971.
The movie follows protagonist Anis Zaki, a former tutor and current civil servant who's only escape from everyday life and hardships is his supply of hash. A chance encounter with an old student - now a very successful handsome ageing leading actor - leads him to be quickly initiated into a group of fellow stoners who convene regularly on the actor's private riverboat on the Nile. Among them are a renowned thinker, a famous news critic, a struggling single working girl, and a student-turned-aspiring actress. The very cleverly scripted dialogue offers a snapshot and critique of Egyptian society in the late 1960's.
This movie presents some of the finest talents from Egypt's Golden Age of Cinema. Emad Hamdy's portrayal of Anis Zaki is truly Oscar worthy, and so was Adel Adham (who always played his supporting roles to perfection). Ahmed Ramzy excels at playing the ageing leading actor; I believe he based the character partly on himself (he was a dashing leading man in the 1950's and 60's, and by the early 70's his career was starting to wane).
My only concern with respect to non-Arab viewers is that whenever I watch the movie, the English subtitling is rather poor and leaves little of the original dialogue's beauty. Speaking as both a native English and Arabic speaker, I find the subtitling too literal, often bordering on cheesy. Regardless, I think this movie is a must watch and I think the actors' performances really transcend language.
I have seen this movie about 15 times since my teens. Every time, I sit through the entire movie, and it always feels fresh. It is also one of the finest films produced in Egypt and often makes its' way to Arab film festivals. Highly recommended.
