Over the decades, Egyptian cinema has witnessed the making of films whose stories varied between romantic, tragic, comedic, “action,”
Over the decades, Egyptian cinema has witnessed the making of films whose stories varied between romantic, tragic, comedic, “action,” and thriller, in addition to the lyrical and musical film, which gained wide fame and won a gigantic share in the map of cinema over the past century, especially “black and white” films.
The musical films were distinguished by presenting a variety of distinctive songs and performances, and several stars also starred in presenting dance sketches, such as Fouad Al-Muhandis, Shweikar, Ismail Yassin, the Stage Lights Trio, Souad Hosni, and others.
Generational musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab (Ancient Egyptian History page {Instagram})
After the prosperity of “musical films” in the fifties and sixties of the last century, they began to decline in the following decades and their glow gradually went out in recent years, despite the attempts of some artists to present romantic films that include songs for their heroes, such as Tamer Hosni, Mostafa Qamar, Hamada Helal, and others.
Artist Fayza Ahmed (Ancient Egyptian History Page {Instagram})
Writers, including Nader Salah El-Din, explained the reasons for the decline and disappearance of musical films, saying: “In the past, the spectator sought to watch singers in films because it was the only way, as concerts and traditional media such as radio and television were few, but now we have other attractive elements, including song channels.” The spectator now has many ways to reach the singer and follow him.”
Artist Shadia (Beautiful Time Cinema page {Facebook})
Salah El-Din considered that “the dramatic form of the musical film is no longer the ideal form for the current era, as the lyrical expression depends on the scenes present in the drama, and therefore the formats for the musical film have become out of keeping with the new millennium.”
According to his statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Egyptian writer believes that “the level of current singers and their acting abilities is not at the level of the past era itself, as the predecessors had greater acting acceptance, and there are no composers who have the ability to present a new form of musical film that befits the current millennium and the level expected.” Spectator.
Artist Lubna Abdel Aziz (archive)
Although Salah El-Din stresses the difficulty of returning this artistic style to the map of Egyptian cinema again, producer Rana El-Sobky sees the opposite and tells Asharq Al-Awsat: “Representing this type of film is not difficult if all the elements of its success are present,” stressing that “as a company Producers presented this through parts of the movie (Omar and Salma), starring Tamer Hosni and Mai Ezz El-Din.”
Many Egyptian singing stars in the middle of the last century considered cinema a golden means to document their singing career, and the artists were: Umm Kulthum, Muhammad Fawzi, Laila Murad, Shadia, Muhammad Abdel Wahab, Abdel Halim Hafez, Farid Al-Atrash, Sabah, Nour Al-Huda, Naima Akef, Muhammad Rushdi, Najat, Souad Hosni, the little girl Fayrouz, Abdel Aziz Mahmoud, Kamal Hosni, Muharram Fouad, Karem Mahmoud, Asmahan, Fayza Ahmed, and Warda Al-Jazairia, are among the most prominent artists who shone in the artistic genre.
Musician Farid Al-Atrash (Beautiful Time Cinema page {Facebook})
Egyptian director Wael Ihsan expresses his regret over the disappearance of lyrical, show, social, and realistic films as well, and attributed this to many reasons, first and foremost; Preparing the idea that suits the events of the film, the words, melodies and elements of the song such as the recording studio, instruments, clothes and accessories, as the song needs approximately one million Egyptian pounds to complete it in no more than two minutes, according to him.
Artist Souad Hosni (Cinderella Fans Page {Facebook})
Ihsan added in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat: “If we look at the films of the artist Laila Murad, we will find that the musical performances included dancers, clothes, and other elements required by the work and revolved around the story of the work.”
Ihsan also believes that musical films need a robust revival in lithe of the lack of solemn attempts to bring them back due to their high cost, starting with the singer’s wages and passing through all the previously mentioned elements.
Musician Mohamed Fawzi (Middle East)
In its 39th session, the Alexandria International Film Festival announced a list that included the 100 best musical films in Egyptian cinema through a critical referendum. The films of Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia, Farid Al-Atrash, Sabah, and Leila Murad topped the list, signed by directors Henry Barakat and Niazi Mostafa. Wateen Abdel Wahab, Hussein Fawzi, Ahmed Badrakhan and others.
In the same context, producer Ahmed Abdel Aty attributed the reason for the disappearance of musical films from the map of Egyptian cinema to the tendency of most stars to present comedy despite the need of the public and the Arab market for show business.
Artist Sabah (Middle East)
Actress Lubna Abdel Aziz confirms to Asharq Al-Awsat that “musical films have actually disappeared, not only in Egypt but in the entire world due to their high cost and very precise elements that require a long time, even in (Bollywood), whose capital was shows, as its films turned into ( Action, drama and romance,” she says.
Asmahan and Farid Al-Atrash (Ancient Egyptian History page {Instagram})
Abdel Aziz adds: “The time of performances by Farid Al-Atrash, Laila Murad, and Mohamed Fawzi was absolutely golden, but the rhythm of time has now changed, and we no longer have time for singers, scenery, and production. I remember that the cost of one of the scenes of (Bride of the Nile) was equivalent to the costs of an entire movie.”
Therefore, Abdel Aziz asserts that the current era cannot bear the return of this type, but if it happens, it will succeed and many generations will follow it because it is occasional and we miss it, but she believes that the era of this type of film is over.
Lubna Abdel Aziz during her honor at the Cinema Palace (Cinema Palace)
This is what art critic Kamal Al-Qadi agrees with, who stresses that the musical film needs special elements at the artistic and production level, and requires a huge budget that allows for performances, decorations, and the provision of performance teams.
Muharram Fouad and Souad Hosni (Beautiful Time Cinema page {Facebook})
The musical performance film is considered a qualitative innovation, according to Al-Qadi, who pointed out to Asharq Al-Awsat that “this type of film requires a special acting performance by distinguished male and female singers, which makes the task difficult, because the success of singers is no longer guaranteed in cinematic work.” According to his expression.
Al-Qadi believes that “the return of the musical film has become dependent on the seriousness of production and the audacity to embark on the artistic adventure with all its conditions. Otherwise, random attempts and experiments will face loss and failure.”
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