"Bidaya wa Nihaya" (Beginning and End) is a brilliant film that portrays the struggles of a family facing social and economic decline. Sanaa Gamil's performance was outstanding, and Omar Sharif perfectly embodied a character full of contradictions. I found myself deeply connected to his role, especially when he said: "I thought I was better than them, but I am worse and uglier than all of them." This line summed up my own life story. A deeply moving film that makes you rethink your choices and decisions. Definitely worth watching more than once!
The Family's Social Class at the Start of the Film
At the beginning of the film, the family belonged to the middle class, but after the father's death, their financial situation deteriorated, pushing them into poverty. The film highlights the social struggles and the changes that affected the four siblings due to their difficult circumstances.
Analysis of the Four Siblings' Characters:
1. Hassan (Farag El Sayed Badir) - The Eldest Brother
A simple man with little ambition who couldn't improve his situation.
Adapted to their harsh reality without trying to change it.
Worked in modest jobs without aiming for much.
2. Hussein (Kamal Hussein) - The Educated and Balanced Brother
Represents the moral and stable character in the family.
Became a teacher and upheld his principles despite hardships.
Did not succumb to greed or excessive ambition like his younger brother.
3. Nafisa (Sanaa Gamil) - The Tragic and Self-Sacrificing Sister
Sacrificed herself for the family, pushed into a dark path by her mother's pressure.
A symbol of women's suffering in unforgiving societies.
Her tragic fate was a result of being exploited by everyone around her.
4. Hassanein (Omar Sharif) - The Ambitious and Arrogant Brother
Obsessed with social mobility and escaping his past.
Believed himself superior to his family but became selfish and ruthless.
Rejected his own family, ashamed of them, and even resorted to crime to protect his reputation.
These characters paint a powerful, dramatic picture of psychological and social transformations under financial and personal pressures.
Film Ranking Among the Best Egyptian Movies
In a 1996 survey conducted during the Cairo International Film Festival to select the 100 greatest films in Egyptian cinema history, Bidaya wa Nihaya ranked 7th place. It remains one of the most iconic films depicting the social and economic struggles of an Egyptian family.
