Critical Analysis for Film. The Wallet: Research and Development of the Idea

Critical Analysis for “The Wallet”
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The Wallet: Research and Development of the Idea
The film, The Wallet, was inspired by a psychological writer, Yusuf Idris, and the idea was suggested by Dr. Ali Baderkhan, a former mentor. Yusuf Idris was a unique writer whose writing artistry he demonstrated by penning political views with much prowess and power. I also liked Yusuf Idris because of how he highlighted the hardship of his time through his writing. Adapting his writing was difficult, as I needed to find a way to mirror the emotional and external conflict of the characters into the film, through the portrayals of actors, and through the mise en scene. Considering the story was quite famous in Egypt, having been set in Cairo, my goal was to embrace the idea, and create an emotional film that could also inspire. Adopting a story by one of the most famous short story writers in Egypt to develop the film concept was, not only bold but also inspiring, as Yusuf Idris' ideas focused on destabilizing the mental states and moods of readers. As for the rights of exploitation of the story, it was issued in 1958, more than 60 years ago, there are no rights now, as the exploitation rights are in the case of commercial film, amendments and changes from the original text. I created Samy, a teenager, who learnt humility and patience after learning about the poor economic conditions his family was in and worsened by the failing health of his father. These circumstances also led to self-reflection and maturity after he realized his family was important than buying tickets to watch Mohamed Ramadan's movie. However, there are some significant deviations from the original story given the child in Idris' work does not have a sister nor the presence of the film poster that he wants to watch the story, the father is not asthmatic and the mother does not interfere in the problem of the child. The end is also different from the story. There is a story in the face with the Father; this is in addition to drawing the family atmosphere of the eastern family and economic problems. However, I didn’t want to change much from the story only a little so it would be adapted perfectly. In addition, it could have been better if it was a bit longer, but I did my best to narrow it to at least 10 minutes. The film could have had more elements if it was lengthier, as I would have added more characters to the story, new characters that haven’t been introduced in the original story. They would have challenged Samy and force him to see himself for what he’s becoming, much like in the story of the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, though it wouldn’t be a fantasy.
A need to shot a film with such a storyline was also fueled by a desire to visualize Yusuf Idris' literary ideas, as expressed in his short stories. The idea of the film also required some research as visualizing such a storyline required a better understanding of psychological terms. I also respected Yusuf Idris as a brilliant playwright and novelist. His ability to mix colloquial dialect with conventional classical Arabic narration required a better understanding before the idea was visualized via the film. Therefore, the idea was develo...