A genuinely staggering film to witness visually. A cast of thousands picture that feels like a cast of millions complete with ornate and imposing sets. Kawalerowicz manages to make the desert landscape and the pyramids of Egypt feel monumental by keeping so much of the action on the ground, at one point even delivering a POV of a soldier in battle. On top of this, the sound design of the film peppers whispered premonitions and distant sounds of war drums, making this feel like a true epic in every sense of the word. The central plot ebbs and flows a bit but its story of power betraying power in search of more power is eternal. Ramesses may see himself as a champion of the people against the aloof high priests but his position of privilege calls his noble pursuit into question. We never really see the thousands in his army or in the villages he owns. It's a top down story of political intrigue told with the scope of a once in a lifetime production.
A genuinely staggering film to witness visually. A cast of thousands picture that feels like a cast of millions complete with ornate and imposing sets. Kawalerowicz manages to make the desert landscape and the pyramids of Egypt feel monumental by keeping so much of the action on the ground, at one point even delivering a POV of a soldier in battle. On top of this, the sound design of the film peppers whispered premonitions and distant sounds of war drums, making this feel like a true epic in every sense of the word. The central plot ebbs and flows a bit but its story of power betraying power in search of more power is eternal. Ramesses may see himself as a champion of the people against the aloof high priests but his position of privilege calls his noble pursuit into question. We never really see the thousands in his army or in the villages he owns. It's a top down story of political intrigue told with the scope of a once in a lifetime production.
