When big historical events occur, art usually comes alive with expression on that event. Prior to the video camera, these expressions usually took the form of literature and paintings, describing or depicting the event or its effects. We can see this with events from Ancient Greece, to the Plague, to French Revolution, to present day. Some if the most beloved works of art ever created are in this realm of focus from The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck to Liberty Leading the People painted by Eugene Delacroix. Our subject today follows in those same footsteps. A film depicting a moment in time where one major event was coming to an end and another was just beginning. A movie that is one of the greatest in Polish cinematic history.
So if you're like me and you enjoy film and the impact and emotions they convey, then grab a glass of your preferred liquid and join me for the next little while. For me, that's a bottle of Merlot from our friends at Yellow Tail Winery in Australia. So sit back, relax, and let's talk about the love of film. Welcome to Glazed Cinema.
One of my favorite historical works of art is Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze. I first saw it in a textbook in grade school and it captured my imagination and I really gravitated toward it. In 2021 my wife and I went to the MET and I got to see it in person. I was taken back by the sight of it. I had no idea how big it was until I saw it, taking up a massive space in a massive museum. It was beautiful and absolutely breathtaking.
Art based on history tends to have that effect, it transposes the event to our imagination, bringing us into a moment in time. Painting is steeped in this ritual of documenting history for viewers to witness. With the advent of the movie camera, a number of films have done the same, commenting on what happened and bringing us even closer to it with imagery and sound. Arguably the most documented event in cinematic history is World War II, which makes complete and total sense. Filmmaking was seeping into more and more countries with young filmmakers rising to the occasion. Each one affected by the war in some way and each with different things to say about their experiences or the experienced of those around them.
Our subject today is in that same vein, depicting a specific moment and place in time, creaking open the door to let us peak inside. Our movie today opens with two men lying on a grassy slope in front of a church during midday. Resting a bit, their relaxation is interrupted by the knocking of a little girl, trying to enter the chapel. Approaching them with flowers in her hand, she asks for their help in opening the door for her, which one of the gentleman obliges to do. Despite his attempts the door it seems will not open, so he picks her up so she can place her flowers above the door among a small shrine. Soon a third man whistles loudly, alerting the other two of an approaching jeep. Shortly after the men attack the oncoming vehicle, hoping it's the Soviet Secretary inside. After it's all over they learn their target was not in the jeep and must leave before others arrive.
Fleeing the scene we rejoin them in the local town square where news of the unconditional surrender of Germany is being announced to the town over a loudspeaker. As they discuss next steps, it's decided that they'll go to a banquet in town. Apart from celebrating the end of the war, they hope to find their target there as they've learned he's to make an appearance. While at the banquet Chelmicki meets an attractive young bartender named Krystyna, with whom he befriends and spends portions of the night with. All the while while hiding in plain sight among the patrons, he lies in wait for the right moment to make his move on the target.
Ashes and Diamonds is a movie that for the vast majority of time takes place in and around a banquet hall. The events depicted all take place during one night and one day, which is May 8th and 9th. The country is Poland and we find ourselves following a man wearing a jacket and sunglasses. His name is Maciek and he is an assassin and member of the Polish resistance.
Ashes and Diamonds is based in a book by Jerzy Andrzejewski, which was published in 1945. It touched people right away and became something of a revelation. It eventually became required reading for students. Despite this though, Wajda wasn't interested in it until the lead actor of his film "Kanal" began talking about it. In a 2003 interview Wajda himself recalls this stating:
"I think Tadeusz Janczar got me interested in it. I was especially interested in what he told me. He said "There's this fantastic scene at the end. It's dawn and everybody is still dancing even as the leave like in the The Wedding by Wyspianski." That stimulated my imagination and I began to take interest in the book. When I read the novel, I realized there was only one solution: to film it such that everything happens over the course of one day and one night. The first thing was to condense everything into the night of May 9th, which is when Poland and the entire communist bloc were celebrating victory. The war is ending, but it still haunts all the characters, left-wing communists and resistance fighters entering this new reality, carrying the baggage of everything that went before."
Between the book's publication and the release of the film, years had passed and within that time the book had built up interest in the Soviet government. This is mainly because in the book the character of the Soviet Party Secretary, Szczuska was viewed as a heroic figure to not only the Soviets, but more importantly the Soviet Censorship Board. This helped green light the film past the censorship boards, mainly because they believed the film would mimic the book. In actuality, Wajda had decided to stray away from it quite a bit. Instead of putting the focus on the Soviet Secretary, he decided to aim the camera on a Polish resistance fighter, Maciek Chelmicki, thus changing the perspective and sympathy.
While the book takes place over numerous days, Wajda plotted that his film would be based on a much shorter time period. He landed on a moment in Polish history and a rather tumultuous one at that. To understand why though, we must look at it through a different lens than what we might know.
The day in question, May 8th is when the surrender of Nazi Germany was signed, ending the war in Europe. How that day felt really depended on where you resided at that time. Any country West of Berlin including France, Belgium, Great Britain, and America it was celebratory. Peace was finally achieved in Europe and the world felt a little more just. There was also a sense that the idea of achieving normalcy, was coming into view.
For those East of Berlin however, like Poland, the end of the war meant occupation by the Soviet Union. For many countries under Soviet rule, they felt like the worst was yet to come. The end of the war may have arrived, but a free Poland had not been achieved despite a resistance effort. Many Poles felt betrayed by the outcome of the war. An understandable feeling since in 1932 the country had signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Germany and another in 1934 with the Soviet Union and yet in 1935 both countries had invaded its borders. The country also suffered many horrors during the war, particularly in Warsaw. Now, at the end of the war one occupier was essentially replaced by another. I can only imagine what the citizens must have been feeling on the day in question.
Eleven years later after the thaw of the Soviet Union and lightening of censorship a film movement began to emerge. At the time Poland was struggling with instability in the political and economic theater. The nation was in poverty and protests were often held to voice displeasure of government. From out of this environment a young group of Polish filmmakers, screenwriters, and cinematographer just out of the Lodz film school. The group would meet often at the rectorate and watch imported films from Hollywood and ground-breaking European movements like the French New Wave and Italian Neo-Realism. The latter in particular was a big influence, which can be seen in movies of the movement, particularly the earlier ones. Post graduation they arrived on scene with something to say, wanting to bring their experiences and feelings to the big screen. The group would be responsible for a new cinematic movement coined, The Polish Film School, which started in 1956 and ended in 1965.
The name came from a critic who was quoted as saying, "Polish Film School of the greatest tradition of our art." Among them were a number of directors including Andzrej Wajda and Andrzej Munk. Each of them harkening on their experienced from the war to make the initial movies that would define each's bourgeoning identities. Movies that came out of this movement are grounded in social commentary and the emotions felt from the effects of the issues portrayed. Their comradery didn't stop after graduation either as many of them collaborated while making movies later on.
Ashes and Diamonds is directed by the former, Andrzej Wajda, which has a great cast of performers. In it we follow a Polish resistance fighter named Maciek Chelmicki, played by Zbigniew Cybulski and his comrade Andzrej, played by Adam Pawlikowski. Cybulski, often referred to as the Polish James Dean plays the role with a breadth of coolness that adds a lot to the character. His performance in particular is phenomenal, showcasing a range of emotions in a believable way that make us sympathize with him. There's also the bartender Krystyna, played by Ewa Krzyzewska who brings a kind of mystery and slight melancholy to the role that when alongside Cybulski lends perfectly.
The first time I saw our subject today I was amazed by what I had seen. This movie has an identity that feels very poetic to me. I find it a wonderfully rich picture with great beauty in its sentiment and cinematography. It walks a careful tightrope of tension, irony, drama, and social commentary. I found the shots so intriguing for a movie with such little changes in setting and characters.
There are so many great scenes that stick out to me within its 105 minute duration, but some I can't discuss without mentioning a spoiler. Aside from a single scene though, the framing and vision are so unbelievable here, which is fairly universal for Wajda's films. Such iconic imagery can be seen in Ashes and Diamonds alone like the statue of Jesus in the church destroyed from the war, the fireworks display, and the almost trance like dancing in the ballroom. Another great solitary shot is when a uniformed man in the banquet hall lobby unfurls the Polish flag. He stands in the shadow of the hall as the flag is bathed in light of day shining from the open door. A lot of his shots are almost like paintings, which is certainly thanks to his Fine Arts studies as a painter in Krakow.
One of my favorite scenes however, is with Maciek and Andzrej who are at the bar together. Maciek sniffs the drinks and asks if Andzrej remember drinks at Red's, which we can guess is somewhere they drank during the war. Soon Maciek is sliding shots down the bar to his friend who observes the satisfyingly smooth delivery. Then a match is lit and each shot is set aflame. One by one Andzrej states a name, one of the fallen in war. As they reminisce of their days in war the flames from each glass dance on the bar, breathing life into the names each one represents. It's a great sequence and one that I find almost hypnotizing, especially given the acting Cybulski puts on display.
The lead, Cybulski is undoubtedly the gravitating force of Ashes and Diamonds, but he wasn't the original choice for the lead. Wajda wanted the lead in his previous effort of Kanal to play Cybulski and when Cybulski was suggested he was hesitant. Ultimately, the suggestion won the day and the rest as they say is history as one of the most iconic Polish characters was born. The casting decision also set forth a lot of key decisions including the character's attire. Originally the character was supposed to be another resistance fighter, dressed in fatigues. However, when Cybulski was cast in the lead role he insisted a change to the character's clothes. Instead of army fatigues, which he perceived as outdated, he felt his character should appear in a jacket and sunglasses to appeal to the youthful rebellious nature of the country. This was a risky move at the time and a decision that wasn't taken lightly by Wajda as it could backfire in the eyes of not only the public, but the censors. In the end, they went with the actor's intuition and when it came time for filming Cybulski showed up on set in his own jacket and sunglasses, ready for filming.
The risk paid off in strides, particularly the sunglasses as they are one of the most iconic symbols of the movie. This also has an effect outside of cinema as well. After its release the sale of sunglasses soared throughout the country, a trend sparked by the brilliance of Cybulski's idea and the courage of Wajda to follow it. As far as the Communist Party who green lit the film based on their assumption it would mimic the book...they were not too happy. It became clear that the film instead of sympathizing with the Communist leader as the book did, sympathized with the resistance. Instead of pulling the movie though, they instead opted to not export it internationally. Ashes and Diamonds thus could not be entered in any international film festival, which is a shame as the Communist Party refused to show it abroad. There was one person inside the party, a man named Lewinski who daringly took it to the Venice Film Festival to show out of competition. It received great reviews and also won an award from the International Federation of Film Critics. Word got out about the film and how good it was and soon it began playing in other European countries and eventually worldwide. Lewinski subsequently lost his position upon arriving back in Poland for disobedience and excess of authority. Had it not been for him though, I don't know when this gem of Polish cinema would have been discovered internationally.
Ashes and Diamonds is one of the best works in Polish cinematic history and one that has inspired directors like Martin Scorsese and Andrei Tarkovsky. It also inspired a whole new generation of Polish directors including one of my favorite directors, Krzysztof Kieslowski. Ashes and Diamonds is a phenomenal work of art that continues to entertain and inspire audiences around the world to this day. If you like the more artful side if cinema, I highly recommend pressing play on this film, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
If you'd like to watch Ashes and Diamonds for yourself you can find it on a variety of streaming services. At the time of this recording you can find it on The Criterion Channel. The Criterion Channel is a streaming service of tremendous value for any seasoned or bourgeoning film fan with a terrific catalog of offering for either $10.99 per month or $99 per year, which is what I chose to do.
Apart from The Criterion Channel you can also find it on services like HBO Max. HBO Max offers a diverse catalog of great movies and TV shows with monthly pricing options of either $10.99 with ads or $14.99 ad free.
Lastly, you can also find Ashes and Diamonds on services including Prime Video and Apple TV for $3.99 to rent.
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