While Pharaoh looks lavish, it was created during a time when Polish cinema was not flush with funds.
The road to creating this cinematic triumph was paved with extraordinary hardship. Production began in the autumn of 1962 and stretched over three grueling years. To achieve the film's grand vision, the production required a staggering array of props, including 3,000 pairs of shoes, 1,000 swords, 3,000 shields, and 12,000 arrows. The Soviet Union even provided 2,000 soldiers to serve as both construction workers and extras. Pharaoh - Faraon -1966 - Poland- multi subs epi...
The core of the film is the clash between the young Pharaoh's desire for a strong, unified state and the religious-political elite's determination to maintain their supremacy. The conflict intensifies, dividing the country and challenging the very nature of absolute power. 2. Production: A Polish "Cleopatra" While Pharaoh looks lavish, it was created during
In the mid-1960s, Poland’s film industry was flourishing under the Polish Film School movement. Director Jerzy Kawalerowicz, known for Mother Joan of the Angels (1961), was given an enormous budget by Polish state authorities to create a spectacle that could rival Hollywood productions. Filmed in Egypt, Uzbekistan, and the Soviet Union, Faraon took over four years to complete. The result: a 180-minute epic (later cut to 135 minutes for international release) that was nominated for the in 1967. To achieve the film's grand vision, the production
The film tells the story of Ramses XIII (played by Jerzy Zelnik), a young, idealistic prince who matures into a Pharaoh, only to discover that his absolute power is an illusion.
Kawalerowicz rejected the "theatrical" look of 1960s epics. He wanted the film to look like Egyptian wall paintings come to life. Dominated by ochre, gold, and bone-white.