With Fire and Sword (1999) Ogniem i mieczem (original title)

Director:

Jerzy Hoffman

Writers:

Jerzy Hoffman (writer)
Henryk Sienkiewicz (novel)
(more)

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:

Polish History | Ukraine | Witch | 1600s | Beautiful Woman

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
Maciej Kozlowski	...	Krzywonos
Adam Ferency	...	Khan
Gustaw Lutkiewicz	...	Barabasz
Dmitri Mirgorodsky	...	Ataman Koszowy
Jerzy Bonczak	...	Czaplinski
Wlodzimierz Brodecki	...	Writer
Joanna Brodzik	...	Bride
Marek Cichucki	...	Wierszull
Rafal Cieszynski	...	Subagazi
Jerzy Cnota	...	Ferryman
Maciej Czapski	...	Cossack
Lech Dyblik	...	Tatarczuk
Marek Frackowiak	...	Sergeant
Tadeusz Gloskowski	...	Jeremi's Officer
Krzysztof Gosztyla	...	Ossolinski
Andrzej Graziewicz	...	Czarnota
Jerzy Karaszkiewicz	...	Radziejowski
Pawel Kleszcz	...	Molojec
Szymon Kobylinski	...	Ostroróg
Krzysztof Kolbasiuk	...	Cossack Deputy
Bernard Ladysz	...	Did Lirnik
Anna Majcher	...	Hostess
Andrzej Pieczynski	...	Czeremis
Eugeniusz Priwieziencew	...	Maksym
Stefan Szmidt	...	Skrzetuski's Sergeant
Przemyslaw Tejkowski	...	Tyzenhauz
Leszek Teleszynski	...	Priest Muchowiecki
Aleksander Wysocki	...	Suchoruka
Janusz Zerbst	...	Esaul
Andrzej Zólkiewski	...	Jeremi's Officer
Marek Marcinkowski	...	Ataman
Aleksander Pociej	...	Andrzej Kurcewicz
Tomasz Konieczny	...	Jur Kurcewicz
Janusz Sieniawski	...	Mikolaj Kurcewicz
Michal Chorosinski	...	Symeon Kurcewicz
Zbigniew Zapasiewicz	...	Narrator (voice)
Tomasz Abramski		(as T. Abramski)
Piotr Bala		(as P. Bala)
Wladyslaw Baranski	...	Puljan (as W. Baranski)
T. Bat
Wlodzimierz Bednarski	...	Cossack (as W. Bednarski)
Wlodzimierz Borysiak		(as W. Borysiak)
Jerzy Braszka		(as J. Braszka)
T. Ciecierski
Jerzy Dukay	...	Hladki (as J. Dukay)
Krystyna Feldman	...	Old Woman (scenes deleted) (as K. Feldman)
Michal Frycz	...	Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki (scenes deleted) (as M. Frycz)
Jerzy Frykowski		(as J. K. Frykowski)
Krystyna Gierlowska		(as K. Gierlowska)
Dariusz Gnatowski	...	Young Barabasz (as D. Gnatowski)
L. Gurpienko
Andrzej Grabowski	...	Drunk Nobleman (as A. Grabowski)
Tomasz Grochoczynski	...	Bychowiec (as T. Grochoczynski)
Andrzej Halinski	...	Jewish Innkeeper (as A. Halinski)
Krzysztof Artur Janczar	...	Groom (as K. A. Janczar)
Ryszard Jablonski	...	Peasant (as R. Jablonski)
Ryszard Janiak	...	Senator (as R. Janiak)
Mieczyslaw Janowski
Józef Jarosz		(as J. Jarosz)
Jan Jurewicz	...	Groomsman (as J. Jurewicz)
Przemyslaw Kapsa		(as P. Kapsa)
Adam Karaszewski		(as A. Karaszewski)
Marek Karpowicz	...	Cossack (as M. Karpowicz)
Piotr Komorowski	...	Cossack Commander (as P. Komorowski)
Michal Konarski	...	Kozak (as M. Konarski)
Agnieszka Krukówna	...	Young Ukrainian Girl (scenes deleted) (as A. Krukówna)
Kazimierz Krzaczkowski		(as K. Krzaczkowski)
Czeslaw Lasota	...	Dopulo
Karolina Lukaszewicz		(as K. Lukaszewicz)
K. Luksza
Tadeusz Mieluch		(as T. Mieluch)
T. Mir
Jerzy Moniak		(as J. Moniak)
A. Nowak
Bartosz Obuchowicz	...	Boy (as B. Obuchowicz)
Jacek Radzinski		(as J. Radzinski)
Radoslaw Rosinski		(as R. Rosinski)
Przemyslaw Szajewski		(as P. Szajewski)
Tomasz Szajewski		(as T. Szajewski)
W. Szczecinski
Andrzej Szczytko		(as A. Szczytko)
Zdzislaw Szymborski	...	Courtier (as Z. Szymborski)
Budsuren Tumen-Ulzyj	...	Tatar (as B. Tumen-Ulzyj)
Adam Warchol	...	Cossack (as A. Warchol)
Juliusz Krzysztof Warunek		(as J. K. Warunek)
Magdalena Warzecha	...	(scenes deleted) (as M. Warzecha)
Robert Wieckiewicz	...	Cossack (as R. Wieckiewicz)
P. Zbierski
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacek Rozenek	...	Jurko Bohun (voice)
Tomasz Bednarek	...	(uncredited)
Wojciech Jakubowski	...	Thane (uncredited)
Olga Milaszewska	...	Woman (uncredited)
Ben Talar	...	Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Jerzy Hoffman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jerzy Hoffman		writer
Andrzej Krakowski		uncredited
Henryk Sienkiewicz		novel

Produced by
Jerzy Frykowski	....	producer
Jerzy Hoffman	....	producer
Jerzy R. Michaluk	....	producer

Original Music by
Krzesimir Debski

Cinematography by
Grzegorz Kedzierski

Film Editing by
Marcin Bastkowski
Cezary Grzesiuk

Production Design by
Andrzej Halinski

Set Decoration by
Albina Baranska
Joanna Dzwonnik

Costume Design by
Magdalena Biernawska-Teslawska
Pawel Grabarczyk

Makeup Department
Ewa Drobiec	....	makeup artist
Dariusz Krysiak	....	makeup artist
Magdalena Lecka	....	makeup artist
Robin Pritchard	....	special makeup effects artist
Miroslawa Wojtczak	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pawel Barenski	....	production manager
Józef Jarosz	....	production manager
Ewa Pfeifer	....	production manager
Jerzy Szebesta	....	production manager
Maciej Wojak	....	production manager
Marek Wolski	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Piotr Barelkowski	....	assistant director
Jacek Butrymowicz	....	second unit director
Agata Domagala	....	assistant director
Adek Drabinski	....	assistant director
Zbigniew Gruz	....	second unit director
Krzysztof Lukaszewicz	....	assistant director
Barbara Markiewicz-Muzyka	....	assistant director
Zdzislaw Szymborski	....	assistant director
Jaroslaw Wozniak	....	assistant director
Krzysztof Zbieranek	....	second unit director

Art Department
Waldemar Weiss	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Piotr Knop	....	sound
Krzysztof Wodzinski	....	sound
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Miroslaw Bartosik	....	special effects
Robert Chacinski	....	special effects
Paul Mann	....	special effects supervisor
Ryszard Wojtynski	....	special effects

Stunts
Krzysztof Adamowski	....	stunts
Lech Adamowski	....	stunts
Wieslaw Adamowski	....	stunts
Wladyslaw Baranski	....	stunts
Stefan Bartmanski	....	stunts
Bernard Jaroszewski	....	stunts
Wladyslaw Kita	....	stunts
Zbigniew Kozlowski	....	stunts
Sylwester Lenarcik	....	stunts
Miroslaw Miler	....	stunts
Edward Morek	....	stunts
Wojciech Nowacki	....	stunts
Arkadiusz Okulak	....	stunts
Monika Okulak	....	stunts
Jerzy Pakos	....	stunts
Arkadiusz Radonski	....	stunts
Jerzy Rubersz	....	stunts
Dariusz Rzepecki	....	stunts
Beata Spendel	....	stunts
Andrzej Srodzinski	....	stunts
Bartlomiej Stepniak	....	stunts
Jacek Tarowski	....	stunts
Rafal Witkowski	....	stunts
Mariusz Zajac	....	stunts
Krzysztof Maczynski	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Makówka	....	assistant camera
Marek Modzelewski	....	gaffer
Dawid Pietkiewicz	....	still photographer
Andrzej Przestrzelski	....	still photographer

Music Department
Krzesimir Debski	....	conductor
Olga Pasichnyk	....	performer: Soprano solo
Sinfonia Varsovia	....	orchestra

Other crew
Dawid Pietkiewicz	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Agencja Produkcji Filmowej (co-production)
• Kredyt Bank PBI S.A. (I) (participation)
• Okocimskie Zaklady Piwowarskie S.A. (co-production)
• Telewizja Polska (TVP) (co-production)
• Zodiak Jerzy Hoffman Film Production Sp. z o.o.

Distributors

• Another World Entertainment (2010) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2005-2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• WonderPhil Productions (2008) (worldwide) (all media)

Also Known As:

"Ogniem i mieczem" - Poland (original title)

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, Wielkopolskie, 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 The Deluge (1974)

Decent adventure movie, with a bit of history

First of all, I am not delighted with Ogniem i Mieczem. But I think, it is a decent piece of adventure movie, which by the way, can also teach a bit about Poland's and Ukraine's history. There is one great thing, that Hoffman did - he modernized original Sienkiewicz's book, which was written in 1884 in very different circumstances. At that time, Poland was not existent country for almost 100 years, and the goal of Sienkiewicz's Trilogy was to raise Polish morale. That's why the Cossacks in the book are just enemies, evil and cruel, and their cause is not just, while the Poles (and loyal Ukrainians, like Prince Jeremi Wisniowiecki) are good, less cruel, and their cruelty is justified. Hoffman made a movie for modern times instead, when Poland and Ukraine are independent neighbors and they have to cooperate and built friendship among citizens (I must add here, that last local slaughters between citizens of two nations took part during World War II). In a movie, we see also Ukrainian point of view. Of course, the movie still remains Polish-centric, but it also shows Cossacks as people, who had they cause as well - what was guaranteed by engaging the Ukrainian actor (Bohdan Stupka) as Khmelnytsky.

Of the cast, Zbigniew Zamachowski as a fencing master Michal Wolodyjowski is disappointing, but I think he must have been under pressure of comparisons with highly praised Tadeusz Lomnicki, who played this character in earlier other two parts. And yes, Scorupco was a bad choice - after several days of marching through villages and bushes, she still looks like a cosmetic advertisement ("Despite all these things, my make-up still remains intact"). On the other hand, Daniel Olbrychski, playing a minor part of Tukhay-Bey, reached the mastery in my opinion.