The Devil of the Desert

Director Youssef Chahine’s young discovery Omar Sharif blazes across the screen in this whirlwind swashbuckling adventure. He plays a young bedouin who sets out to overthrow a tyrannical ruler by first infiltrating his court and gaining his trust—with love, deception, betrayal, musical interludes, and plenty of action along the way. Chahine keeps the plot moving with energy and visual flair, while Sharif makes for a most dashing populist hero.