How I Would Fix the 1954 film "The Egyptian"

I'm talking the 1954 20th Century Fox film, which I think would have troubles even if Marlon Brando had starred in it. (He didn't make Desiree a classic).

Firstly I think films in Ancient Egypt struggle if they don't feature mummies. They happened simply too long enough. Cleopatra was late Ancient Egypt and is around the time of early Christianity - just before it. Early Christianity is familiar from the Bible. Before that it's hard to get resonance for audiences today - unless, say, it's about the human race struggling for survival against dinosaurs.

But it was based on a best seller, so let's assume that's non negotiable. Anyway there's no reason a film in Ancient Egypt couldn't work.

Here are the main things I feel could have changed:

* The relationship between Edmund Purdom and Victor Mature (I'm just going to use actor's names) should've been stronger.  I would've made them brothers if possible. (Mature's dad could've been the guy who adopted Purdom). Or at least really established the link.

* I would've combined the Bella Darvi and Gene Tierney role.  Darvi's role I got... she was a vixen who while being upfront made Purdom go ga-ga. But Tierney felt like she repeated her part -another femme fetale. Have Darvi/Tierney as the great love of Purdom's life. The woman she can't resist. So at the end when she offers him the throne it's even harder to resist.

* Purdom needed to be more selfless - tending the poor and what not. It's kind of there, but I think they should've simplified his goal... "everyone is entitled to a doctor" or something. The stuff about worshipping the one god felt so vague. I think the theme of this was ambitious, but overly ambitious. Maybe "there is one good" would have worked but Michael Wilding craps on so much.

* They needed to do more with Purdom's son. This is partly Purdom's fault but the guy looks as though he could barely care about his son's existence. I feel Purdom should've been driven more by wanting to help his son - make the world a better place, etc. And have him meet his son at the end instead of never having tracked him down. That's just slack.

* Michael Wilding shouldn't have been such a crap Pharaoh. He' so weak. There's no reason you can't believe in one god and be nice and also defend your country against the Hittites. It's stupid.

Still a gorgeous looking film and not without interest.