NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (September 2024): Second Run have transferred Jerzy Kawalerowicz's Pharaoh ('Faraon') to Blu-ray. The 2.5 hour epic is on a dual-layered disc with a supportive bitrate. There is striking cinematography in "Pharaoh" by Jerzy Wójcik (Mother Joan of the Angels, Ashes and Diamonds, Eroica.) The extensive costuming and sets imbue a strong sense of authenticity. I appreciated the intentional golden-yellow color scheme removing vibrancy. It looks eye-opening in 1080P with deep, rich black levels and natural lighting in the outdoor sequences. It's hard to know the filmmakers intentions or source conditions but there can be waxiness and moiré hinting but any digitization (there is very little grain) is noted and may augment the Blu-ray disc's unique HD presentation. Even saying that detail is present and there are instances of depth. Without pulling out the magnifying glass most will enjoy the transferred video. 

NOTE: We have been told that "the waxiness is inherent in the master" and have found out that it is also present on the 'Martin Scorsese Presents' 21-film Polish Blu-ray set, of the film, as well.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Run use a linear PCM mono track (16-bit) in the original Polish language. Pharaoh has a few aggressive moments but the grandeur of scenery takes precedence. The film doesn't test the lossless capabilities to its greatest extent but comes through admirably if never dynamic. The score was by Adam Walaciński (Where Is the Third King?, Death of a President), adding period flavor and sounding clean in the lossless transfer. Second Run offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Second Run Blu-ray offers supplements. Faraon – Afterword is a 1 1/4 hour expansive and in-depth discussion of the film by the critic, curator and scholar Michał Oleszczyk (University of Warsaw) - in 2012, he was named the 'Critic of the Year' by the Polish Film Institute. He enriches the understanding of Pharaoh with surprising contexts. He cites the film as one of the most unusual, spectacular and strangest Polish films of all time. His talk was very informative. Kawalerowicz in the Desert is 2-minutes of a 1964 newsreel footage on the making of Pharaoh, filmed on location in Uzbekistan. There is also a trailer and there is a 'hidden' Easter egg of the alternate US opening and end credits running shy of 4-minutes. The package has a 24-page booklet with photos and new writing by film historian and producer Michael Brooke.

Pharaoh was the fourth and last major novel by the Polish writer Bolesław Prus. It was the only historical novel by the author who was critical of the genre that inevitably distorted facts. Jerzy Kawalerowicz's period epic took three years to complete with meticulous attention to Egyptology detail. When released, Pharaoh was one of the highest-grossing Polish films of all time. It involves the the reign of, fictional, 'Pharaoh Ramses XIII' in the eleventh century BCE ('before Common Era'). There were only 11 historical Pharaohs of that name. There are some authentic Egyptian locales including the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are power struggles, alliances, friendships, love, secret pacts, a look-alike assassin and influences of solar eclipse on religion and the social stratification existence of the period. It has a strong cast with notable Krystyna Mikołajewska (Miklós Jancsó's The Red and the White) and Jerzy Zelnik playing both Ramses XIII and his look-alike, Lykon. Jerzy Kawalerowicz (Mother Joan of the Angels, The Devil in Maddalena, Night Train) was a director lauded for his powerful, detail-oriented visuals and the depth of his cinematic themes. They are on full showcase here. I can't think of another "Polish Epic" of this scale and hearing Egyptian characters speaking Polish is... a first. Despite reservations on the image I am very happy to have seen the Second Run Blu-ray which will absolutely be a keeper for me. Wow.

Gary Tooze