Pharaoh (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Pharaoh |
| Original title | Faraon |
| Country of production | Poland |
| original language | Polish |
| Publishing year | 1966 |
| length | 134 (short version) or 180 (long version) minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Jerzy Kawalerowicz |
| script |
Tadeusz Konwicki , Jerzy Kawalerowicz |
| production | Film studio Kadr |
| music | Adam Walaciński |
| camera |
Jerzy Wójcik , Wiesław Zdort |
| cut | Wiesława Otocka |
| occupation | |
| |
Pharao ( Polish Faraon , alternatively: Pharao - The Dark Power of the Sphinx ) is a Polish monumental film from 1966. It was shot by the director Jerzy Kawalerowicz based on the novel by Bolesław Prus . Pharao was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1966 and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1967 .
action
After the death of the seriously ill Pharaoh Ramses XII. wrestles his descendant Ramses XIII. in the midst of a serious crisis for power in the state. In addition to the ailing financial situation - the treasury was plundered - and the omnipresent corruption, a tortured and impoverished population, his country is threatened by enemies. The fate of the country lies in the hands of the almighty caste of priests around their leader Herhor, the high priest of Thebes and commander in chief of the armed forces.
The young pharaoh Ramses XIII. fights in the midst of this initial situation for his supremacy and tries to curb the power of the clergy, which however takes the initiative and ignites an intrigue against the young pharaoh.
To historicity
The Pharaohs Ramses XII. and XIII., on which the plot is based, are usually referred to as fictional in reviews of the film as well as the underlying novel. However, these two kings were considered historical and documented people at the time of Bolesław Prus. For example, Alfred Wiedemann in his book Egyptian History , Volume 1–2, from 1884 not only lists these two pharaohs as the last of the 20th dynasty , but also, as in the novel and film, the priest Sa-Amen Herhor ( Herihor ) as the first ruler of the subsequent ones Third meanwhile . According to the knowledge of his time, Prus therefore represented the poorly documented end of the 20th dynasty, but did not create any fictional rulers.
background
There are a total of three German theatrical versions. In 1966, a West and an East German dubbing was produced almost in parallel. The GDR version has meanwhile been lost or has only survived incompletely, which is why a new version (based on the old dialogue book) was created for the re-performance around 1980. The surviving versions have been shortened in various places.
Reviews
"'Faraon' is the first intellectually developed monumental film in film history ... a triumph for the director" (NZZ)
“A Polish historical film about the mechanics of power, the failure of people in political struggle and life; a film that, despite the external effort, demands the full attention of the viewer because it is unusual in every respect. "(lhg Vaterland 1967)" Without exaggeration one can speak of this film as the first monumental chamber play in film history "(hpm Tat)
"The splendid beauty of the picture, which turns" Pharaoh "into a wonderful spectacle, is subordinate to the ideological prerequisites of the drama without restrictions." (Zbigniew Klaczynski in "Trybuna Ludu" No. 71, 1966)
«We had to wait six years for a new Kawalerowicz film. It was worth it. When I was asked which Polish film I viewed as the best, my answer so far was "Ashes and diamonds". Now I'm embarrassed - isn't it “Pharaoh”? » (Jerzy Plazewski in "Ekran" No. 12/1966)
«Jerzy Kawalerowicz '" Pharaoh "is a kind of" Cleopatra "without Burton and Taylor" (Films and Filming, London)
«Massive, intellectual and Oscar-nominated epic. The film was shot in the desert of Uzbekistan. " (tele 9/2008)
"Extra-long, pathetic monumental film with careful references to modernity."
"An unimaginative fairy tale."
"Old Egypt the Polish way. Opulent but cumbersome."
“The Polish director ... succeeded in proving that a set film can be both historically accurate and formally clever. Recommended for ages 16 and up. "
Web links
- Pharaoh in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Pharaoh on filmpolski.pl with photos
- Pharaoh at rotten tomatoes (English)
- Pharaoh at TVInfo.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pharaoh. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 23, 2017 .
- ^ "An uninspiring tale." , Film review by Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews, March 13, 2004, accessed May 24, 2008
- ↑ Phil Hall's Review , Film Threat, June 26, 2003, accessed May 24, 2008