She became queen by beauty and favor. She remained queen by courage. The line between the two is the whole of her story. A faithful, politically sophisticated adaptation of the Book of Esther — the story of a Jewish woman who becomes queen of Persia and risks everything to save her people from genocide. The film follows Esther from her Jewish upbringing in her cousin Mordecai's household through her selection for King Ahasuerus's court, her rise to queen, Haman's plot to exterminate the Jewish people, Mordecai's challenge to Esther, her three days of fasting, her extraordinary approach to the king without being summoned, her careful and brilliant management of the situation across two banquets, and the final reversal that saves her people. The film treats the Persian court with full historical richness — the specific visual language of the Achaemenid court, the complexity of political power, and the specific moral weight of Esther's choice.
Act One — The Court
Esther's selection. The twelve months of preparation. Her concealment of her Jewish identity.
Act Two — The Plot
Haman's edict. Mordecai's mourning. His message to Esther. The three days of fasting.
Act Three — For Such a Time
Esther approaching the king. The first banquet. The second banquet. The reversal. Haman's fate on his own gallows.
