Movie Review: Battle of Warsaw 1920

Battle of Warsaw 1920 (1920 Bitwa Warszawska)
Zodiak Jerzy Hoffman Film Production Sp. z o.o., Forum Films, Bank Zachodni, Polish Film Institute, HBO, Poland, 2011.

Poland has been over hundred years been divided to Prussia, Russia and Austria. World War I weakened the three countries so it is now time for Poland to gain independence. Lenin (Viktor Balabanov) and the Communists plan to spread Communism to the whole Europe, but patriotic Poland stands on the way. (As a side note: Finland had declared Independence few years earlier in 1917 when Russia was in turmoil. There was a bloody civil war in 1918 when General Mannerheim and the Whites fought against Russian supported Red Guard). 

In Warsaw new trends come and go and young people are enjoying their life after World War 1. Artist and Officer Jan Krynicki (Borys Szyc) proposes nightclub singer Ola Raniewska (Natasza Urbanska). Captain Kostrzewa (Jerzy Bonczak, who appeared as obnoxious Czaplinsky in "With Fire and Sword") is also Ola's fan and a jerk (also in this film!). As Jan intervenes, some drinks are spilled on the lecherous Captain. But pure Vodka does not tarn uniform or honour, so Jan goes unpunished.

Ola Raniewska

Jan Krynicki

Captain Kostrzewa

Immediately after the wedding Jan goes to war in Ukraine to free Kiev from Communist sphere of influence. The war is short and Poland is victorious. But the Soviets are already preparing an attack on Poland. Jan mockingly reads aloud propaganda flyers. A humorous moment turns serious when Jan is court martialed for distributing Communist propaganda. Before Jan ends up before firing squad, Bolshevik's attack and Jan is captured. As Chekist Bukowski (Adam Ferency, Turkish Khan in "With Fire and Sword") needs someone to be used as a propaganda tool so he saves Jan's life. Bukowski is a barbaric rapist and so are his men. Jan does not want to enjoy Bukowski's hospitality for long and manages to escape.

Military wedding

Bukowski

Although historically the relations with Poland have been difficult, the Cossacks help Jan to return to his troops. The Communists must be stopped before Warsaw or the whole Europe is threatened. As the patriotic wave sweeps over Poland, the peasants and the intellectuals must use their skills against common enemy. Ola goes to serve her country as a nurse, but she can handle also machine gun. Marshal Józef Pilsudski (Daniel Olbrychski) hatches a genius plan to destroy the Soviet attackers and the following battle is later called the Miracle on the Vistula. But Soviet Marshal Tukhachevsky (Aleksandr Goshabayev) does everything he can to foil the plan. (Ironically master strategist Tukhachevsky himself was later executed in Stalin's purges).

Marshal Józef Pilsudski

Red Guard on rampage

Marshal Tukhachevsky

Nearly 80-year old Jerzy Hoffman directs the movie with steady professionalism. He uses the regular cast in his films. Hey, it is Aleksandr Domogarov (Bohun from "With Fire and Sword") as Kryshkin. Also Michal Zebrowski (Jan Skrzetuski from "With Fire and Sword") has a role as Prime Minister Wladyslaw Grabski. Daniel Olbrychski (from "Army of Valhalla" has the role of First Marshal of Poland Józef Pilsudski. 

Wladyslaw Grabski

Kryshkin

Lenin

The film makers are seldom interested in European history between the World Wars. Still at the end of the WW1 great tensions were building up and the peace was only a prelude to the events leading to WW2. The script has good mixture of politics, warfare and some romance. David and Goliath setting contrasts the religious Polish mindset against the godlessness of the Bolsheviks. Tragically the following years had Poland first falling under Nazi occupation and then under Soviet occupation.

The colours of the film are slightly off having green tint, and it is because the film was originally filmed on 3D (first Polish film in 3D). Couple of the quick scenes feel like flirting with 3D but it is totally watchable without 3D. Visceral trench warfare feels apocalyptic, with horsemen putting a fight against machine guns and cannons. The costumes and old assault vehicles should satisfy history and militaria buffs. Those who have played "World of Tanks" may recognize FT17.

Polish FT17 covering infantry

Rating: Very good

Starring: Daniel Olbrychski, Natasza Urbanska, Borys Szyc, Jerzy Bonczak, Adam Ferency, Boguslaw Linda, Ewa Wisniewska, Aleksandr Domogarov, Olga Kabo, Adam Strzelecki, Michal Zebrowski, Rafal Cieszynski, Lukasz Garlicki, Piotr Glowacki, Wojciech Solarz, Viktor Balabanov, Jaroslaw Boberek, Stanislawa Celinska, Aleksandr Goshabayev, Krzesimir Debski, Krzysztof Dracz, Marian Dziedziel, Igor Guzun, Ryszard Jablonski, Dariusz Kordek, Jacek Poniedzialek, Janusz Sieniawski, Magdalena Smalara, Zdzislaw Szymborski, Grazyna Szapolowska, Ewa Wencel, Krzysztof Globisz, Elzbieta Romanowska, Georgij Angielow, Mateusz Banasiuk, Dariusz Biskupski, Jerzy Braszka, Marta Dabrowska, Tomasz Drabek, Mateusz Gasiewski, Andrzej Golejewski, Jaroslaw Gruda, Slawomir Holland, Bartosz Kopec, Andrzej Kopiczynski, Marek Kossakowski, Miroslaw Krawczyk, Bogdan Krzywicki, Antoni Królikowski, Ilona Kucinska, Szymon Kusmider, Eugeniusz Malinowski, Grzegorz Milczarczyk, Zbiegniew Modej, Grzegorz Mostowicz-Gerszt, Marek Nowakowski, Bartlomiej Nowosielski ,Wojciech Olszanski, Artur Owczarek, Tadeusz Paradowicz, Tomasz Pawlak, Aleksander Pociej, Jerzy Rogalski, Grzegorz Rutkiewicz, Anna Sasiadek, Andrzej Skolik, Igor Stepanov, Andrzej Szopa, Adam Szyszkowski, Mariusz Tarnozek, Maria Turos, Grzegorz Wolf, Ilja Zmiejew
Director: Jerzy Hoffman

Movie Review: With Fire and Sword

With Fire and Sword (Ogniem i Mieczem) 

Agencja Produkcji Filmowej, Kredyt Bank PBI S.A., Okocimskie Zaklady Piwowarskie S.A., Telewizja Polska (TVP), Zodiak Jerzy Hoffman Film Production Sp. z o.o., Poland, 1999. 

Let's continue with Jerzy Hoffman's movies depicting history of Poland. "With Fire and Sword" is based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, who also wrote "Quo Vadis." 

It is year 1647 in Polish Commonwealth when the Kingdom has passed its top position and everything is going downhill from now on. The nobles have become corrupt, hedonistic and lazy. Oppressed tribes are rebelling and demanding justice and independency. Mercenaries are roaming the land searching for opportunities for fortune and glory.

Cossack Noble Zenobius Chmielnicki (Bogdan Stupka) is attacked by assassins but he is saved by Polish Hussar Jan Skezetuski (Michal Zebrowski). Jan was just returning from war and did not know that local Lord Czaplinski is hunting Chmielnicki. Czaplinski is not happy about it but Jan throws the pesky Lord out of the tavern. After all it was the actions of Czaplinski that turned Chmielnicki into enemy of Poland. Jan and simple but strong warrior Longinus (Wiktor Zborowski) want to join Prince Jeremi's (Andrzej Seweryn) service. Longinus has sworn celibacy until he can behead three enemies with one swordstroke. Hey, a man has to have his goals!

Chmielnicki

Jan Skezetuski

Longinus

On the road they help Old Princess (Ewa Wisniewska) and her young niece Helena Kurcewiczówna (Izabella Scorupco). Unluckily for Jan Helena already has an unpleasant suitor Cossack Colonel Jurko Bohun (Aleksandr Domogarov). There is still hope as Helena does not like hot-tempered Bohun. Bohun notices the chemistry between the two so Jan gets a dangerous enemy. After proposing her, Jan joins the service of the Prince. He meets also his old friend swordmaster Michal (Zbigniew Zamachowski). 

Helena

Bohun

Party!

The Tatars and Cossacks are restless and joining their forces. Jan and servant Rzedzian (Wojciech Malajkat) go to find out what Chmielnicki and the Tatars are planning. Jan is captured but Chmielnicki buys him free as he owes him his live. Chmielnicki plans a rebellion against nobles to detach Ukraine from the Polish Empire and Bohun has joined their ranks. The rebels win the first battles against Polish Hussars and the Kingdom is threatened.

Cossack army

Prince Jeremi

Polish Winged Hussars

Bohun finds out that Helena is betrothed to Jan so he kills Helena's family. Helena escapes with jovial former bar-keeper Zagloba (Krzysztof Kowalewski). Jan goes into desperation as he doesn't know if Helena is killed or captured. The land is in turmoil and from the humble origins mighty warlords rise. The allegiances shift and the outcome of the battles is always uncertain. 

Zagloba, Michal and Bohun picking a fight

Rzedzian

Cossack siege engine

This is a fine historical adventure, with story comparable to "War and Peace." The story has something for everybody, romance, passionate drama, huge battles, political intrigue, Rabelaisian vulgarity and cruel and unusual punishments. The characters are multi-dimensional. Jan is the hero who goes through extreme emotions during the story. Bohun is a tragic devil, anti-hero with heavy dose of Slavic melancholy. Drunkard Zagloba is better fighter than he seems and survives most battles just with his sheer luck. Rzedzian navigates easily between different factions bringing valuable information to the heroes obtaining some treasures on the way, that rascal. Chmielnicki is a freedom fighter whose actions bring death for thousands of innocents. There designers have not been thrifty, the costumes, sets and places look realistic and amazing.

There is also a role playing/strategy game "Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword" where you can select your favourite faction and try to lead them to victory. Despite the interesting setting the game is not my cup of tea, I always get captured by bandits and lose my hard-earned equipment.

Rating: Very good

Starring: Izabella Scorupco, Michal Zebrowski, Aleksandr Domogarov, Krzysztof Kowalewski, Bogdan Stupka, Andrzej Seweryn, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Wiktor Zborowski, Wojciech Malajkat, Ewa Wisniewska, Ruslana Pysanka, Daniel Olbrychski, Marek Kondrat, Gustaw Holoubek, Andrzej Kopiczynski, Maciej Kozlowski, Adam Ferency, Gustaw Lutkiewicz, Dmitri Mirgorodsky, Jerzy Bonczak, Wlodzimierz Brodecki, Joanna Brodzik, Marek Cichucki, Rafal Cieszynski, Jerzy Cnota, Maciej Czapski, Lech Dyblik, Marek Frackowiak, Tadeusz Gloskowski, Krzysztof Gosztyla, Andrzej Graziewicz, Jerzy Karaszkiewicz, Pawel Kleszcz, Szymon Kobylinski, Krzysztof Kolbasiuk, Bernard Ladysz, Anna Majcher, Andrzej Pieczynski, Eugeniusz Priwieziencew, Stefan Szmidt, Przemyslaw Tejkowski, Leszek Teleszynski, Aleksander Wysocki, Janusz Zerbst, Andrzej Zólkiewski, Marek Marcinkowski, Aleksander Pociej, Tomasz Konieczny, Janusz Sieniawski, Michal Chorosinski, Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Tomasz Abramski, Piotr Bala, Wladyslaw Baranski, T. Bat, Wlodzimierz Bednarski, Wlodzimierz Borysiak, Jerzy Braszka, T. Ciecierski, Jerzy Dukay, Jerzy Frykowski, Krystyna Gierlowska, Dariusz Gnatowski, L. Gurpienko, Andrzej Grabowski, Tomasz Grochoczynski, Andrzej Halinski, Krzysztof Artur Janczar, Ryszard Jablonski, Ryszard Janiak, Mieczyslaw Janowski, Józef Jarosz, Jan Jurewicz, Przemyslaw Kapsa, Adam Karaszewski, Marek Karpowicz, Piotr Komorowski, Michal Konarski, A, Kazimierz Krzaczkowski, Czeslaw Lasota, Karolina Lukaszewicz, K. Luksza, Tadeusz Mieluch, T. Mir, Jerzy Moniak, A. Nowak, Bartosz Obuchowicz, Jacek Radzinski, Radoslaw Rosinski, Przemyslaw Szajewski, Tomasz Szajewski, W. Szczecinski, Andrzej Szczytko, Zdzislaw Szymborski, Budsuren Tumen-Ulzyj, Adam Warchol, Juliusz Krzysztof Warunek, Magdalena Warzecha, Robert Wieckiewicz, P. Zbierski, Jacek Rozenek, Tomasz Bednarek, Wojciech Jakubowski, Olga Milaszewska, Ben Talar 
Director: Jerzy Hoffman

Movie Review: Army of Valhalla

Army of Valhalla (Stara basn. Kiedy slonce bylo bogiem) a.k.a Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was God a.k.a The Old Fairy Tale: When the Sun Was God a.k.a The Old Fairy 

Zodiak Jerzy Hoffman Film Production Sp. z o.o., Telewizja Polska (TVP), Syrena Entertainment Group, Agencja Produkcji Filmowej, Zodiak, Poland, 2003. 

Based on historical characters and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski's novel "Stara basn."

Evil Prince Popiel (Bogdan Stupka) and wife Ksiezna (Malgorzata Foremniak) plot to murder Popiel's nephews to make their son the next prince. Then Popiel takes hostages to keep the tribes under his thumb. The witches predict that Popiel will be defeated by heroes and he will be eaten by mice. 

Popiel and Ksiezna

Viking archer Ziemowit (Michal Zebrowski), son of hero Piast, saves pretty witch Dziwa (Marina Aleksandrova) in the forest. Romance must wait as Popiel's thugs are hunting down the dissidents. Guardian Piastun of the nephews (Daniel Olbrychski) is ambushed in the forest and Ziemovit saves him too. Ziemowit wants to marry Dziwa but she is already promised to Gods. Ziemowit abducts Dziwa but she stabs him. What will now happen to the prophecies? 

Ziemowit

Dziwa

Guardian Piastun

I don't know if something is lost in the translation or did the movie change some details, as the film seems to refer the Guardian (Piastun or Piast) and Ziemowit's father as separate characters but historically Piast was Ziemowit's father. 

The tribes start rebelling against cruel Popiel. Popiel recruits mercenary Vikings to crush the rebellion and sends creepy spy Znosek (Andrzej Pieczynski) to get information. The rebels prepare for war but their no-tactic attack is brutally pushed back. They need heroes to lead them. Luckily Guardian is a tactical genius and Ziemovit was just wounded. There is also girl named Mila (Katarzyna Bujakiewicz) who wants Ziemowit and goes to Witch Jarucha (Ewa Wisniewska) to get love potions. That doesn't end happily as the Vikings attack just when the magic starts to work.

Znosek

Mila

Tribal army

Jerzy Hoffman directs historic epics that are criminally unknown outside of Poland. However "With Fire and Sword" and "Battle of Warsaw 1920" are available even as Finnish DVDs. The British DVD cover of "Army of Valhalla" looks like attempt to lure the viewers with stylized violence of "300." There are some gory battles but more in 1980s medieval war movie style, maybe Paul Verhoeven's "Flesh+Blood" or John Boorman's "Excalibur" would be closer to the depiction. However the cover is not completely misguiding as the big Viking warrior with the horned mask appears in the movie. Even without the axe he is a formidable character. He is legendary Viking Jarl Sigvald (Dariusz Juzyszyn) who actualy lived some hundred years after Popiel's reign. But this is not so much a movie about Vikings but historical fiction about origins of the Polish nation.

Jarl Sigvald

Macbethian historic adventure from pre-Christian Poland depicts the time when Odin-worshipping Vikings clashed with the Eastern European Sun-worshipping tribes and the Old Gods had not yet been subdued by Christianity. The story has bearded honorable warriors and fair maidens with decent amount of Pagan eroticism. Those who are bored with Hollywood spectacularism and special effects should try these European down to Earth historic adventures.

Harvest festival

Warriors of Odin

Popiel's castle

Rating: Good 

Starring: Michal Zebrowski, Marina Aleksandrova, Malgorzata Foremniak, Daniel Olbrychski, Bogdan Stupka, Anna Dymna, Ewa Wisniewska, Maciej Kozlowski, Jerzy Trela, Andrzej Pieczynski, Katarzyna Bujakiewicz, Ryszard Filipski, Jan Prochyra, Dariusz Juzyszyn, Marcin Mroczek, Michal Sieczkowski, Adam Graczyk, Maciej Chorzelski, Andrzej Krukowski, Krystyna Feldman, Krzysztof Zarzecki, Maria Niklinska, Wiktor Zborowski, Grzegorz Emanuel, Sylwester Maciejewski, Ryszard Ronczewski, Tomasz Zaliwski, Zdzislaw Wardejn, Marceli Nowek, Ryszard Jablonski, Jan Janga-Tomaszewski, Edward Warzecha, Jerzy Dukay, Arkadiusz Bazak, Jerzy Braszka, Mariusz Jakus, Eryk Lubos, Maciej Zakoscielny, Stefan Szmidt, Aleksander Skowronski, Stanislaw Wdowczyk, Zdzislaw Szymborski, Andrzej Shalew, Bogdan Miklaszewicz, Krzysztof Lukaszewicz, Andrzej Graziewicz, Sergei Motenko, Janusz Sadowski, Wojciech Tomasz Biernawski, Mieczyslaw Janowski, Aleksander Pociej, Michal Chorosinski, Mariusz Drezek, Andrzej Kobylas, Marek Cichucki, Sylwester Zawadzki, Karolina Gruszka, Jerzy Hoffman, Robert Koszucki 

Director: Jerzy Hoffman

Movie Review: Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth
ITC Films, RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, Italy, UK, 1977.

This year's Easter Special Biblical Epic is 6-hour miniseries made in 1977.

Part 1
Josef (Yorgo Voyagis) and Mary (Olivia Hussey) are betrothed. At night Mary gets God's message to go see her cousin Elizabeth (Marina Berti) who has gotten baby John who will become John the Baptist. Maria is now also pregnant and will get God's child. Joseph hesitates to marry Maria now, as that would be against the law of Israel but God says that everything will be alright.

The Roman Empire orders a census so Joseph and Mary must travel to Bethlehem. Herod (Peter Ustinov) fears that Messiah will take his throne. Jesus is born and the family has to escape Herod's assassins.

Part 2
John the Baptist (Michael York) preaches about coming of Messiah and baptizes Jesus (Robert Powell). Herod Antipas (Christopher Plummer) captures John. Jesus gathers the disciples and starts modernizing the rigid Jewish law system. Salome (Isabel Mestre), manipulated by her mother Herodias (Valentina Cortese), demands to have John the Baptist's head. 

John the Baptist

Isabel Mestre as Salome

Part 3
Jesus continues performing miracles. He gets two new followers: Judas Iskariot (Ian McShane) and Mary Magdalene (Anne Bancroft). Political intrigue around Jesus continues as the rebels and the rabbis would like to use him for their own purposes. Jesus goes to Jerusalem and teaches about loving thy neighbours. Jesus curses those who would like to deny Heaven from common people and those who are twisting religion to serve their own purposes.

Jesus

Judas Iskariot

Part 4
The Jewish priests decide fate of Jesus. Despite dissenting opinions they give Jesus to Romans and Jesus is crucified.

Ian Holm as Zerah

The script was written by Anthony Burgess (known for "Clockwork Orange"), which probably gave the political intrigue more spotlight than in usual Jesus films. The political tensions in Jerusalem at that time were increasing and the Roman rulers and Jewish priests wanted to avoid conflict. So the man who preached for peace became a scapecoat for the unrest.

The cast is strong and production values high. Music was composed by composer of epic soundtracks Maurice Jarre. The Biblical epics are always perfect chance for film buffs to play Spot the Star. Hey, it has Ian McShane as Judas Iskariot. Peter Ustinov as Herod the Great, Rod Steiger as Pontius Pilate, Anthony Quinn as Caiaphas and Laurence Olivier as Nicodemus. The Three Magi have Fernando Rey as Caspar, Donald Pleasence as Melchior, James Earl Jones as Balthazar. And many more. Robert Powell's Jesus has dreamer's eyes and solemn charisma. There is almost Ingmar Bergman style mystical humanism.

Ernest Borgnine as Centurion

James Earl Jones as Balthazar

Although artistically it may not be as strong as "Last Temptation of Christ" or "Passion" as a traditional film depiction of Jesus it is one of the best. Although available also in abridged cinematic version, the miniseries version is the version to see. The setback of that version is that it may feel overwhelmingly long (4x91 min), so it is best watched in parts. The beginning is slow but improves after the first part and really shines in the last two parts.

Rating: Very good

Starring: Robert Powell, Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, James Farentino, Ian McShane, Christopher Plummer, Olivia Hussey, Tony Vogel, John Duttine, Michael York, Jonathan Muller, Claudia Cardinale, Valentina Cortese, Sergio Nicolai, James Mason, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Quinn, Rod Steiger, John Eastham, Ian Holm, Ian Bannen, Keith Skinner, Keith Washington, David Garfield, Robert Rietty, Nikki Van der Zyl, James Earl Jones, Stacy Keach, Tony Lo Bianco, Donald Pleasence, Fernando Rey, Ralph Richardson, Peter Ustinov, Cyril Cusack, Yorgo Voyagis, Marina Berti, Maria Carta, Robert Beatty, Nancy Nevinson, Christopher Reich, Lorenzo Monet, Murray Salem, Steve Gardner, Cyril Shaps, John Tordoff, Isabel Mestres, Renato Montalbano, Bruce Lidington, Mimmo Crao, Oliver Smith, Martin Benson, Regina Bianchi, Robert Brown, Lee Montague, Renato Rascel, Oliver Tobias, Norman Bowler, John Phillips, Ken Jones, Renato Terra, Roy Holder, Jonathan Adams, Michael Cronin, Forbes Collins, Michael Haughey, Derek Godfrey, Robert Davey, George Camiller, Francis De Wolff, Antonello Campodifiori, Tim Pearce, Paul Curran, Mark Eden, Bruno Barnabe, Simon MacCorkindale, Lionel Guyett, Peter Harlowe, Carl Forgione, Donald Sumpter, Pino Colizzi, Norman Eshley, Yorgos Vogiatzis, Darien Angadi, Immad Cohen, Stefan Kalipha, Harold Bennett, Andrew Manson

Director: Franco Zeffirelli