JERZY ANTCZAK

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB. 

Original title:  Noce I Dnie

Poland, 1975.  Zespól Filmowy “Kadr”.  Screenplay by Jerzy Antczak, based on the novel by Maria Dabrowska.  Cinematography by Stanislaw Loth.  Music by Waldemar Kazanecki.  Production Design by Jerzy Maslowski.  Costume Design by Barbara Ptak, Renata Wlasow.  Film Editing by Janina Niedzwiecka.  

Dramatic epic based on the novel by Maria Dabrowska that has been called Poland’s Gone With The Wind, a mammoth four hour drama that has been cut down from the twelve-part miniseries that was originally broadcast on television. With the Germans invading during World War I, an elderly widow is evacuated from her home in the village of Kalinec and goes in search of her children, her memories flashing her back to the 1863 Uprising when she was a young woman. The man who captures her heart (in a still famous, often lampooned scene of handsome Karol Strasburger fetching her lilies from the depths of a pond) marries another, leaving Barbara open to accept the hand of Borumil, a less appealing farmer with whom she embarks upon the adventure of life. Children, work, politics and death are interwoven in a bewitching, beautifully shot saga that is held in place by sturdy direction and wonderful performances, especially Jadwiga Baranska as the female lead. Rich, vivid colours please the eye as the concerns of these characters become more endearing with each hour that passes so quickly.

Academy Award Nomination:  Best Foreign Language Film

Berlin Film Festival Award:  Best Actress (Jadwiga Baranska)