Home :: DVD :: Documentary  

African American Heritage
Art & Artists
Biography
Comedy
Crime & Conspiracy
Gay & Lesbian
General
History
IMAX
International
Jewish Heritage
Military & War
Music & Performing Arts
Nature & Wildlife
Politics
Religion
Science & Technology
Series
Space Exploration
Sports
Building the Great Pyramid

Building the Great Pyramid

List Price: $9.98
Your Price: $9.98
Product Info Reviews

Features:
  • Color
  • Closed-captioned


Description:

Not quite documentary, not quite drama, this reenactment of a fictional conscript's life building the Great Pyramid of Giza is best described as docudrama. Omar Sharif voices the thoughts of the aged Nakht remembering the moment Egyptian soldiers drafted him into the king's service. The 57-minute film re-creates the boat trip up the Nile and his ascent through the ranks, from delivering water to helping haul 2.5-ton blocks up ramps for the king's tomb. Interspersed are narrator Michael Pennington's historical assertions, along with contrasting footage of what the pyramid looks like today. Pennington's comments are not substantiated during the film, although a list of academic and museum consultants is part of the credits. Almost as interesting as the actual film is the DVD's 14-minute making-of featurette, which explains what shots were real, what were visual effects, and how they used a real Egyptian village to stand in for Giza, now a well-developed suburb. --Kimberly Heinrichs
© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates