Kanał (1957)

But we will be hailed by the future generations

On the 1^st 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 25^th 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.

Man of Marble, Man of Iron (1976, 1981)

The new Poland is born here

If Andrzej Wajda was born in the USSR, his fate would not be so good. I think that, if Andrzej Wajda was a Soviet film director, his films would be banned by the Soviet authorities until the 1980s. Andrzej Wajda was always interested in the history of his homeland, and his vision almost always was not too ideologically correct.

Even in 1958, in Ashes and Diamonds Andrzej Wajda showed a Home Army soldier Maciek as a positive hero. In 1976, Andrzej Wajda showed it’s past to the forgetful Polish audience and authorities. Finally, in 1981, Andrzej Wajda showed the birth of post-socialistic world. I think that it would be suitable to analyze «Man of Marble» and «Man of Iron» together.

«Man of Marble» depicts the relatively free Poland of the 1970s. A young cinema school graduate Agnieszka chooses an unusual subject for her graduation project – a documentary film about a bricklayer Mateusz Birkut, who was once a hero. The film school authorities are rather skeptical, but anyway they give the green light to Agnieszka. Agnieszka starts her research, but this proves to be a tough task, because Mateusz Birkut is almost completely cut from the history.

As I have written before, «Man of Marble» was shot in 1976. Back then, the official history portrayed the 1950s repressions as a result of actions of the authorities and certain apparatchiks. Besides that, that period of history was officially forgotten. Of course, a lot of repressed people were freed. But no one couldn’t bring back to them the health and heal the soul pain.

While Agnieszka researches the material, she dugs deeper and deeper in the Polish history of the 1940-1950s. During the first postwar years, Mateusz Birkut is just one of the illiterate young workers, who were sent to the great building sites of the new Poland.

When an ambitious young film director and authorities decided to make Mateusz a hero for their own advancement, the life of Mateusz Birkut suddenly changes. Mateusz Birkut becomes a hero, his portrait hangs with other record-breaking workers, he is received by the highest authorities and he marries a beautiful young athlete.

Mateusz Birkut symbolizes the working class of Poland – hardworking and honest people, who are willing to work hard for their homeland. Despite the declaration that the power was passed to the working class; in reality the power was passed from the bourgeois exploiters to the apparatchiks. As bourgeois, apparatchiks view Mateusz Birkut and others as merely an instrument to advance their goals.

Mateusz Birkut sincerely believes in a new ideology and is willing to help his comrades. When he tries to help his arrested friend and cross the path with apparatchiks his fate suddenly changes. Mateusz Birkut is arrested and declared an enemy of state. In the mid-1950s, he is released and rehabilitated. Mateusz Birkut is drawn back in the politics as a symbol of post-totalitarian Poland, but he just merely wants to gain back his life. It is impossible, because Mateusz’s wife has left him and he is cut out from the history.

Agnieszka was brought up in a different Poland (quoting Jean-Luc Godard: «The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola»), but she encounters the prevailing double think. Even the coworkers of Mateusz Birkut have cut out the memory about him. And when Agnieszka almost touches the truth about Mateusz Birkut, the state intervenes – the film is cancelled and Agnieszka is dismissed on the spot.

In «Man of Iron» Andrzej Wajda depicts the events of 1980 – the famous Gdańsk Shipyard strike. Almost everyone thinks that the strike is doomed for a bloody reprisal as previous strikes. Editor Winkel is ordered by the deputy chairman of Radio Committee to achieve coverage compromising the activists…

The activists of the Red May (Paris 1968) were described by the communists as a petit bourgeoisie, who would drop their radical thinking, when it would be their turn to run a family firm and exploit the workers. But in 1980, in Poland, the workers were the main string force – the people who had neither the money, neither the protection from the possible ruthless official actions.

Andrzej Wajda makes the son of  Mateusz Birkut -  Maciej Tomczyk as one of the main heroes. As father, Maciej Tomczyk is brave, honest, incorruptible and decisive. Along with real Lech Wałęsa and Anna Walentynowicz, Maciej Tomczyk starts the strike.

If in «Man of Marble» Andrzej Wajda depicts the relatively free Poland of the 1970s, in «Man of Iron» Poland is depicted as a lost and torn country. Tonight Poland is rioting, but tomorrow its streets could be painted with blood. The society is frightened, but it slowly starts transformation. The transformation is not limited to the workers, but touches even the relatively high class – the mass media.

Andrzej Wajda shows though Winkel the transformation of intelligentsia. Winkel is a drunken loser, who has not got anything in common with rioting bydlo. He eagerly starts to write a compromising coverage. But as he starts digging deeper into the roots of the strike, he begins to feel the common with strikers.

The director portrays the ruthless struggle between workers, who got nothing to lose, and elite, who are desperately clinging to their power and privileges. Solidarność has got only two options – to win or die. The government has army and police, the workers has slogans and moral authority.

Another link between «Man of Marble» and «Man of Iron» is Agnieszka. Andrzej Wajda portrays her spiritual transformation – in the first film she is a hysterical film student, who just want to piss off the authorities; the second film shows her as a devoted reformist and loyal wife of Maciej Tomczyk.

There a lot of anecdotes and stories about near-sightedness, cowardice, stupidity and divisions of the Poles. You could just remember the XVIII century partition of Poland, the war between Home Army and Armia Ludowa. Andrzej Wajda knew those stories, but he thought that there were some Poles who could lead the people to the brighter future.

Maciej Tomczyk is shown as one of those Poles. Because of him and others, the striking people achieved the impossible – the recognition from the Party officials. Despite that, the director is not optimistic – today’s victory could be followed by bloody tomorrow.

This victory is without parades, hymns and fireworks. But a bunch of people have changed the world. Tomorrow they could be executed, but tonight they have drawn the attention of the world and have written their names in History. They showed that no state is all-powerful. The state wanted Men of Marble in order to break them easier, but finally they got Men of Iron, who couldn’t be broken too easily.

In his dilogy, Andrzej Wajda gave the mirror to the Poles and made them watch. Andrzej Wajda thought that you shouldn’t lie or forget about the past or ignore the present. Instead of that, let’s watch this films together.

Panna Nikt

Panna Nikt

In 1996, Andrzej Zulawski shot his «film without mask» - Szamanka. The same year, Andrzej Wajda shot his own film on the post-socialist Poland – Panna Nikt. The critic consensus always was that Andrzej Wajda was a master of the political, historical and societal films. But it is not entirely true, even judging by my limited acquaintance with the Wajda’s films. Not counting Panna Nikt, I have seen six films of Andrzej Wajda. Among them, there is a sarcastic comedy about a loser (Polowanie na muchy) and his own «8 ½» (Wszystko na sprzedaz).

Of course, the choice of a seventy-year old (back than) director is rather surprising – a teenage drama. This genre has known failures by young filmmakers, what can seventy-year old man shoot about the youth?

The early post-socialist history of Poland and Russia knows many similarities. You could merely name the nouveau riche culture, the economic shock therapy and the fast breaking of the old societal norms and customs. During the Socialism the major advantage was power, during the Capitalism the advantage shifted from power to money. Of course, the cities were the most affected by this and the villages were more conservative.

Andrzej Wajda showed this shift in the history of a 15-year girl called Marysia, who moved with her family from the village to the city. In the beginning of the film, Marysia symbolizes the Catholic and Conservative Poland. After moving to the city, Marysia starts associating herself with new Poland. The first act of her transformation deals with her haircut. If in the beginning she has traditional long hairs, in the city she changes it to a short haircut.

Any revolutionary changes are characterized not by merely economic and political changes, but also by conformity of old-timers. Andrej Wajda portrays this change in a teenage group. Marysia wants to morph in the new society and even abandons her name and adopts her new nicknames – Minka and Maika.

The new era is symbolized by new morals (or in some cases – the lack of it) and imaginary mixing of different classes. Marysia is fascinated by financial independence of her new girlfriends; she becomes an ardent pupil in permissiveness. She even thinks that she is truly accepted by the nouveau riche circles. Nevertheless, she forgets an old lessons – the rich could temporarily embrace the poor, but they will treat the late as an equal.

The 1990s got a profound impact on the Eastern European cinema. After getting the freedom, a majority of directors began shooting films about crime and sex. But there are some exceptions. Andrzej Wajda was no longer obliged to shoot film with hidden messages (quoting Andrzej Zulawski: «the films with masks») and he made a portrait of new Poland. He showed the teenagers, because one day they will become rulers.

The seventy year old filmmaker did something, which is not possible for some twenty year old man. Andrzej Wajda portrayed the real teenage relationship, without exaggerating or softening. Everyone would see themselves or some friends in Marysia, Kasia and Ewa. I recommend to watch this film to anyone, who was born in the 1980-1990s.

Sadly, the thought of Wajda that «no, the ashes does not hold the glory of a starlike diamond» is still quite truthful.

Popiól i diament

I do not want to kill anymore, I want to live

Andrzej Wajda died on the 9th of October, 2016. Frankly speaking, I have seen only three Wajda films: Danton, Wszystko na sprzedaż and Pokolenie. The first film I have enjoyed very much, the second film I have seen when I was not mature enough and the third one was a disappointment even for the Director himself. After hearing the news of Andrzej Wajda’s death, I have decided to fill this gap in my education.

On the 8^th of May, 1945, the Nazi Germany has surrendered to the Allies and the War in Europe was finished. On the same day, the two soldiers of Armia Krajowa (Maciek and Andrzej) got an order to assassinate the communist Commissar Szczuka. They mistakenly assassinate two factory workers and make their way back to Wroclaw…

Andrzej Wajda was always accused of shallowness. After the release of Człowiek z żelaza, Wajda’s films were banned in the USSR, the French critics considered Danton as a mere allegory of struggle between Lech Wałęsa and Wojciech Jaruzelski; a lot of the Russians considered Andrzej Wajda as a stereotypical Polish Russophobe. Also, in the Socialistic Poland Wajda was accused of neglecting the official ideology, but in the Post-Socialistic Poland Wajda was accused in the lack of patriotism.

Contrary to the popular belief, Andrzej Wajda, as in Bulgakov’s The White Guard (sadly, I have not read the original novel by Jerzy Andrzejewski) have shown the opponents as ordinary people. The Director shot the film about noble, about idealistic, about decadent, about schlep. At first glance, the spectator would think that the main hero (Maciek) is a brainless teddy boy, who kills people for fun.

After watching a little bit more, we discover the tragedy of a 24-year old idealist, the Polytechnic university dropout. Maciek’s life was ruined by the war. After losing his family, Maciek dropped the books, picked up a pistol and lost his human nature. Despite this, on the 8^th of May, when the nobles and the communists are celebrating together. Maciek fell in love with Christine and gained back his human nature. He wants to stop killing, but on the 9^th of May, Maciek is no longer a hero but a cursed soldier, who is ought to be killed.

Commissar Szczuka is depicted as a moral equal to Maciek. A fervent Communist, who started his career since the Spanish Civil War, Commissar Szczuka wants to build in Poland the Socialism with human face. The war took away his son, not in physical, but in ideological way. Right now Szczuka’s son is an enemy of the New Poland and his father is faced with a terrible choice – to stay a Communist or a human being.

The Director thinks, and the history proves his vision, that the future of Poland belongs not to idealistic and noble, but to schlep and careerist. The Director’s viewpoint is illustrated by the character of Drewnowski – opportunist, who tries to be on the both sides. The new ruling class of Poland is not on the battlefield, the new ruling class of Poland is siting and getting drunk in a fancy hotel. And at the same time, the prisons of Poland are filled with new enemies of state, who are only slapped, by this moment.

The 8^th of May will be ended and there will be a new day in Poland and the new war would start. A lot of people would be killed in order to change one dictatorship to another. In the new Poland, there will be no place for Maciek or Commissar Szczuka, their place would be filled by the numerous Drewnowskis. If you quote a poem by Cyprian Norwid (which was quoted in a film), no, the ashes does not hold the glory of a starlike diamond.

Ashes and Diamonds is considered by film critics to be one of the great masterpieces of Polish cinema Such phrases should be treated with skepticism, but this time you could agree with assessment. Popiół i diament is a film, which has not lost its actuality. Watch this film and if you feel something, than Andrzej Wajda has not wasted his life.

Danton

Death is the beginning of immortality

In the cold spring of 1794, on the second year of The Republic, Georges Jacques Danton comes back to Paris and tries to stop the Reign of Terror…

The director of «Danton» was a famous Polish film director Andrzej Wajda and, of course, the critics saw a parallel between the Revolution and the Solidarity movement. Nevertheless, Andrzej Wajda is much more than a politicized film director and you can’t analyze «Danton» from this simplistic point of view.

From the first minutes, Andrzej Waida draws the spectator into the real Reign of Terror: hungry people, ruthless guardsmen, blood-thirsty members of the Committee of Public Safety and merciless guillotine. The ruthless struggle between Maximillian Robespierre and Georges Jacques Danton starts.

France is torn apart by a «quite» civil war with more than a two sides – Jacobins, Royalists, Journalists, Hebraists and so on. Despite an adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and democratic values, the country moves closer and closer to the dictatorship, which knows only one word – death. The National Convention smells death and the biggest group of deputies proves their nickname – Le Marais.

Georges Danton is depicted as a man with lots of illusions. He thinks that the Reign of Terror could be smashed by words. Georges Danton refuses to crush Robespierre by military force and he is convinced that the trial would be the tribune for the People. The Gods of Revolution craves for blood of their children and Danton would be the first human sacrifice for them. I cannot judge the historical accuracy of Danton’s portrayal. But you can affirmatively say that it is one of the best roles of Gerard Depardieu. If you want to enjoy the real Depardieu, who acted in the films of the best directors and starred with the best female counterparts, you should not miss this film.

Maximillian Robespierre is a very controversial historical figure. Some authors (historians and writers) are depicting him as a ruthless monster; other authors are depicting him as a true martyr for the cause of the Revolution. Andrzej Waida portrayed Robespierre as a stern figure and a firm believer in the Revolution. In the beginning he shows some remains of a human nature and tries to save his friends and comrades from the Tribunal and execution. But, as the overall situation in France deteriorates and the members the Committee of Public Safety becomes more and more blood-thirsty, a soul of Robespierre is progressively melting. When I read a literature about Robespierre, I imagined him as a Wojciech Pszoniak character – stern manners, silent voice and the eyes, which turns your blood into ice.

Culmination of the film is the trial against a members of Danton’s party. The trial could be described by Augustus phrase (I think it is misattributed to him): «You must die!» Despite courage and oratorical prodigy of Danton, the Committee of Public Safety sentenced him to death. There is no place for a rule of law, presumption of innocence and equality in the Reign of Terror. Nevertheless, «that rat Robespierre» and many other would follow Danton to the scaffold, and the star of one young general is rising, who will bury the Revolution.

Danton is a sincere and scary film about the Reign of Terror. I recommend to watch it in pair with La Reine Margot.