понедельник, 8 мая 2017 г.

Kanał (1957)

But we will be hailed by the future generations

On the 1st of September, 1939 the Nazi Germany attacked Poland. Despite the heroic resistance, Poland was overrun. The occupation of Poland meant five years of pain and suffering for the Poles. By the end of 1944, the Nazis were beaten on all fronts and at the same time the Warsaw Uprising took place.

In 1957, Andrzej Wajda got a chance to picture the Warsaw Uprising and he took his chance. The film starts on the last days of the Uprising – the 25th of September, 1944. Lieutenant Zadra leads a unit of the Home Army, who are trying to escape Warsaw through the sewers.



There are lots of stereotypes about the Poles – that they are slow, that they are don’t love anyone, that they cannot unite, that they are only good as a source of cheap labor. In 1938, Poland annexes Zaolzie and was branded the European Jackal.

In the next year, Poland paid the price, but the war showed the heroic side of the Poles. Andrzej Wajda started the film on purpose at the end of Uprising, when the Home Army was almost wiped out and the remaining soldiers are trying to escape Warsaw.



Andrzej Wajda gives unique traits to all characters, among them there are romantics, cynics, clever, silly, honest and liars, but all of them have one aim – to show their bravery to the world and enemy. The sewers give the only chance to escape.

Andrzej Wajda portrays the sewers as a metaphor for the death, which will soon come to almost all soldiers in the Uprising. The sewers are a labyrinth, equipped by lots of traps and false exits. But, despite that, the group is trying to escape.



Even in the Hell – labyrinth, the people have not lost the ability to love and be loved. Even war-hardened people could lose the will to live because of the unrequited love or will try to carry a heavily-injured lover to the exit.

The Warsaw Uprising is portrayed as disorganized, unnecessary and politically motivated. But for the soldiers, the Uprising was a chance to show the bravery of the Poles and even the Nazis admitted it. Andrzej Wajda made his film about the soldiers, who won by their bravery the place in the History.



Despite the critics opinion the late films of Andrzej Wajda were not so good (I cannot express my opinion, because I haven’t seen them), but only this film is enough to remember the late Director. And you should not forget, that Andrzej Wajda helped a lot young and talented filmmakers, including my favorite Andrzej Zulawski.

During the Second World War, there were not so heroic nations and there were unexpectedly brave nations. Among the last, there are also the Poles and the Greeks. Let’s forget politics and remember the bravery of the Poles.




I recommend to watch it along with Pokolenie and Popiól i diament.

понедельник, 1 мая 2017 г.

Psy (1992)

Za chleb i wolność, i nową Polskę Janek Wiśniewski padł

About two months ago, I have written a joint review on «Man of Marble» and «Man of Iron» and richteur gave some valuable insights in his commentaries. After that, I have decided to read his blog and I was impressed by his review of Psy. Because of that, I have decided to watch this example of the Polish cinema of the 1990s.

Former officers of the SB (Polish secret police), including Franciszek Maurer (Franz), are trying to become police officers in the post-socialistic Poland. They are destroying incriminating evidence, they are reevaluated by the Special Comission. Some, including Franz, are lucky and they join the Criminal Police; some are not so lucky and they join the criminals.



The last verse of the famous poem Ballada o Janku Wiśniewskim (by Krzysztof Dowgiałło) includes such verse: « Za chleb i wolność, i nową Polskę Janek Wiśniewski padł».In 1989, Poland was new, the Poles got the freedom (or at least the illusion of freedom), but the bread became scarce. In the same time, the Polish directors got the chance to shoot film on the forbidden themes.

The Director portrayed the birth of new Poland and he had chosen the most despicable characters – ex-SB officers. The former elite are thrown into the Criminal Police, where they are treated as third-class people. Despite that, the history teaches us that most of the times soldiers are punished, but they masters are spared. The masters are spared because they are able to destroy documents or cut a deal with new masters.



The Director depicts ex-SB officers as ordinary people. Among them there are good and bad, brave and weak. Most of them, along with the Poles, are trying to make ends meet, but the former government taught them the only thing – to kill. The new Poland declares that they don’t need the professional killers, but the other side is ready to employ their talents.

«Psy» shows the general disappointment in the new ruling class. The film shows the beginning of corruption, the morphing of politicians and criminals. When Franz begins to harass seriously criminals, he is quickly dismissed from the police because of his past.



The new Poland is not suited for «Man of Marble» or «Man of Iron», the new Poland suited for unscrupulous murderers and thieves. And in 1989, Ballada o Janku Wiśniewskim is sang by the drunken ex-SB officers, because nobody cares about the fallen heroes.

The Polish cinema have again pleasantly surprised me. Władysław Pasikowski took the form of the American action film and included a very fresh and clever drama. The Russians would also understand this film.




I highly recommend it, it is better than  most of the so-called «Russian noir» of the 1990s.