Pharaoh

12/11/2025

I’m always surprised that given the huge breadth of stories from Egypt’s pantheon and it’s history, that so few films have ever - Jack Hawkins and Victor Mature, notwithstanding - been made for mainstream cinema. This one from Pole Jerzy Kawalerowicz tells the story of the fictitious Prince “Ramses” (Jerzy Zelnik) as he strives for his ailing Pharaoh father’s approval in the face of hostility from the High Priest “Herhor” (Piotr Pawlowski) and those who would ensure the king ruled in name only. With precious few soldiers, the young prince is fully aware that their borders are unsecured and with plotting and scheming going on all around him, he knows that in order to reign as he would want, he is going to have to bring down the all-powerful priesthood. It doesn’t help his situation that his