Popiól i diament (1958)

Director:

Andrzej Wajda

Writers:

Jerzy Andrzejewski (novel)
Jerzy Andrzejewski (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

29 May 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

Maciek, a young Resistance fighter, is ordered to kill Szczuka, a Communist district leader, on the last day of World War II...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Killing | Resistance Fighter | Communist | Communist Party

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win

Cast

Zbigniew Cybulski	...	Maciek Chelmicki
Ewa Krzyzewska	...	Krystyna
Waclaw Zastrzezynski	...	Szczuka
Adam Pawlikowski	...	Andrzej
Bogumil Kobiela	...	Drewnowski
Jan Ciecierski	...	Portier
Stanislaw Milski	...	Pieniazek
Artur Mlodnicki	...	Kotowicz
Halina Kwiatkowska	...	Staniewiczowa
Ignacy Machowski	...	Waga
Zbigniew Skowronski	...	Slomka
Barbara Krafftówna	...	Stefka (as Barbara Kraftówna)
Aleksander Sewruk	...	Swiecki
Zofia Czerwinska	...	Barmaid Lili
Wiktor Grotowicz	...	Franek Pawlicki (as W. Grotowicz)
Irena Orzecka	...	Jurgieluszka (as I. Orzewska)
Mieczyslaw Loza	...	Smolarski (as M. Loza)
Halina Siekierko	...	Puciatycka (as H. Siekierko)
Tadeusz Kalinowski	...	Wejchert (as T. Kalinowski)
Grazyna Staniszewska	...	Hanka Lewicka (as G. Staniszewska)
Ferdynand Matysik	...	Staszek Gawlik (as E. Matysik)
Jerzy Adamczak	...	Maj. Wrona (as J. Adamczyk)
Józef Pieracki	...	Puciatycki (as J. Pieracki)
Adolf Chronicki	...	Podgórski (as A. Chronicki)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Juliusz Grabowski	...	Musician (uncredited)
Jerzy Jogalla	...	Marek Szczuka (uncredited)
Ryszard Pietruski	...	Worker in the Crowd (uncredited)

Directed by
Andrzej Wajda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jerzy Andrzejewski		novel
Jerzy Andrzejewski		screenplay
Andrzej Wajda		writer

Original Music by
Filip Nowak
Jan Krenz		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Jerzy Wójcik

Film Editing by
Halina Nawrocka

Production Design by
Roman Mann

Costume Design by
Katarzyna Chodorowicz

Makeup Department
Halina Ber	....	assistant makeup artist (as Halina Turant)
Halina Sienska	....	makeup artist (as Halina Sieñska)
Halina Zajac	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Stanislaw Adler	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anita Janeczkowa	....	assistant director
Janusz Morgenstern	....	first assistant director
Jan Wlodarczyk	....	assistant director
Andrzej Wróbel	....	assistant director

Art Department
Marian Kowalinski	....	assistant production designer
Jaroslaw Switoniak	....	assistant production designer
Leszek Wajda	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Bohdan Bienkowski	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Zygmunt Krusznicki	....	assistant camera
Bogdan Myslinski	....	assistant camera
Jerzy Szurowski	....	assistant camera
Krzysztof Winiewicz	....	assistant camera
Wieslaw Zdort	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Irena Chorynska	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Filip Nowak	....	conductor

Other crew
Michal Sosinski	....	production assistant
Zygmunt Wójcik	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Zespól Filmowy "Kadr"

Distributors

• Contemporary Films (2006) (UK) (all media)
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Force Entertainment (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Janus Films (1961) (USA) (subtitled)
• Walter Manley Enterprises

Other Companies

• Ancona Films Inc.  sound
• Bellucci Productions Inc.  English Version
• Wroclaw Rhythm Quintet  music performed by

Also Known As:

Ashes and Diamonds (USA)
Popiół i diament (Poland)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Zespól Filmowy "Kadr"

Trivia:

After the film's release, sales of sunglasses shot up because Zbigniew Cybulski wore them consistently throughout the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Maciek is running away from Drewnowski and then the Russian soldiers, a train above them passes by. In one shot it is going to the left of the screen. Then in the next shot it is going to the right, then to the left again.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#20.3)" (2007)

Classic. Wajda. Cybulski. What are you waiting for?

Is it wrong to kill wrong people for the right cause? Is there a right cause to kill people? Would you rather make love to a beautiful woman or put somebody a bullet between the eyes and risk being hunted down and killed? Wajda embarks on the journey to prove that death is meaningless and awkward business in this cinematographic masterpiece.