Ashes & Diamonds

ASHES & DIAMONDS (POPIOL I DIAMENT) (15)

D: Andrzej Wajda

Janus Films (Andrzej Wajda)

Poland 🇵🇱 1958

103 mins

Drama/Thriller

W: Andrzej Wajda & Jerzy Andrzejewski [based on the novel “Popiół I Diamant” by Jerzy Andrzejewski]

DP: Jerzy Wojcik

Ed: Halina Nawrocka

Mus: Filip Nowak

Zbigniew Cybulski (Maciek Chelmicki), Ewa Krzyzewska (Krystyna), Waclaw Zastrzezynski (Szczuka), Adam Pawlikowski (Andrzej), Bogumil Kobiela (Drewnowski)

The opening of this 1958 Polish political drama is surprisingly violent considering the year of production, as a group of mercenaries for the Polish resistance movement attempt the assassination of a political leader on a rural road.  After they believe the job is done, they retreat to a hotel where they soon discover that their victim was the case of mistaken identity and the intended target had survived completely unscathed.  One of the soldiers, Maciek Chelmicki develops a conflict of interest over whether to attempt the assassination again, or pursue romance with an attractive barmaid who he meets at the hotel.

Ashes & Diamonds is frequently a film which makes its way on to many “greatest films of all time” lists and its influence is clear when it comes to filmmakers like Scorsese, Tarantino and the like.

Definitely worth a watch if subtitled films don’t bother you, as it is certainly amongst of the best films of 1950s.

8/10