Ogniem i mieczem (1999)

Director:

Jerzy Hoffman

Writers:

Jerzy Hoffman (writer)
Henryk Sienkiewicz (novel)

Release Date:

8 February 1999 (Poland)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | History | Romance | War

Plot:

An epic story about the Ukrainian uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth magnates in the 17th Century. |

Plot Keywords:

Love | Polish History | Male Female Relationship | Rival Suitor | Witch

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Izabella Scorupco	...	Helena Kurcewiczówna
Michal Zebrowski	...	Jan Skrzetuski
Aleksandr Domogarov	...	Jurko Bohun
Krzysztof Kowalewski	...	Jan Onufry Zagloba
Bogdan Stupka	...	Bohdan Chmielnicki
Andrzej Seweryn	...	Jeremi Wisniowecki
Zbigniew Zamachowski	...	Michal Wolodyjowski
Wiktor Zborowski	...	Longinus Podbipieta
Wojciech Malajkat	...	Rzedzian
Ewa Wisniewska	...	Kurcewiczowa
Ruslana Pysanka	...	Horpyna
Daniel Olbrychski	...	Tuhaj-Bej
Marek Kondrat	...	King Jan II Kazimierz
Gustaw Holoubek	...	Kisiel
Andrzej Kopiczynski	...	Zacwilichowski

Also Known As:

With Fire and Sword (USA)

Runtime:

175 min | Poland:204 min (TV version) (4 episodes)

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish | Tatar | Ukrainian | Turkish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-14

Filming Locations:

Biedrusko, Poznan, Poland

Company:

Agencja Produkcji Filmowej

Trivia:

The Tartar leader Tukhay-Bey (Daniel Olbrychski) bears an undeniable family resemblance with his son Azja in Pan Wolodyjowski (1969) movie, basing on other part of Sienkiewicz's trilogy. In fact, Azja was played by the same Daniel Olbrychski, 30 years younger.

Movie Connections:

Follows Pan Wolodyjowski (1969)

Could have been good

This movie was 20 years late. Should have been filmed in the 1970s after "Potop" (which for a way smaller budget was a much bigger and better film), when Hoffman was at his peak and had ready script, denied for political reasons by communist government - they were afraid it'd offend Soviets. Hoffman rewrote it in 1990s to make it more suited for modern times, i.e. more action and less talk. The result is a big Hollywood-style production that's in places chaotic and grotesque. Example: when Helena runs to Skrzetuski in slow motion, in the theater the whole audience erupted in violent laughter. That's how bad it was.

The mangled script is based on Henryk Sienkiewicz's historical novel "Ogniem i Mieczem", the first book in a trilogy set in XVII century Polish & Lithuanian Commonwealth. Sienkiewicz did a lot of research before he sat down to write. He stylized his prose after XVII century Polish and did an unmatched job. The result is a historically accurate book that's impossible to put down (similar to Dan Brown's style but 100 years older), with real people and events of 1648 Cossack uprising against their Polish masters. The protagonist is a lieutenant of heavy cavalry (hussars) in duke Jeremi Wisniowiecki's private army, who was the wealthiest magnate in Ukraine, owner of great estates, cities and villages, along with inhabitants. The uprising hit him most, he lost all of his lands forever. He was the son of a Wallachian princes and Ukrainian (Ruthenian) duke. He didn't have a drop of Polish blood in him and went to orthodox church in childhood. However, like most other nobles in Ukraine, he later became a Catholic, learned Polish and Latin. This set him apart from his orthodox subjects. He is in fact the main character in Sienkiewicz's novel, who admires him to the sky. He was a very gifted general and never lost a battle. His lands, being the closest to the Wild Steppes, were the most vulnerable to Tatar raids. Wisniowiecki repeatedly beat their bands and recovered all plunder including prisoners led off to be sold like cattle in markets of Constantinople (Tatars, perceiving they were about to be attacked, always murdered all prisoners). Like Wyatt Earp in Dodge City, with his private force he tried to restore order to this land gone mad. He was cruel and put to death all rebels he caught. The jealousy of other untalented commanders prevented him from getting any command in the Polish army before he suddenly died.

Why did the Cossacks rebel? Ukrainians were exploited by their Polish masters and their greedy officials, working on their farmlands under a whip. In those days the peasants in entire Poland were treated like slaves and had no rights. Any nobleman could kill a peasant and would suffer no consequences. Plus there were language and religious differences. The uprising was extremely bloody and both sides committed horrible atrocities. Peasants murdered their masters and their families. People were cut in half with saws, women and babies roasted over fire, etc. Who survived was given to Tatars, then Cossack allies. Polish army, initially defeated, came back and seeing all the horrors showed no mercy - special cruelty was displayed by Czarniecki, one of Poland's all time ablest generals.

Here lies Sienkiewicz's main theme: this terrible civil war, welcomed and applauded by enemies, that started the downfall of the Polish Commonwealth (immediately succeeded by the Swedish "deluge", which was the deadliest blow and completely ruined the country). It could have been avoided if the exploited Ukrainians were given some rights in their own country that would make them full citizens of the Commonwealth, not slaves working for foreign masters; if Polish nobility were restrained in their freedom and greed, as they thought they could treat others like dogs with no consequences. No one could change that - the king was only a puppet in the hands of the nobility, with less to say than any common noble with holes in his pockets. The whole structure of the country was faulty and began to shake, to fall apart a century later. Sienkiewicz, himself a Polish nobleman, grieves over the hatred that arose in result, still alive today in some circles, with added grievances after WWII. He is appalled by the destruction and slaughter - Ukraine was depopulated by constant fighting and slavery, as the Cossack leader Chmielnicki (he had good reasons to be mad, but let his hate consume him), allowed Tatars to take his fellow countrymen into slavery by the thousands, except infants which the Tatars killed, to buy their support in his fight against the Poles (for that the Ukrainians in a song wished the first stray bullet to take him down).

The movie however concentrates on the love of Skrzetuski and Helena, some fighting and heavy drinking. Olbrychski, unforgettable in "Potop", looks like a baboon instead of a formidable Tatar chieftain, Poland's most ferocious foe (killed in 1651 at Beresteczko). Bohun's acting is one of the highlights but according to Sienkiewicz Bohun was a tall, big muscular fellow who could strangle horses with bare hands, and Domagarov would have hard time strangling a mouse. Zamachowski is as harmless as a hamster, while he is supposed to be a short yet tough fencing master Wolodyjowski. When those two fight it looks like two patients of a nursing home exchanging blows with canes, and it's difficult to keep a straight face because you simply know you could beat them both up with a rolled up newspaper. Scorupco is pretty but belongs more in a fashion show. Zebrowski, as usual, prepared well for his role. There are several good scenes and very good music but overall it looks like the director was too old to make a good movie.

As long as you have some healthy distance to this kind of movies, unlike some fanatical nationalistic half wits, it's entertaining to watch. But I don't think Sienkiewicz would be very happy.