The historical acuracy of the film "The Mummy"

The historical accuracy of the movie “The Mummy” presents itself as an honest Hollywood movie, but in actuality it seems as if it is heavy based on a mask of false facts. The film disrespects some of ancient Egypt’s most historical facts on architecture, religious beliefs, and religious practices. The Great Pyramids of Giza had been falsely represented in this movie. For instance, The Great Pyramids of Giza would not have been built at the period this movie indicates. The Book of the Dead ideology was heavily unnoticed and fictionally fantasized in this movie. In fact, the ‘Egyptian book of the dead’ did not bring people back to life like in “The Mummy”; it metaphorically was a cheat sheet to the afterlife. The Mummy utterly disregarded the history of the enslavement of Jews during the time period they portrayed. The Mummy bases most of if not all of its historical details on the wrong information, thus they let viewers believe stereotypes portrayed in the movie such as The Great Pyramids, The Book of the Dead and The Enslavement of Jews in Egypt.

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According to The Mummy the Great Pyramids of Giza were built during the time of Imhotep was ruling. It also present that he was buried inside one of The Great Pyramids in Giza. Chronological this is flawed because Imhotep was buried in his step pyramid that he designed located in Djoser. Additionally, Imhotep was a pharaoh from 3000 BC to 2950B and The Pyramids of Giza have been proven to have been built for Pharaoh Khufu in the years around 2560 BC. Ironically, Imhotep’s pyramid was the first pyramid ever built and the pyramids in Giza were the last pyramids to be built. Also, the mummy shows the great pyramids outer stones as a noticeably brownish colour. Factually, the pyramids outer stones would have been painted white at that around the time they were created and to this day they still are still slightly evidently white.

The book of the dead representation in The Mummy was that it brings people back to life after they died. But, it is evident that it’s really a guide to the afterlife. The book actually contained spells, passwords, mathematical equations, symbols, and important information for the dead in their afterlife. The movie invented the book of Amun Ra and never explained it purpose its was entirely fictional. The film represents the book of the dead with spine and cover, evidently during the time of ancient Egypt books where made on scrolls not as hard covered spinal books.

A scene in the mummy that disgusted many was of the stereotypes towards the Jewish slaves in Egypt. There is one scene when the mummy sees Beni in the movie; Beni begins saying prayers for different religions. When he is saying the Jewish prayer Imhotep cries out that it’s the language of the slaves. This is historically inaccurate because the Egyptians did not enslave the Jews until about the 19th Dynasty. The movie takes place during the time of Imhotep which was in the 3rd Dynasty. It is believed that Ramesses II was the first Pharaoh to enslave the Jews. There isn’t any connection made to Ramesses II and proves that this film was very inaccurate. Also, when Eve was talking about the Hom-Dai, she assumed that if the a spirit woke they would bring out the 10 plagues of Egypt. The enslavement and freeing of the Jews took place after the time of Imhotep, so it would be unrealistic that the Egyptians prophesized these events taking place thousands of years in advance.

Obviously, there are aspects of The Mummy that ring false to historical ancient Egyptian times. The Mummy is bases most of its historical details on the wrong information, thus they let viewers believe stereotypes portrayed in the movie such as the about The Great Pyramids, The Book of the Dead and The Enslavement of Jews in Egypt. In conclusion, although not bad film, The Mummy fails to accurately portray the major aspects of Egyptian beliefs and historical connections ties to religion and architecture.

WORLD HISTORY MOVIE REVIEW ESSAY

By: orko Bronson

For Ms. r