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As such this week we have decided to take films that are examples of both Poland as a bloc country (Ashes and Diamonds) and the Franco-Polish Three Colours Trilogy that arguably remain the most acclaimed Polish films of all time.
Director: Andrej Wajda
Finishing off his World War II trilogy Andrej Wajda’s Ashes and Diamonds tells a fascinating story of doomed love and lost youth, set against the backdrop of vast political change as the Germans surrender and the dawn of Soviet rule approaches.
Andrej Wajda brilliantly managed to balance a political tightrope in making this film. Based on a then controversial novel it weaves a tale about the Polish resistance attempting to prevent inevitable Russian domination at the end of World War II. It is an occupation that the film admittedly shows in a relatively positive light; yet this said it does succeed in showing the resistance in similarly high esteem with rational fears and grievances. The film's protagonist Macieka (portrayed by Zbigniew Cybulsk) wonderfully becomes increasingly tragic, as he finds himself more and more torn between political beliefs, for which he is losing faith and love, leading down a spiral of events that can only end badly. The rest of the cast work brilliantly alongside some marvellous cinematography; creating a rich panorama of a nation in chaos and city in ruins attempting uncertainly to look ahead, dreaming of peaceful and fruitful days to come.
Overall, Ashes and Diamonds makes for entertaining and profoundly interesting viewing in its portrayal of both inner turmoil and of a country in transition. Equally it’s a film that has dated over time, with its outwardly positive attitude towards the communist occupation marking a clear reference to what is now another bygone era.
Director: Krzysztof Kieślowski
Although these are technically three films (all named after the colours of the French flag), the commonalities that permeate them mean that viewing them all within a week will deliver a fuller experience.
With each film focussed on a different character, united by a few events where they pass one another yet remain complete strangers, The Three Colours Trilogy tackles various genres in different ways. Blue sees Juliette Binoche give the performance of her career portraying the widow of a much-admired composer as she struggles to isolate herself from her previous life. White tackles the dark comedy genre. Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), after being ditched and humiliated by the love of his life (Julie Delpy), goes through elaborate means to enact his revenge and get her back. Finally, Red, the most well known of the three, examines the development of a friendship between a young model (Irene Jacob) and a voyeuristic judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant).
With all three films running at just over four and a half hours, Kieślowski’s magnum opus has not just become well known for the intelligent writing and fantastic acting but also its exemplary cinematography. Whilst it may seem rather obvious to flood the films with the associated colours, such as the snow in White and the leading lady’s outfits in Blue and Red, they instead accentuate the emotions of the story whether it be passion, isolation or bleakness.
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