''Malaṯily Bathhouse'' ( "Ĥamam al-Malaṯily") is a 1973 Egyptian film directed by
Salah Abu Seif
Salah Abu Seif (, ) (May 10, 1915 – June 23, 1996) was a prominent Egyptian film director and screenwriter. He is considered to be the godfather of Neorealism (art), Neorealist cinema in Cinema of Egypt, Egyptian cinema.
Many of the 41 fil ...
. It stars
Shams al-Baroudi and
Yusuf Shåban. The film is adapted from a novel by
Ismåeel Walieddin. Samar Habib, author of ''Female Homosexuality in the Middle East: Histories and Representations'', said "that the title of the film can "be easily translated" as ''Malatily Bathhouse''."
[Habib, p]
120
The opening credits of the film have the English title ''An Egyptian Tragedy''. Habib said that it was "strangely translated" into ''An Egyptian Tragedy''.
[
]
Plot
The beginning shows what Habib calls a "long scenic tribute" to Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
and to the general city.[ Habib said that the director "visually implies the polymorphous vagaries of the city in which an immoral underworld is bound to flourish.][Habib, p]
120121
The main character, Aĥmad, leaves rural eastern Egypt for the city hoping to become economically self-sufficient, get an apartment for his parents, and obtain a law degree. He and his family are refugees from a town occupied by the Israeli army
The Israeli Ground Forces () are the Army, ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The commander is the GOC Army Headquarters, General Officer Commanding with the rank of major general, the ''Mazi'', subordinate to the Chief of the Gen ...
, Ismaåilia. Ali, the owner of the Malatily Bathhouse, offers to let him stay there for free. Aĥmad encounters several characters there, including Naåeema, a prostitute who he becomes obsessed with, and Raouf, a male homosexual. Ali later has Aĥmad work as his accountant. Aĥmad eventually has sexual intercourse with Naåeema. Aĥmad finds a lack of employment opportunities and becomes associated with the bathhouse, so his original goals are not met.[
Habib said "There appears to be a sensitive awareness that foreign viewers of the film should not regard its content as conspiring with or approving of the morally loose behaviour of the libertines it depicts."][ Habib argues that this seems to depict Egyptian society in a "state of disarray" likely to be occurring during the ]Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
.[Habib, p]
121
Cast and characters
* Shams al-Baroudi as 'Naåeema, a female prostitute, has her first romantic sexual relation with Ahmad.[ She comes from a poor background and prostitutes herself in order to support herself.][
* Yusuf Shaban as Raouf Bey, is a male homosexual. Habib said that Raouf "subverts popular understanding of homosexuality by being unable to be brought back into the norm of heterosexual desires."][ Raouf makes advances towards Aĥmad, who initially cannot comprehend them. He is good friends with Åli.][ Habib wrote that Raouf is "an unsympathetic character" as he exploits men who do not willingly do homosexual acts but require him in order to make a living, and that Raouf's sexuality "initially appears" to be without emotion and only physical.][Habib, p]
122
Habib wrote that it appears Raouf wishes to prostitute Aĥmad but in fact he truly wants Aĥmad to be his boyfriend,[Habib, p]
122123
and while citing the works of the historian Jabarti he laments that he cannot do what he wants in the modern society despite the freedom of the past.[Habib, p]
123
* Mohamed El-Arabi as Aĥmad Taher, who was displaced with his family from Ismailia to Sharqia, during the War of Attrition, obtained his high school diploma, and went to Cairo with a letter of recommendation to join a job, and complete his studies by joining the Faculty of Law. His dream was to get an apartment, and to invite his family to live in Cairo.
* Fayez Halawa as Muålim Badawi, the owner of the bathhouse. He gives male prostitutes to Raouf.[ Police arrest him after Kamal commits murder.][
* Naimat Mokhtar, wife of Muålim Badawi, the owner of the bathhouse
* Kamal, a male prostitute,]sugar daddy
Sugar dating or sugaring is an interpersonal relationship where one person receives money or gifts in exchange for intimacy or companionship. The provider (called a sugar daddy or sugar mommy) is typically older and wealthier, while the recipi ...
" and who is the new employer of Kamal.
See also
* Cinema of Egypt
The Egyptian film industry is today based mainly in Cairo, which is sometimes referred to as Hollywood on the Nile, Hollywood of the Middle East or Hollywood of the East, despite having its beginnings in the city of Alexandria in the early 20t ...
* '' All My Life''
* '' Pleasure and Suffering''
References
* Habib, Samar. ''Female Homosexuality in the Middle East: Histories and Representations''. Routledge
Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, July 18, 2007. , 9780415956734.
Notes
External links
*
{{Salah Abu Seif
1973 films
Egyptian LGBTQ-related films
1973 LGBTQ-related films
Films directed by Salah Abu Seif
1970s Egyptian films