Reviews (7)

A mirror image to the Pianist
Possible spoiler herein...
Better than the Pianist? Tough call, but yes in many ways. Polanski is definitely better cinematically, but Wayda, from Holland's script, renders human relations more finely. Probably its biggest weakness is the choppiness between plot lines. For me, the Poles definitely lead the way on cinematic treatment of the Holocaust.
Szpilman was aloof, and Korczak fully engaged, and their trajectories diverge. Korczak was a world renowned orphanage director and pediatrician, whose radio show was massively popular among all Poles before the War. This meant he was given every chance to escape safely, and walk away from his hundreds of Jewish orphans in the Jewish ghetto; but, instead, his absolute devotion to giving his orphans some semblance of childhood drove him to "deal with the devil himself." On the other hand he knows that the children will have to deal with death at an early age, and he is committed to giving them appropriate comfort and emotional tools. Perhaps the most humane treatment death and childhood in film. It also points to the conflict in impossible situations between those remain dignified and steadfast to humane ideals and those who resist with violence.
The film could be pedantic, but Wojciech Pszoniak (Korczach) is a toned-down, serious version of Robin Williams (close to Oliver Sacks in Awakenings). This gives a much more honest (and probably more loving) approach to helping children to face hardship than "Life is Beautiful."

Korczak, my hero, the reason why children are understood.
I love Korczak, I love the person. I have read some of his works, and I wonder how he understood the child so well. he never had a child of his own but he was the 'mother of 200 children'......

the movie will show you the kind of man Korczak was.....

the story is amazing, and true.

I am so glad this movie was made \

a masterpiece!

The Great and Loveable Teacher Korczak
Every movie Andrzej Wajda made is unique and memorable and many of them are masterpieces. This film made in 1990 is one of my favorites. If you've seen Polanski's THE PIANIST this is an excellent film to see if you want to learn more about what life was like in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Before war breaks out Korczak has already achieved much notoriety. His voice is heard by millions on his radio show and he is recognized in the street by both Poles and Germans alike as a progressive minded humanitarian. He is also a doctor who runs an orphanage for Jewish children and in the opening scenes we hear him on his radio program as he tells just how much his childen mean to him. As soon as the political climate within Poland changes however the doctors program is cancelled and before long the doctor along with his 200 children are marched toward the Warsaw Ghetto. At first the doctor believes the war will be a short one and he confronts the Germans and shames them for their mistreatment of the Jewish Poles. But as events unfold the doctors optimism becomes dimmer and dimmer. It does not take long for people to start dying in the ghetto of starvation and sickness and the doctor soon comes to realize that is very unlikely that either he or the children will survive the war. Death is everywhere around them and the doctor sees all that he can do is try and make this constant contact with death less fearful and so writes plays for the children in which death is experienced as a peaceful thing. These are hard scenes to watch and as moving as anything you will see on film but there is also a beauty to them as they show just how profoundly the doctor feels the childrens suffering. The doctor believes in not just feeding the childrens and caring for them when they are sick but also he believes in making good people out of them and despite the dire circumstances he never ceases acting with the childrens interests in mind, their interests always come before his own. They all admire him and look to him as a beacon of hope. And the doctor does not fail his children. The last scenes of the children walking proudly hand in hand with their Korczak are moving and uplifting even though we know what fate awaits them. The ending of this film has a lyric beauty that I will not give away but I could not give it away even if I wanted to as it really trancends any description of it--you just have to experience it. We feel what the children feel for their beloved Korczak and in a way we all--the best part of ourselves-- marches with them.

The very highest recommendation.

Gripping true story of the Holocaust
This film is different from other depictions of the Holocaust in that in focusses on life in the ghetto. At first, the acting seemed overdone. But as I was drawn into the fascinating true story of Janusc Korczak, a physician and beloved national star of a children's radio program who moved to the ghetto with the children in the orphanage he ran, I began to appreciate the acting style of another culture. Korczak, who was given many opportunities to escape, remained with his children even until the bitter end when they are all deported to Treblinka. The ending (I will not spoil it for you, as one of the other reviewers said too)is absolutely brilliant. Korczak's progressive ideas about the education of children, his pleas to raise money for the orphans, his struggle in the ghetto are all brilliantly portrayed. This film, along with "Schindler's List" (and to a slightly lesser extent, "Europa, Europa") was directed, acted and written in such a way that one word comes to mind: genius.

1 Star for the Video - 5 for the Film
Once again, thanks to New Yorker Video, we are offered a priceless foreign film. So priceless, in fact, that I couldn't afford it. New Yorker often offers videos from their film collection at quite preposterous prices. It's time they realized that the films in their collection are hardly the easiest to locate at your local video store and are best offered to serious collectors - at reasonable prices! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Revolution is no dinner party!
A powerful drama of the French Revolution depicting how high-minded ideals become the victims of the flawed human beings who espouse them, only to subvert them. The movie gives you a strong sense of the squalor of the French masses in this Revolutionary era and is magnificently filmed. The dialogue (in French) is full of high-minded rhetoric and good intentions coupled with prescience of the limits of these ideals. The setting is around 1794, just after revolutionaries have executed Louis VXI and established the First Republic in France. In his characteristic larger-than-life manner, Gerard Depardieu masterfully portrays the namesake of this movie as a sympathetic, if somewhat eccentric, hero of the French Revolutionary, next to the severe performance by Polish actor Wojciech Pszoniak who plays Robespierre. Robespierre heads the Committee of Public Safety which pursues opponents to the Revolution with increasing vigor. Danton appeals to Robespierre to check the bloody Reign of Terror which follows the Revolution, only to find himself at the guillotine, ostensibly for treason. The encounter between these two lead characters over a dinner to which Robespierre is invited by Danton is one of the most splendid parts of the movie, bringing out the tremendous force of character as well as political clumsiness of Danton. In the prophetic words soulfully delivered by Depardieu, Danton declares that the Revolution is devouring its own children. The almost identical scenes at the beginning and at the end of the movie in which Robespierre's son is reciting the articles of the post-Revolution constitution of the First Republic are haunting. Some commentators have said that this is Polish director Andrzej Wadja's metaphor for the events of his native Poland where the Solidarity crisis was in full force when he made this film. This is a first-rate dramatic performance.

Masterful political horror film...
Polish Director Andrzej Wajda presents this masterful, cinematic rendering of The French Reign of Terror as political horror parable. DANTON,superbly played by Gerard Depardieu,is Jacobin Revolutionary Party leader who killed King Louis XVI and forever altered Western history. Wojceich Pszoniak is Robespierre,his "Man of the Mountain" partner of the perversely named Committee of Public Saftey(today's PC police/ideological bretheren might even shudder at this irony). The PARTNERSHIP soon drowns in blood as the Revolutionaries conspire against each other, and "devour" themselves in the maw of Mme.La Guillotine.

The pace of the film is relentless. Its thematic force "illuminates" what Arthur Koestler called, DARKNESS at NOON(re: Stalin's Purge of Communist heroes and revolutionaries in the 30's). Danton reveals himself to have been an heroic fool who imagined he might stir mobs to democratic parliamentary Republicanism after he had sicked them on the taste of Aristocratic blood. The icy, more ruthess,Robepierre knows what must be done(total blood bath of not only the Aristocracy and its Royalist sympathizers; but Counter Revolutionaries opposed to the "lawless" massacre NECESSITY dictates.

Two outstanding actors in this fearsome drama are Patrice Chereau,as Camille Demoulins: idealist,revolutionary philospopher and propagandist(who believes his own "democratic" press even as Robespierre's thugs--under archetypal fascist,Fouquier Tinville (played by Roger Planchon)-- torch it, and warn the "citizen editor" of his impending arrest for treason. The most sinister character in this "Tale of One City" is essayed by Boguslaw Linda as fanatical, Angel of Death,St.Just. Reveling in political bloodlust, St.Just exalts in his role as merciless advocate of unrelentant,mass murder.

Outcome of this anti-sacramental Confirmation in blood of the Age of Reason,and Republic of Liberte,Egalite & Fraternite; would be the Dictator, "The Son of the Enlightenment": Napoleon who...as Man of Destiny,in limitless ambition and will to power...would declare himself emperor and launch a generational war of world conquest...that does not end--for two decades--until 1815.

Polish Director Wajda was said to fear such an outcome in the SOLIDARITY revolt against Communism. Having lived under Totalitarism, he was well aware of what occurs when "men of destiny" challenge criminals and(often) become what they behold. Poland was finally spared. DANTON, however,is an artistic triumph about ironic horrors and incalcuable violence of wars fought for political mastery without limits, or God's Law.

Amazing!
As another reviewer pointed out, this is probably the best film about the French Revolution and the fledgling Republic of France. It gives you great detail on the characters behind the Revolution itself and the biggest surprise to me, just how close they actually came to regressing and or becoming a dictatorship.

Gerard Depardieu is phenomenal. If you only remember him from "Green Card" forget that...that is not representational of how fantastic of an actor he is. I have seen other French films with him in it but I think this is his finest performance.

If you like historical or costume dramas, you cannot go wrong with this one.

Cheeers

Unforgettable
This is probably the finest movie ever done concerning the French revolution and its anarchic aftermath. Everything is just accomplished so well, the acting, the story, the dialogue and historical accuracy are just amazing. For fans of French history, it is an amazing treat, while to the regular movie buff, it is a memorable cinema experience.

The story of Danton takes place in what is known in French history as the Terror. Following the overthrow and execution of King Louis XVI, groups of revolutionaries formed various councils and committees, such as the infamous Committee for Public Safety in Paris. Although started with good intentions, the Committees soon became harsh instruments of brutal tyranny and social control. Their power soon reached the levels of dictators, and the their most powerful committee leader was Robespierre. A puritanical revolutionary, he believed any dissent was a direct threat to the revolution. As he became more power hungry, his old comrades began to turn against him. Robespierre used any means necessary to stamp out dissent, including the famous guillotine. However, powerful sources soon turned against him, such as Danton, the peoples favorite. Danton was the polar opposite of Robespierre, a wild and vivacious revolutionary who valued all the good in life. The two clashed numerous times, until, as the movie shows, Robespierre descends into madness, lashing out at anyone who questions him. This leads to disaster for Danton, and for the Republic.

This movie delivers on all levels. The beauty and darkness of terror era France are portrayed vividly, with director Andrzej Wajda filling the screen with historic finery. The characters, especially Robespierre and Danton are exquisitely detailed, with actors Gerald Depardieu and Wojciech Pszoniak delivering powerful performances. The tension and drama builds, culminating in the wonderful courtroom scenes. The movie delivers a powerful message of human freedom and bravery in the face of official repression.

One of the best movies of all time
Depardieu gives a riveting performance of Danton in a fabulous movie. Camille Desmoulins is also well represented in an unforgetable and powerful drama. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A film about making a film
"Czlowiek z Marmuru," directed by Andrezej Wajda, is a story about a student making a film about a bricklayer that was idolized in the 1950s, and then denounced. She uncovers more and more details of what happened to him by interviewing people that knew him (that tell her their story) and viewing film clippings about him (which are shown in black-and-white). Between tracking down details in the present time (1976), watching black-and-white newsreels from the 1950s, and the stories various people tell (flashbacks), the film is a captivating mystery that unfolds, while holding your attention.

"Czlowiek z Marmuru" (1976) is 156 minutes, spoken in Polish, and has optional English subtitles.

Andzej Wajda: Czlowiek Z Marmuru (1976)
One of the most important movies in history of Polish filmaking! Winner of Cannes Festival in 1978.
The originality of Andrzej Wajda's film Man of Marble lies in the fact that it is not original (what can be less original than the fate of a labour-leader from the stalinist era?).

The beauty of this exceptional film lies in the complexity of the director's attitude towards Birkut, a representative - perfect in his submissiveness - of the whole miserable, alienated period. Wajda wants to communicate two opposing truths: first, that stalinism was a disaster and second, that the people who believed in it - and whom it consequently crushed - were driven by an honest spirit of idealism. It hasn't been easy to juxtapose these two messages, but Wajda has succeeded completely. Like every artist worth his name, he began not with the typical, but with the individual. Before Birkut became a lead labourer he possessed all the virtues and vices which have always been a constant element of humanity, regardless of place and time. Disguised by the label of socialist hero were humility and decency - qualities which made him a real hero. What was the effect of this delicate operation? Stalinism has been unconditionally condemned, but socialism as an idea and utopia seems to be saved.

The film is strictly consistent in form, which leaves no room for sentimentalism, so easy to introduce. The action takes place among the bare walls of the shipyard and office buildings, and it draws us in like a detective story, one, however, in which we don't search for the criminal but for historical truth. The only feeling is one of regret that the problems, which caused so much suffering in the past, have not been fully solved

Powerful Potrayal of Post World War II Poland
Man of Marble provides a fascinating insight into the late 40s, 50s and 70s in Poland. Wajda skillfully weaves a multi-layered narrative. The film revolves around the life story of Birkut (Radziwilowicz), an idealistic bricklayer Stakhanovite in Nowa Huta, who gets involved in the politics, propaganda, and complications of the post World War II period. But it is also a story of an aspiring film director (Janda) in Gierek's era, pursuing Birkut's life story as the subject matter for her diploma movie. In addition, the film portrays the motivations of Birkut's contemporaries: a movie director, a secret police agent, a friend from work, and a party leader. We meet these characters again, later in life, in the context of the 70s when Huta Katowice was the symbol of the times. Lastly, Wajda produces an excellent footage in the documentary style that provides a historical backdrop and binds various themes together.

I was delighted to see Man of Marble and its witty contrast between the two historical periods in which truth and reality suffered considerable distortion. When it was made in 1976 at the height of Gierek's economic and propagandistic excesses, this film was a courageous, revealing, and thought provoking piece. I highly recommend the movie to anyone seeking out the nuances of the Polish culture and psyche. Although the film contains references to true historical figures and events, its plot is purely fictional.

The subtitles are crude and far from the original and colorful language of both periods in the movie. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a well made film
this film captures the essence of the struggle of the polish people to achieve not only freedom but unity. The Focus is on a journalist who is assigned by the government to learn about a solidarity leader in the Gdansk shipyard strike around 1980. The journalist is expected to gather information about the leader from unsuspecting members or sympathizers of solidarity and then to create negative propaganda that would help the government destroy the strikers. He becomes torn between his conscience and his fatalistic desire to survive in the communist system. He has sympathy for the strikers, but he doesn't want to lose his job or go to jail. Should he refuse to help the communists or should he betray the strikers and, ultimately, Poland? It is not a easy choice for a man, who, like most of us, is less than perfect. The journalist's moral dilemna evolves as we find out more about the background and motivation of the solidarity leader and as great political and social events rock Poland. Wajda succeeds in showing us the intensity and drama of a great historical event while also showing us how individuals struggle to react and adapt to these events. This film is very well made, and, in my opinion, meaniful not only to poles, but to many of us in the West who take alot of what we have for granted. ... Read more

Description

In the final chapter of Wajda's war trilogy, a small Polish town celebrates the war's end while two assassins plot against a communist party official.Peace isn't a day old when opposing factions start the bloodshed anew.Zbigniew Cybulski (dubbed the Polish James Dean) is tremendous as a young assassin who must decide between giving his heart to a tender barmaid or spreading hate for a questionable cause. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

ashes and diamonds
I have never written a review before. I enjoy all kinds of film, especially the classics and have seen thousands. Of those, this film would be ranked in the top 10. Few films can I look back on and say "perfect". This was one of them. I greatly enjoyed it, and would highly recommend it.

The third part of Wajda's "War Trilogy"
"Ashes and Diamonds" (1958) is the third part of Andrzej Wajda's "war trilogy" that also includes "A Generation" and "Kanal." This film takes place in rural Poland at the end of World War II. With the Germans gone, but Russians throughout the country, the Polish resistance has a new target: Communists.

Zbigniew Cybulski (also know for his leading role in "The Saragossa Manuscript") plays the part of Maciek, a patriot who's mission is to assassinate a mid-level Communist Party member. By chance, he meets a woman named Krystyna at the bar, which leads to a delay of his assignment.

"Ashes and Diamonds" is in black-and-white, 105 minutes long, and spoken in Polish with optional English subtitles. Extra features include behind-the-scenes images, original posters, and Anrezej Wajda's biography and filmography.

isolation, war, tragedy: just a few elements of a great film
At the peak of the Polish school of film, Andzej Wajda made "Ashes and Diamonds," a film that deals largely with the national experience in Poland. Thus, it helps to know a bit of Polish history before viewing this film. The story: Manciek is a young solider in the right-wing Nationalist Army who is ordered at the conclusion of the war to assassinate the newly-arrived Communist District Secretary. In the meantime, he falls in love. The film then becomes a discussion of conscience v. loyalty, with Manciek living in both the established and criminal world and often crossing the line between a life with his new girlfriend and his continued life as a revolutionary. The title itself (taken from Norwid's romantic poem) obviously plays into this conflict.

Wajda's films do not avoid bitterness and pessimism, and this film in particular treats art as a response to the problems of society, revealing the factors that emphasize its complexes as well as its symptoms. At the end of the film, the immediate devastation has ended; but, the ongoing devastation has only begun. In fact, Wajda seems to say, it is a devastation with no end in sight because it is imposed by a memory that makes the line between life and death a thin one; Manciek wears dark glasses because his eyes could never adjust to the light after his time spent in the sewers during the Polish resistance. "Will there remain among the ashes," the Polish poet Norwid asked, "a star-like diamond, the dawn of eternal victory?" Wajda presents this question to the viewer throughout his film-- a question which he leaves open for you to answer.

An Excellent Film from Poland's Greatest Director
"Ashes and Diamonds" (Pol.: Popiol i Diament, 1958), directed by Andrzej Wajda, is the third film of a trilogy of films about the Polish Resistance. The first two were "A Generation" (1954) and "Kanal" (1956). "Kanal" is being released on DVD simultaneously with "Ashes and Diamonds." "A Generation" (Pol.: "Pokolenie"), an overtly propogandistic film, Wajda's first feature and not as moving as the other two, once had a VHS release. Of more recent fame are Wajda's two films about the conflict between the individual and the state. "Man of Marble" (1976) is available on DVD. The DVD release of its sequel, "Man of Iron" (1981), which was screened recently on cable TV, has already been announced and cannot be far off. Given Wajda's political position and his willingness to express his views, it is surprising that he did not suffer more from the repressive regime in Poland. As it is, he felt it wise to leave the country for a while after "Man of Iron."

The ashes and diamonds of the title clearly refer to the physical destruction of the country by the Germans and the beauties, largely of a human nature, that can still be found among the ruins. The hero of the story, a young anti-communist played by famed Polish actor Zbigniew Cybulski, has botched an assassination attempt on a party official in the countryside by killing the wrong man. Now he must return to the city and kill the man in a setting which exposes him to far greater risk. In the meantime, he chats up a hotel barmaid, who quickly becomes his lover. The assassination now puts not only his life in jeopardy but also his new relationship. I will explain no more lest I spoil the film for others.

Zbigniew Cybulski, who also had a small part in "A Generation," was known as the Polish "James Dean" because of his vulnerability and low-key machismo. Like Dean, his life ended tragically (trying to catch a train he fell under the wheels). Unlike Dean he lived to be 39 and made 29 films.

Of "Kanal" and "Ashes and Diamonds," it is the first film that has the stronger images and is the more moving. "Ashes and Diamonds" is a less classical and more modern film, with much in common with Film Noir. Both films are remarkable achievements, and neither is the sequel (except chronologically) to previous films in the trilogy. Watch them both.

Poland's Screen Debut
Zbigniew Cybulski brings to life the Polish resistance in post-WW2 Poland. Now under the rule of Soviet Russia, Poland becomes the object of Communist militarization and control. A young Polish freedom fighter, along with his compatriots, plot to cause upheavel in the new communist regime in the area. Excellent actors, plot and setting bring this film to life on the screen as one of the greatest "resistance" type films of all time. Filmed in Polish, a real treat to hear as well as see. ... Read more

Description

Andrzej Wajda's directorial debut, the first film in his compelling war trilogy, marked the beginning of the Polish film renaissance.Wajda, who fought for the Resistance during World War II, offers a strikingly unsentimental appraisal of heroism in the tale of a cocky Polish youth who decides to fight the Nazis after he falls for a pretty Resistance leader. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The First Act...
A tragic yet ultimately hopeful film (in stark contrast to the unrelentingly bleak "Kanal", or fatalistic "Ashes and Diamonds"), "A Generation" follows a young mans progression from niave lover to hardened fighter through his involvement with a woman and, subsequently, the Polish resistance during WWII. The story is told more lyrically than other Wajda films, but the harsh realities of the protagonists situation are never far from mind. Performances are excellent across the board, and Wajda's direction, as always, subtly indicates what is to come: feelings of claustrophobia and inevitability are less blatant than Kanal, but are there none-the-less, and serve as effective counter points to the couple's love story. Altogether a superb film, and an essential first act for those following the thematic arcs of the trilogy as a whole. ... Read more

Description

The central film of Wajda's war trilogy follows Resistance fighters as they descend into Warsaw's sewer system (or kanaly) to escape the Nazis.Based on actual events during the Warsaw uprising in 1944, "this hallucinating picture is a heartfelt reenactment, taut and penetrating" (Variety). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Crawling through the sewers seeking freedom
Although the film is depressing, it is worth watching. One gains an idea of the conditions of Poland during the war and how the Poles tried to fight back against overwhelming odds. The film itself is very dark, with much of it taking place in the sewers.

In this film, a band of Polish soldiers is ordered to retreat through the sewers. Giving up their holding is disappointing to the men, but they have little choice because they lack the weapons and reinforcements to hold their position any longer. The sewers are a maze in which the soldiers try to find their way to freedom.

"Kanal" (1957) is directed by Andrzej Wajda. This Polish film is in black-and-white, 96 minutes long, and has optional English subtitles.

Spellbinding , But A Bad DVD Transfer!
On August 1, 1944, with the Eastern front moving ever closer, the Polish Resistance in Warsaw took up arms against the German occupation. The goal was to set up a democratic government and take control of the city before the Germans could destroy it or the Russians impose a communist regime. They failed on both counts. For a while, the Resistance, which had superior numbers, were in control of the city, but the cause was lost after the Germans brought in reinforcements, heavy artillery, tanks, and the Luftwaffe. Before the Germans abandonned Warsaw finally in January 1945 (the Russians chose not to interfere for several months with the German butchering of the Resistance), 85% of the city had been destroyed. 200,000 Poles died in the 63-day insurrection alone.

The film "Kanal" begins in late September with the crushing of the remaining remnant of Resistance forces in Warsaw. These men and women then tried to escape through the sewers, to be able to fight another day (hence, the title "Kanal"). The movie tells their story of their desperate escape. To say anything more about the plot would spoil the movie.

This is a very gritty movie and a moving testimony against war, beautifully and sensitively photographed in black & white. To have filmed it in color would have been a sacrilege. The composition and detail of every scene is magnificent. The images of the film will remain with you for years afterward. The film's director, the incomparable Andrzej Wajda, in fact, fought with the Polish resistance as a teenager. If there is a strong sense of realism in the picture, it is because Wajda lived these events or ones very close to them. Don't miss this film.

While I have only praise for this film, my feelings about the DVD transfer are very different. The image is rather soft and the audio signal is so weak that I can barely hear it with the volume on my TV turned to maximum. If occasionally you must listen to a DVD at maximum volume, you may find parts of this film totally inaudible.

The Film deserves five stars, the DVD transfer only one.

The Polish way....
An indescribably wrenching war tragedy depicting the destruction of a group of freedom fighters in the ruins of Warsaw in the last year of WW II.

A year after the Warsaw ghetto is crushed, the Polish resistance, learning that Soviet armies are approaching the city and that the allies have landed in Normandy, order the long-awaited uprising against the Nazis. The battle goes on for 63 days while Stalin halts his army in the suburbs to allow the SS to systematically eliminate the last Polish patriots.

The film depicts the last few days of the uprising. Wajda introduces the varied men and women who make up one resistance group - their ambitions, their loves, their individuality, their vitality, in a context of extreme stress. After a heroic defense of their district, the survivors are ordered into the sewers - the 'Kanal' - to escape the pocket in which they've become trapped. Their captain knows they are doomed yet hopes to save at least the company records for posterity. Before descending, he stoically shares a last cigarette with another group leader. 'You know this fight is pointless, don't you?' 'Yeah... it's the Polish way.'

The second half of the film depicts their final trial of courage in the sewers - where a subterranean Passion and an anonymous Golgotha awaits them.

As the fighters, one by one, slip into a manhole behind a street barricade, they leave behind the rear guard - a twelve year old boy wearing boots way too big for him who cooly checks his rifle in preparation for his solitary defense of this last barrier. Beyond the pile of bricks and furniture a Tiger tank lurches inexorably forward like a threshing machine.

This film manages to scorch a lasting hole in one's soul.

One of the most powerful movies I've seen in 30 years.
I first saw this movie 30 years ago--and feared looking at the video because I though it might not be as great as I remembered it. It's even better. Powerful tales of how peoplel change, for better or worse, under great adversity. Though many of the people come to bleak ends, the movie is not depressing or blackhearted. It's greatest moral lesson, for me, is that courage must be coupled with wide-eyed realism and stamina when the odds are against you. The image that has stayed with me for 30 years: the woman helping the wounded, feverish man through the sewer who reminds him that he's walking through shit and to keep on going when he begins to hallucinate about how beautiful things are. ... Read more

Description

The authors decidedly refute the myth of the woman - guardian of the hearth. Their heroine is a modern and an energetic girl who demands her partners to be successful in every field. A beginning writer and translator, running from his wife and mother-in-law, falls into her trap. What happens to a sensitive man in an encounter with overwhelming female force?

Cast: Malgorzata Braunek, Zygmunt Malanowicz, Daniel Olbrychski, Ewa Skarzanka.

1969, color. 108 mins. English Subtitles ... Read more

Reviews (1)

major problems mar a film that could be great
Wajda's "The Conductor" could have potentially been a masterful examination of the nature of art and politics, but the film's weaknesses keep greatness at bay. It's about an aging Polish conductor who's made a name for himself abroad returning to his hometown to direct Beethoven's 9th with the local symphony at the request of a woman who claims to be his daughter. The conductor's command of the orchestra causes resentment in it's original (non-famous) leader, the conductor's daughter's husband. In its favor the film has some striking moments and the finale is beautiful and moving. It is also a deeply felt tribute to the healing power of music. The acting is great though John Gielgud is horrendously dubbed into Polish. The film's drawbacks are its obviousness and occasional pretentions and, well, Gielgud IS horrendously dubbed. Still worth a look. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Fall From Grace
Although a compelling drama, this film lacked a certain " Je ne saia quoi." Clearly, one would be disappointed after experiencing any of his other films

wajda does it again
Without Anesthesia is the story of a journalist who is seen as a disruption to those above him through the exploration and expression of his knowledge. It deals with many familiar Wadja themes such as isolation and an individual facing the attack of the larger society. Although it deals with many Polish themes and certainly contains quite a bit of social commentary (as all Wadja films do), I am unfortunately not knowledgable about Polish history and can't comment on that aspect of the film. However, I feel safe in saying that if you enjoy Wadja's other films, this one should be on your list if it isn't already. ... Read more

Description

Based on the novel by Stanislaw Lem (Solaris), Andrzej Wajda created this unusual film. The main character, race car driver Ryszrd Fox, is involved in many car accidents. After each car crash he gets a transplant for one or another internal organ. After a while there is a question, who really is Ryszard Fox? Super funny film at the same time forces deep reflection about the future of the human race.

Cast: Bogumil Kobiela, Ryszard Filipski

1968. 35 mins. English Subtitles. ... Read more

Description

Academy Award Nomination Best Foreign Film 1976.An exceptional film by a famous director. Three industrialists representing different ethnic groups in Poland: a Pole (Olbrychski), a German (Seweryn) and a Jew (Pszoniak) build a textile factory in Lodz at the turn of the century. They encounter problems with the overworked, underpaid workers. Saga based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Wladyslaw Reymont, neverthless vividly depicts a society on the edge of change.

Cast: Daniel Olbrychski, Andrzej Seweryn, Wojciech Pszoniak. 1975, color. 176 mins. English Subtitles. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A masterpiece.
This movie deals with mechanisms behind money-making in early capitalism and it probably is more current now than it had been 27 years ago, when it was produced, as Poland and Eastern Europe is undergoing historical changes after a fall of communism. It shows a main hero, brilliantly played by Daniel Olbrychski, sacrificing his moral backbone on the way to a success at all cost. This movie is brutal and naturalistic. Has great energy and fast pace. Great acting and a beautiful soundtrack by Wojciech Kilar. It is one of the best movies by Andrzej Wajda. I wish I could have it on DVD.

A bit to anti semitic for my taste
This in its time would have been a reasonably big budget film for Poland. It is about the establishment of the textile industry at the turn of the century. A number of young men pool their rescources and decide to build a mill. Unfortunately it burns down and it is not insured. One of the men has to do the unthinkable, yes he has to have sex with a jewish woman to get more money.

In fact the portrayal of Jewish people is obnoxious. One scene shows a Jewish club and it is straight out of a Nazi propoganda film.

If it wasn't for this the film has a certain amount of vigour and the actors put in strong performances. ... Read more

Description

A moving drama of Polish destiny. Film based on a popular nationalistic play by Stanislaw Wyspianski, shows the wedding of a peasant's daughter with a poet. This exceptional work is one of Andrzej Wajda's most important films. A landmark of Polish cinema.

Cast: Ewa Zietek, Daniel Olbrychski, Andrzej Lapicki, Wojciech Pszoniak, Marek Walczewski.

1973, color. 103 mins. English Subtitles. English Subtitles. ... Read more