The Traveller is an Egyptian film that follows Hassan on three different days in his life in three different places. InPort Said 1948, Hassan (El Nabawy) meets Nura (Abdel Nour),who he initially charms but ultimately rapes aboard a ship. In Alexandria 1973, Nura's daughter Nadia reaches out to a much older Hassan (Sharif) upon the death of her last remaining family member; her twin brother. Upon meeting her, he realises that he is her father, but ultimately shirks the responsibility that comes with the discovery. In Cairo 2001, Hassan meets his grandson Aly (Ramzy) and tries to establish a connection with him.
To say that this film is muddled, vague and confusing is an understatement. You won't understand much while watching it, but a few hours and a couple of thousand brain cells later; you'll start to piece together your own personal interpretation of the story and the characters. In this reviewer's opinion, the film is trying to say something about both masculinity and family.
Hassan's first conversation with Nura involves her telling him about her admiration for brave men. A short while later he rapes her after telling her that he knows she likes her men daring and forward; almost as if justifying the assault. Hassan rapes Nura as a way of living up to expectations of masculinity, as well as her own thrill-seeking carefree approach to life. During the second act, these same expectations ended up killing their son, who dies in the middle of a foolhardy stunt.
In the third act, upon meeting Hassan as an old man, we find that he is still as susceptible as ever to society's definition of masculinity. He goads his grandson into picking a fight, hits on an attractive doctor and glorifies dangerously stupid, highly macho acts that supposedly prove your worth as a man. In contrast to his grandfather, Aly isn't as confined by these constructs. You also get the feeling that Aly is, more or less, happy the way he is and that he only caves to his grandfather's pressure in an attempt to forge a deeper connection with his deceased uncle and namesake.
The familial theme is slightly less obscure. The film shows Hassan's growth over the years. When it starts out, his only interest is getting the girl no matter what. During the second act, he realizes that his actions bore him children that he has no desire to take responsibility for. Upon growing old, he yearns for a family and attempts to delude himself into thinking that he might have had a relationship with the son whose existence he was never aware of until his death. He clings to the only family member he has left, namely his grandson Aly, even though they have nothing in common.
Having such a boorish central character means that the film is fighting an uphill battle; especially as he never actually shows signs of remorse or regret. In fact, there is a part when you can tell that he is this close to sexually assaulting another woman. As the younger Hassan, El Nabawy comes across as predatory and sleazy while Sharif, as the older version of Hassan, plays the befuddled and lonely old man very well. The problem lies in the disconnect between the stages and in the fact that both Nura and Nadia, as the film's victims, come across as highly passive and completely spineless. On the other hand, Ramzy's Aly is possibly the only well-rounded character. He is allowed to come across as strong yet vulnerable, smart but impressionable; making him one of the more interesting characters.
The Traveller is not a commercial film nor is it trying to be. It may not entertain you, it may even infuriate you but it will get you thinking - even if just to make sense of it. In addition, it's worth a watch just for the novelty of seeing an Egyptian period piece.
About the AuthorStaff Writer for Cairo 360
Original article on:Cairo360
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