The Deluge (1974)
"Potop" (original title)

Director:

Jerzy Hoffman

Writers:

Jerzy Hoffman, Adam Kersten,

Stars:

Daniel Olbrychski, Malgorzata Braunek, Tadeusz Lomnicki

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Olbrychski	...	Andrzej Kmicic
Malgorzata Braunek	...	Olenka Billewiczówna
Tadeusz Lomnicki	...	Michal Wolodyjowski
Kazimierz Wichniarz	...	Jan Onufry Zagloba
Wladyslaw Hancza	...	Janusz Radziwill
Leszek Teleszynski	...	Boguslaw Radziwill
Ryszard Filipski	...	Soroka
Wieslawa Mazurkiewicz	...	Aunt Kulwiecówna
Franciszek Pieczka	...	Kiemlicz
Leslaw Janicki	...	Damian Kiemlicz
Waclaw Janicki	...	Kosma Kiemlicz
Bruno O'Ya	...	Józwa Butrym
Wlodzimierz Bednarski	...	Zend
Bogusz Bilewski	...	Kulwiec-Hippocentaurus
Andrzej Kozak	...	Rekuc Leliwa

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

treating a wound | inflanty poland | corpse | envoy | cavalry | 

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Genres:

Adventure | History | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

Poland Soviet Union

Language:

Polish

Release Date:

14 May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Deluge

Filming Locations:

Dolina Chocholowska, Tatra Mountains, Malopolskie, Poland

Company Credits

Production Co:

A.P. Dovzenko Filmstudio, Belarusfilm, PRF "Zespol Filmowy"

Technical Specs

Runtime:

315 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by With Fire and Sword (1999)

User Reviews

more technical-budget view

I'd just like to add that "The Deluge" contained the best battle scenes made for the next 20 years till the movie "Barveheart", but even now they're still impressing. Hoffman managed to do that without any special effects and in the times when Poland was a communistic country and the budget was smaller than the amount of money middle class actors in Hollywood get now paid.

Except the battle scenes, it's impossible to not see the wonderful costumes and decorations. They're not only beautiful, but they create the climate of the 17th century better, than the often artificial decorations in Hollywood movies made for any century.

The film's time is about six hours. To tell the truth, I doubt that the Americans would have made this movie nowadays for less than a 100 mln $. Jerzy Hoffman could have dreamed at the best of that kind of money for his film and still, he made one of the best movies in history of cinema and the best in the history of Polish cinema.