A Generation (1955) Pokolenie (original title)

Director:

Andrzej Wajda

Writers:

Bohdan Czeszko (novel)
Bohdan Czeszko (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 January 1955 (Poland)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

Story of youths during the German occupation of Poland in the World War II who come to adulthood through love and adversity.

Plot Keywords:

Youth | Nazi Occupation | Falling Through A Staircase | Suicide | Staircase

Cast

Tadeusz Lomnicki	...	Stach Mazur
Urszula Modrzynska	...	Dorota
Tadeusz Janczar	...	Jasio Krone
Janusz Paluszkiewicz	...	Sekula
Ryszard Kotys	...	Jacek (as Ryszard Kotas)
Roman Polanski	...	Mundek
Ludwik Benoit	...	Grzesio
Zofia Czerwinska	...	Lola
Zbigniew Cybulski	...	Kostek
Tadeusz Fijewski	...	German Guard
Zygmunt Hobot	...	Abram
Cezary Julski	...	Coachman
Bronislaw Kassowski	...	Speculator
August Kowalczyk	...	Priest
Jerzy Krasowski	...	Wladek
Zenon Laurentowski
Stanislaw Milski	...	Jasio's Father
Juliusz Roland	...	Kaczor
Hanna Skarzanka	...	Stach's Mother
Janusz Sciwiarski	...	Manager
Kazimierz Wichniarz	...	Werkschutz
Zygmunt Zintel	...	Foreman Ziarno
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ryszard Ber	...	Zyzik Koscielniak (uncredited)
Bronislaw Dardzinski	...	(uncredited)
Wieslaw Golas	...	German Patrolman (uncredited)
Zofia Jamry	...	Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Mieczyslaw Kalenik	...	SS-Man (uncredited)
Henryk Kucharski	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
Kazimierz Kutz	...	GL Man (uncredited)
Jan Machulski	...	GL Man (uncredited)
Franciszek Pieczka	...	German Patrolman (uncredited)
Janusz Strachocki	...	Worker (uncredited)
Mieczyslaw Waskowski	...	(uncredited)
Danuta Wodynska	...	Franusiowa (uncredited)
Stefan Wroncki	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Andrzej Wajda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bohdan Czeszko		novel
Bohdan Czeszko		screenplay

Original Music by
Andrzej Markowski

Cinematography by
Jerzy Lipman

Film Editing by
Czeslaw Raniszewski

Production Design by
Roman Mann

Set Decoration by
Józef Galewski
Jerzy Skrzepinski

Costume Design by
Jerzy Szeski

Makeup Department
Zdzislaw Papierz	....	makeup artist
Stefan Szczepanski	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Ignacy Taub	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kazimierz Kutz	....	assistant director (as Kazimierz Kuc)
Konrad Nalecki	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Aleksander Ford	....	artistic supervisor

Sound Department
Józef Koprowicz	....	sound
Zygmunt Nowak	....	sound assistant
Józef Tomporek	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Jozef Ciecwirek	....	lighting technician
Czeslaw Grabowski	....	assistant camera
Stefan Matyjaszkiewicz	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Anna Rubinska	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Andrzej Markowski	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Romuald Hajnberg	....	production assistant
Roman Kowalski	....	production assistant
Maria Pietrzak	....	script supervisor
Zygmunt Rybarski	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Zespól Filmowy "Kadr"

Distributors

• Contemporary Films (2006) (UK) (all media)
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Vision Cinema (USA) (video) (subtitled)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Also Known As:

"Pokolenie" - Poland (original title)

Runtime:

83 min | Argentina:96 min

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

Company:

Zespól Filmowy "Kadr"

Trivia:

Acclaimed British director Lindsay Anderson considered it his favorite film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Lesson of Polish Cinema (2002)

excellent but not quite as good as KANAL

This was director Andrzej Wajda's first full-length film--and because of that, this stands as an amazing achievement. On the Criterion disk is an interview with Wajda and he credits much of the film's success to the cameraman and I agree wholeheartedly that this is one of the best looking black and white films I have ever seen.

The film concerns a young man during the Nazi occupation of Poland. In the beginning, he's a bit of a jerk but eventually gets a job and shows great responsibility. Later, he is welcomed into the partisans and it is an interesting look into this seldom talked about period of history.

The film gets a score of 8. It would have had a higher score had the film been more honest--as it portrays the Communists as being THE resistance and those partisans wanting a return to the democratic system as being greedy bourgeoisie. However, on the Criterion DVD, Wajda talks about how this was one of the required changes the Soviet-dominated Polish government mandated before they'd allow his film to be shown. So, considering the sensibilities of the time, it's not surprising that a little misrepresentation occurs. Still, it's a near-great film and a wonderful addition to KANAL. Wajda's 3rd film, ASHES AND DIAMONDS, unfortunately is a big disappointment to me and is considered the third in this trilogy about life in Poland during WWII.

There is one MINOR mistake in the film. At one point, the hero is hit in the head and is bleeding. Later in the same scene, there is no head wound!