This film based on the novel by Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel prize winner for literature. It tells the story of a thief who acquires notoriety after a journalist in a newspaper makes him front page daily news. The journalist and him are old acquaintances, with the thief attributing his wayward ways to the teachings of his friend who was then a student at a college where the thief was a cleaner. The thief gets put in prison after being betrayed by his wife and best friend. On his release he seeks vengeance and turns to his journalist friend. Their relationship becomes bitter after the journalist, now very wealthy, abandons his old liberal views relating to the conduct of the thief. The journalist hounds him in newspaper articles turning him into a hero to the poor and a source of terror to others, making him one of the most wanted men in the country. One of the most noble characters in the film is the prostitute who helps the thief, having been in love with him for years. Their relationship provides a tender setting for a bitter end. The story is beautifully shot and acted with Cairo providing a breathtaking backdrop to the action.

Egypt, 1962 / B&W / Kamal Al-Sheikh
100 mins