Leofwine_draca This fast-paced Italian costumer was made at the height of the Italian peplum era, when they were spewing out fifty or so films a year to the foreign market (it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, etc.). While this may not be one of the best of them (I'm fonder of the more mythological ones myself), it certainly has a more complex plot than most, and real characters who display a range of emotions - as opposed to the usual caricature figures. What I liked most about this film was the surprisingly deep role of Amenophis, who becomes Pharoah after his father dies. At first we see Amenophis as a brave warrior in the desert, leading his troops. He then becomes obsessed with a priest from another tribe who believes in a single sun god. Amenophis' obsession leads to a change of religion and eventual madness for him, which of course leads to an uprising in Egypt. He eventually commits suicide on his own sword, haunted by mocking nightmares and a wife who will not support him.This, though, is only a sub plot, with the gist of the story being taken up with the romance between Purdom and Crain. While it may descend into soap opera level at times, at least no scene is dwelt upon for too long and a lot happens throughout the course of the film. It also looks brilliant, very colourful and with authentic costumes, sets and location work. The music is of a sufficient epic feel, and the acting and dubbing aren't that bad either. While the majority of this film deals with courtroom drama, there are a number of different incidents along the way for variety, including a few hand-to-hand combat scenes, a battle between Purdom and a lion, and a huge battle at the end of the film which becomes a massacre with seemingly hundreds of people being slain in various violent yet non-bloody ways.Edward Purdom is okay as the hero, a better actor than most but with a less imposing physique. I've got a feeling he dubbed himself too. Jeanne Crain provides a lot of glamour, but her character is irritatingly non-decisive and her non-actions result in a lot of people getting killed. Personally, I would have preferred to see her die and Purdom go off with the loyal serving girl (who happens to save his life, without a word of gratitude) instead. Ah well.Horror fans will find this movie chiefly of interest due to the involvement of Vincent Price (who also thankfully dubbed himself) as the chief villain. Vince is in his element here, dressed up in a natty costume with funny eyebrows and doing all manner of wicked deeds - especially at the end. However, Price is less hammy than usual (I guess the nature of the film constrained his acting, as he wasn't at home in Italy), and it's only a minor performance from the actor. He also appeared in an Italian swashbuckler in the same year. QUEEN OF THE NILE doesn't have anything in the way of monsters or gore, yet it's fun to watch and I had a good time with it. I would recommend it to fans of the genre who know something of what they're in for.

ragosaal This is an unpretentious Italian Historical Epic film based on the figure of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. The story is acceptable -don't look for historical accuracy- and deals with the romance of the queen to be with a poor sculptor and the dilemma she has to face when forced to choose between her love or duty. Locations, settings, colour and gowns are acceptable too.Italians were fully dedicated to this kind of "B" epic productions in the early 60's and they often hired well known American or British performers -usually after their best years- in order to raise the level of these films and make them more suitable for international markets (Orson Welles, Broderick Crawford, Victor Mature and Basil Rathbone were among them).Jeanne Crain was always a just correct actress, but she looks beautiful here as Nefertiti and you prefer to feast your eyes on her than to analyze her performance. Vincent Price -just before his deservedly successful association with Roger Corman in Poe's based horror stories- plays without effort a villainous high priest. The love interest of the queen is Edmund Purdom in his usual dull and wooden acting; I can't recall another actor that was given so many chances to reach stardom with -if not great- rather expensive products and failed ("The Egyptian", "The Prodigal", "The King's Thief" or later "The Yellow Rolls Royce"). He ended up in "B" European films and no more than that.All in all, this is a movie to see if you like historical Epics but it surely won't make history in the genre.

Marcin Kukuczka Fernando Cerchio is not a director as famous as top Hollywood names of his time. Very few people know his films, partly because he has not become worldly famous. But it is important to state that he also made quite a considerable number of ancient epics, including this one, NEFERTITI, QUEEN OF THE NILE. What is striking at this point is that the movie is similar, almost identical in style, convention, colors to other Italian productions of that time, including GIUSEPPE VENDUTO DAI FRATELLI ("Joseph Sold by his Brothers") (1959), HANNIBAL (1959) and IL SEPOLCRO DEI RE ("Cleopatra's Daughter") (1961). However, it is also similar to one American hit of its time...If you consider the content of the movie, you may be misled by its striking similarity to a Hollywood production made almost 10 years earlier by Michael Curtiz, "The Egyptian" (1954). Although this view turns out to be a bit exaggerated, it is partly true. There are two major aspects both of the movies have in common: the historical period the actions are set in (the time of a monotheistic religion in Egypt during the reign of Amenophis) and the main star, actor Edmund Purdom who played Sinuhe in Curtiz's movie. This time, however, he is not a physician who searches for the answer on psychological questions, but a lover... moreover... a lover of the queen. As a result, the film cannot be treated as the remake of Curtiz's film whatsoever since, except for the two aforementioned aspects, it is an ENTIRELY different film.The first major difference is the story itself. Tutmosis (Edmund Purdom), a sculptor, is in love with Tenet (later queen Nefertiti). At the same time, he is a dear friend of Amenophis (Amedeo Nazzari) and works as a sculptor. All changes at one night when the worshiper of a new God, one God Aaton, a prophet and priest Seper (Carlo D'Angelo) foresees the death of the Pharaoh and the coming reign of Amenophis. The prophecy comes true. The father of Tenet, Amon Ra priest Benakon (Vincent Price) plans a marriage of his daughter with the new Pharaoh. She is no longer Tenet, but Nefertiti, the Queen of the Nile. However, Tutmosis, an obstacle in the whole plan, is arrested and said to be dead but he soon escapes from prison and finds himself as a sculptor on the court. He is to sculpt the famous bust of Nefertiti which survives for centuries to prove the queen's magnificent beauty and great feeling to the man who really loved her. The end of the film concentrates on religious war in Egypt and shows the slaughter of Aaton worshipers (here, similarly like in the aforementioned movie, "The Egyptian"). The end, however, is quite optimistic. Nevertheless, the film lacks the grandeur, lavish sets, psychological ambiguity that the American productions of the time can boast.The cast of the film are not that famous actors and actresses like in most American movies of the 1950s and 1960s, but they perform quite well. Jeanne Crain is particularly great as Nefertiti, she is very beautiful and her face really fits to the role. Edmund Purdom does a good job as her lover, Tutmosis. Except for Amedeo Nazzari and Carlo D'Angelo who do not particularly shine in their roles, there is one more star worth attention - Vincent Price as Nefertiti's father, Benakon. There is something ancient in his face, something that we find in the mummies...Although the film is not a hit and does not have an outstanding cinematography, there are some memorable scenes that have remained in my memory for long. The first of such scenes is when Nefertiti listens in secret to the meeting of Amon Ra priests plotting against Amenophis and the new religion. She looks at them through the eye of the great statue of Sphynx and a mysterious Egyptian melody is being played as the background. Another scene is the dance of a harlot in the headquarters of the Egyptian army. I don't know if there are many films of that time which so sexually show the dance of a woman. And indeed very well played! Yet, the final shot is great, the camera moves from Nefertiti and Tutmosis kissing to the close-up of her sculpted bust. Intentionally, this is a symbolic reference to modern times when the bust can be still admired at the Egyptian museum in Berlin.Of course, NEFERTITI, THE QUEEN OF THE NILE (1961) is no masterpiece. If you expect much from this film after seeing the one about Sinuhe, you may be disappointed. Nevertheless, if you regard any historical epic worth a look, this film is really for you.

dbdumonteil Mickael Curtiz did in 1954 an overlooked underrated adaptation of Mika Waltari's mammoth novel "the Egyptian".It already dealt with a monotheism close to Christianity which we find again here.The star was also Edmund Purdom but with a more celebrated supporting cast (Victor Mature,Jean Simmons,Gene Tierney).The slaughter of the new faith followers was much more impressive in "the Egyptian"and its screenplay more complex with a lot of subplots .Here it treads a rather tenuous line:Nefertiti -before she was called so- was in love with a sculptor (the one who made the famous bust ?)but alas her ambitious father,a priest, is busy making other plans for her.So she will go down in history ,but what price glory?It's fairly entertaining,but I would rather recommend Curtiz's work which was ,before "ten commandments" and " land of the pharaohs" the renaissance of the Egyptian sword and sandal.