Nasser 56

Directed by Mohamed Fadel, Arab Film Distribution, 1996, 140 mins., B&W. List: $44.95, AET: $39.95.

Reviewed by Michael S. Lee

During the summer of 1956, Egypt under President Gamal Abdul Nasser became embroiled in a conflict with Great Britain, France and Israel over the decision by the Egyptian leader to nationalize the Suez Canal in the wake of the refusal of the United States, and consequently the World Bank, to fund the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

This pivotal period in the modern history of Egypt has been intelligently recreated in docu-drama style in a critically acclaimed film, “Nasser 56,” by Egyptian director Mohamed Fadel and starring Egyptian actor Ahmad Zaki as Nasser.

Western audiences will have to adjust to the more subtle, less in-your-face style of Arab filmmaking. However, this is not to say that the film is in any sense boring. Zaki’s portrayal of Nasser as mild-mannered is because that is the way the charismatic Egyptian president was in real life.

The film presents not only Nasser the leader but also Nasser the family man, with the actors portraying his wife and children playing large roles in the movie.

A key scene takes place in Nasser’s study late at night after he has learned of the World Bank’s refusal to fund the Aswan High Dam. He takes the first of three calls from an old woman who is trying to reach her son in a rural village. Her calls instead have been misdirected to the presidential residence. When in the third call Nasser offers to contact her son himself she asks with whom she is speaking. Upon learning it is the president she says, “May God grant you victory, my son.” Suddenly, a light ignites in his eyes as he makes the fateful decision to nationalize the canal.

The Arab perspective from which this film was made is very much in evidence. To those whom he has picked to carry out the nationalization plan, Nasser explains his reasoning that the United States and the World Bank have denied funds for the dam in order to keep Egypt from increasing its electricity supply and to condemn the country to backwardness and continued colonialism.

In the most poignant scene of the movie, an old woman presents Nasser with the cloak which her grandfather was wearing when he died while digging the Suez Canal, saying that the Egyptian president is not only avenging the death of her grandfather, but also the deaths of the thousands of Egyptians who perished while building the canal.

There are also humorous touches. A specialist on the canal who is summoned by Nasser is on vacation. When he is found in his pajamas and bathrobe in his country house, he is not allowed to change before being rushed to the capital. Only upon arrival at the president’s office are his entreaties for clothing so as to present a dignified persona before Nasser finally heard, but he is given only five minutes to dress.

Later, the two men charged with planning the takeover of the canal are called before Nasser. Both are already short on sleep, but are forced to stay awake for several more days to formulate the plan, present it to Nasser, and then finally carry it out. One of the two constantly reminds his colleague of the accumulating sleepless hours, but it is the second who falls asleep instantly when their job is done.

In summation, the film is a revealing portrait of the historical backdrop to the nationalization, the views of the Arab world toward the West, and Western treatment of the indigenous people of the region. The final scene showing Nasser addressing his compatriots in a packed Cairo mosque as British and French bombs rain down on their country is extremely moving.

The film is in Arabic with English subtitles. These are sometimes obscured by the black-and-white format in which the movie was filmed in order to blend with the historical footage of actual events used in the film. This, however, will not deter contemporary English-speaking audiences from fully enjoying this accurate portrayal of events from both a different time and a different point of view.

Michael S. Lee is director of the AET Book Club.