"James Dean with a Machine Gun"

ASHES AND DIAMONDS



Original title: Popiól i diament
Year: 1958
Country: Poland
Language: Polish
Number: 335
Director: Andrzej Wajda
Starring: Zbigniew Cybulski, Ewa Krzyzewska, Waclaw Zastrzezynski, Adam Pawlikowski
Venice: FIPRESCI Prize
IMDb: 7.9
RT score: 88%

Andrzej Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds is the last film in the highly acclaimed war trilogy that have put Poland on the map of greatest film nations. This series has been a great success in Poland because it follows the second world war through the eyes of the rebellious youth. We have follow them through the greatest event during the war, like the Warsaw up-spring. But in this last chapter set during one single day, May 8, 1945, the liberation day when the Germans finally surrendered, but the future is still uncertain, because of the strong communist influence that is certainly going to grip the power.

But there's a nationalist group that will prevent the communist of taking control, and one of these nationalists are the young Maciek who is ordered to kill one of the communist leaders. So we follow him in the last hours before he's about to conduct his assignments. The war has given him many mental scars through the years. From fighting the nazis to now fighting the communists. He wear sunglasses all the time, not because it makes him cool, like James Dean, but because all the time in the sewer during the up spring. "I wear these for my father land" as he puts it.




My opinion about this film is that it is kind of a slow film. I am a little afraid for saying what I'm about to say, but I actually hoped it would been much better, and with more action, and it isn't as great as the two previous films. I hoped that this last chapter would lead to something big. The one of the few things that was thrilling was the opening scene, but while watching the rest of the movie, I wasn't that impressed. But it's an alright story, though nothing more. But the main character is just as cool as James Dean, he has the same view towards authorities.


Grade: C+


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