Visually, perhaps the best I've seen so far from Wadja (yeah sorry that includes Kanal, not much else though) but the story left me fairly uninterested.

126

I've got to admit I expected something even better, but it's still excellent. It's an interesting setup, a political film about a young man charged with killing a Communist leader. We sympathise with this man, who is introduced to us in the first scene when he guns down two innocent people by mistake. It's a fascinatingly amoral movie that investigates the political struggles going on in Poland aside from World War II itself, and whether such loyalty is useful when the conflict ends.

#126

The film's strength is definitely in its look--the framing, the lighting, the crispness of the shots, the fluid use of the camera, and the jarring cuts. The sequence in the crypt is the real stand out, with the dangling crucifix offering one of the most striking and meaningful shots in this--or any--film. The story is also compelling--particularly the central character Maciek, who vacillates between love and murder. He knows that choosing one will effectively eliminate the other from his life.

Not at all what I was expecting. There was some nice cinematography in places, and a few touches of heart, but the rest seemed either inexcusably contrived or unnecessary. A few scenes were on the verge of embarrassing.

This is supposed to be one of the great Wajda films, but it's one of my least favorites. Too political for my tastes, and most of it is dull as dirt. Nice lighting and framing, though.

# 135

The best POLISH FILM EVER MADE !!! with a spectacular role played by Zbigniew Cybulski

A really stylish film about the last days of war and the Polish resistance. The opening scene is fantastic and the rest of the film is downright classic.

118