Zbigniew Cybulski

Ewa Krzyżewska

Wacław Zastrzeżynski

Adam Pawlikowski

Bogumił Kobiela

Jan Ciecierski

Stanisław Milski

Artur Młodnicki

Halina Kwiatkowska

Ignacy Machowski

Zbigniew Skowroński

Barbara Krafftówna

Aleksander Sewruk

Zofia Czerwińska

Irena Orzecka

Halina Siekierko

Grażyna Staniszewska

Jerzy Adamczak

Adolf Chronicki

Wiktor Grotowicz

Mieczysław Łoza

Tadeusz Kalinowski

Ferdynand Matysik

Józef Pieracki

Juliusz Grabowski

Jerzy Jogałła

Roman Mikuła

Ryszard Pietruski

Cyryl Przybył

Marian Skorupa

Marian Wiśniowski

Andrzej Wajda

Jerzy Wójcik

Roman Mann

Jerzy Andrzejewski

Halina Nawrocka

Katarzyna Chodorowicz

Anita Janeczkowa

Jan Włodarczyk

Andrzej Wróbel

Bohdan Bieńkowski

Halina Sieńska

Krzysztof Winiewicz

Zygmunt Krusznicki

Jerzy Szurowski

Bogdan Myśliński

Jarosław Świtoniak

Leszek Wajda

Marian Kowaliński

Filip Nowak

Irena Choryńska

Halina Ber

Halina Zajac

Stanisław Adler

Ludwik Hager

Zygmunt Wójcik

Michał Sosiński

Janusz Morgenstern

Wiesław Zdort

Drama

Romance

Popiół i diament

Zespół Filmowy Kadr

Poland

Polski

Ashes and Diamonds

polish resistance

soviet military

black and white

post war

post world war ii

post-war poland

There are so many great things about how this movie is made - the directing, the shots, the tonal quality, and the pacing. Probably most brilliant of all is how the total makes the viewer feel claustophobic. I admit, though, it's a tad dated.

There are so many great things about how this movie is made - the directing, the shots, the tonal quality, and the pacing. Probably most brilliant of all is how the total makes the viewer feel claustrophobic. I admit, though, it's a tad dated.

CinemaSerf

You might have thought that on May 8th, 1945 the population of Poland would have been united in celebrating the defeat of their Nazi invaders. Instead, though, this film quite deftly illustrates a mixture of joy and trepidation as those who had fought together to free their country now found themselves on opposite sides of a new societal order that was going to pit the freedom-loving Poles on one side with those more Soviet-minded Communists on the other. This polarity is epitomised by "Maciek" (Zbigniew Cybulski) and "Andrzej" (Adam Pawlikowski) who are charged with getting shot - literally - of the communist leader and new minister "Szczuka" (Waclaw Zastrzezynski). They manage to screw their assassination attempt up, though, and innocent people are killed - not the first who die as the infighting between the hitherto allies becomes more violent and potent, with even the strongest of family loyalties severely tested. There's still time for a little romance as "Maciek" takes a shine to "Krystyna" (Ewa Krzyzewska) and as that burgeons, he yearns for a peaceable life in which to live, work and bring up a family. Thing is, can he just stop caring about the politics and settle, or is it too ingrained in him and by staying, might he actually be endangering that which he has come to love? This is one of the more poignant “winning the peace" kind of post WWII stories, with the characterisations ripe with contradictions and challenges, and the director (Andrzej Wajda) also taking a broader look at the remnants of Polish society as a whole from which rebuilding is not going to be easy. This previously devout nation is much less though. The people are weary, depressed and all too ready to sink their sorrows and ambitions in a large glass of vodka. On that last point, there's space for a little bitter humour and that largely comes thanks to an on-form Stanislaw Milski and his professorial-looking "Pieniazek" and we have some devious jostling for position and privilege in the new order to engage us too. The grimness of their situation is well captured by the stylish, almost eerie at times, photography that prevails throughout this authentic looking drama. History tells us what did happen, indeed what was already happening when this was made in 1958 - and that makes this junction box of political and personal choices all the more compelling to watch. It's essentially about people and ideals, and is well worth a look at.

Ashes And Diamonds aka Popiól i diament (1958) Trailer

Ashes and Diamonds Newsreel.avi

Ashes and Diamonds( 1958)

Touched with the fire and rebellion of a new generation of Polish film makers

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A review by badelf

Written by badelf on Sat Jul 09 2022

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