Director: Andrzej Wajda
Screenplay: Bohdan Czeszko, Jerzy Stefan Stawiński, Jerzy Andrzejewski, Andrzej Wajda
Starring: Tadeusz Łomnicki, Urszula Modrzyńska, Roman Polanski, Teresa Iżewska, Tadeusz Janczar, Wieńczysław Gliński, Tadeusz Gwiazdowski, Stanisław Mikulski, Emil Karewicz, Maciej Maciejewski, Vladek Sheybal, Teresa Berezowska, Zbigniew Cybulski, Ewa Krzyżewska, Wacław Zastrzeżyński
Country: Poland
Running Time: 83 / 95 / 103
Year: 1955, 1957, 1958
BBFC Certificate: 12
Andrez Wajda, the most renowned of Polish directors, had an incredible run in the 50s and his first three films are presented in a fabulous box set from Second Run. The first film, A Generation, is also his debut. It’s remarkable, even before you consider this was his first film. It’s set in 1942 and follows two men trying to survive during the German occupation. Possibly to be expected, considering how and when it was produced, but it has a strong sense of raw social commentary that borders on Neo Realism by way of Ealing Studios. The story has a steady sense of dread throughout and yet is eminently watchable.
Wajda followed up with Kanał and the production steps up in some ways, however, it’s a claustrophobic and simple structure. Following the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, a group of resistance fighters are trying to make their way through the city’s sewer system. It’s almost as grim as it sounds, almost nihilistic. It’s a stunning film, almost literally so, as some moments might freeze you where you sit. The story has a palpable sense of anger and grief. Conversely, despite being exhausting, it’s a rewarding watch.
The final film of this loose trilogy is the astonishing Ashes and Diamonds. The story of a fighter wrestling with his conscience after being tasked with an assassination, is based on a 1948 novel and the film’s reputation has ebbed and flowed over the years, but not for the production. Ashes and Diamonds remains one the most famous Polish films of all time. And deservedly so. The bones of the plot has been picked up countless times elsewhere in contemporary cinema, but the treatment here is sublime. Maybe it’s because it was based on a novel, that Wadja finds room for a more generous narrative, but it’s a fabulous adventure film with a conscience and no ulterior motive.
All three films taken together are a gift to any film enthusiast. Rich and detailed, the balance of storytelling and craft is peerless. Intimate character portraits juxtaposed against landscapes of battle and suffering, with political anger equally matched by the rich filmmaking. Wadja’s extraordinary work at once sits alongside and by itself amongst his peers, such as Welles, Murnau, Clouzot and Kurosawa. More than an echo might appear in Spielberg’s work too.
The balance of storytelling and craft is peerless. Intimate character portraits juxtaposed against landscapes of battle and suffering with political anger matched by the rich filmmaking.
VIDEO
In all three films, the 2K sourced image is stunning. The first film, as you might expect, is the roughest but that’s not saying much and more speaks to the time and the production. Wadja had an accomplished eye for sharp focus within a gorgeous depth of field, right from his first film. The transfers respond admirably whether it’s a smokey light or sharp contrasted deep blacks and there’s a tactile sense of detail throughout. This is a very strong release for the Blu-ray format, even without UHD.
EXTRA FEATURES
This is an excellent, generous set from Second Sight. Despite the weighty subject matter, the commentaries by Michael Brooke are an easy listen. The introductions and archival interviews are excellent, plus there are Wadja’s short films rounding out the set.
• A Generation (Pokolenie), Kanał, and Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament) – all three films presented from new 2K restorations by Wytwórnia Filmów Dokumentalnych i Fabularnych (WFDiF), Poland.
• Archival interviews with director Andrzej Wajda speaking about all three films.
• Exclusive, newly-filmed introductions to each film by critic, curator and scholar Michał Oleszczyk.
• New and expansive audio commentaries on all three films by producer and film historian Michael Brooke.
• Andrzej Wajda’s newly-remastered and rarely seen early short films: The Bad Boy (Zły chłopiec, 1951), Ceramics from Iłża (Ceramika Iłżecka, 1951) and While You’re Sleeping (Kiedy ty śpisz, 1953).
• Individual booklets with new writing on each film by authors and Polish cinema specialists Ewa Mazierska, Tony Rayns and Peter Hames.
• New and improved English subtitle translations.