A Generation (1955)

Date	User	Rating
Sep 26, 2022	doyler29	80 _64th
Andrzej Wajda's film debut is the first in his trilogy of films about the Polish resistance. It's easiest the least of the three, which is not to say that this is at all a bad film, but more that his skill rose exponentially through the remaining films. This one is very clearly influenced by Italian neorealism and is a lot less plot driven than the other two. A very young Roman Polanski shows up as a member of Lomnicki's resistance cell.
Jan 24, 2015	Parallax	78 _47th
Feels a bit "on the nose" in the beginning, but coalesces into something worthwhile by the end.
Oct 15, 2013	lisa-	4 _52nd
a quiet film set in german occupied poland. its communist slant isn't laid on too thick, so it's more a coming of age tale than propaganda (though it is both). nothing great, but softly genuine.
Feb 10, 2012	Alex Watkins	3 _38th
Kinda shabby, especially when pitted against the exceptionally intense and focused Kanal. The stakes never feel especially high, the characters somewhat ill-defined and the plot kind of hangs together rather than driving confidently forward. However, Wajda's skill for shooting in space, his eye for composition and lighting, and his political sensibilities are already quite keen at this point. Worthwhile, just not great.
May 16, 2011	Valenzetti	84 _68th
Strong first showing for Wajda, if a tad overly sentimental in places. No worse than comparable Rossellini, though. Polanski!
Mar 16, 2010	JooJoo	5 _80th
A bit thick around the edges but I almost preferred this to Kanal. While the later Wajda gives an unrelenting mood of doom & gloom, this gives scenes and characters room to breathe. A pronounced dread surrounds the more horrible moments when contrasted with its simpler focus. I wouldn't argue that it's downhill after that opening tracking shot - but what a shot.
Mar 10, 2010	ahmed413	75 _50th
Not 'great', but definitely captures a period.
Oct 07, 2009	coffee	76 _64th
too much propaganda
Mar 15, 2007	TheDiceman	70 _82nd
Great film,I have to point out that Roman Polanski looked most odd in the shorts he was wearing considering he must have been in his early 20's and has really hairy legs.
Dec 15, 2006	MartinTeller	73 _46th
I always have problems understanding these Eastern European political movies. Is this pro-Communist? It sure felt like it, but the DVD booklet seemed to suggest otherwise. I'm just not very smart about politics, I suppose. It was a good flick, though -- it engaged my attention, I cared about the characters, and there were some astonishing shots (especially considering this was Wajda's first feature).

Average Percentile 60.28% from 176 Ratings