Saladin the Victorious (1963)

 Youssef Chahine's "Saladin the Victorious"

After the global success of his 1958 film "Cairo Station," Youssef Chahine was given an enormous budget for a film centering on the iconic Kurdish commander who protected Jerusalem against the Crusaders during the 3rd Crusades. Filmed in color, "Saladin the Victorious" is a three hour epic detailing Saladin's heroic efforts against King Richard, the Lionhearted. Although the film is riddled with historical inaccuracies, it went on to be one of the most important Arabic films of all time.

The film also seems to emulate the modern political circumstances happening in the Middle East at the time of its release (1963). Many have noted that the depiction of Saladin mirrors Gamal Abdel Nasser, who took power over Egypt shortly after its revolution in 1952. The Arabs fighting against the crusaders are representative of the modern Arabs fighting against European imperialism. 

Under King Richard, the Crusader army had more advanced technologies, which echoed Europe's superior technological advances during 1956 Suez Crisis. In both the film and its contemporary counterpart, the Arab nations were victorious at keeping the European invaders at bay. This led to a Pan-Arabist and anti-colonialist ideology in a post-revolution Egypt, which is represented by Saladin's validation of Muslim and Christian co-existence.

Beyond its thematic tinges of contemporary political circumstances, "Saladin the Victorious" also acts as an epic and dramatic work in its own right. Although there are some melodramatic elements in the story, they seem appropriate given the expansive, theatrical, and histrionic nature of the film. Earning its praise and longtime cultural relevance, "Saladin the Victorious" is an impressive triumph by Youssef Chahine.