Knights of the Teutonic Order

KNIGHTS OF THE TEUTONIC ORDER, based on the novel by Nobel winner Henryk Sienkiewicz, is full of intensely melodramatic conflicts and nonstop action; Sienkiewicz's fiction was more in the mold of THE THREE MUSKETEERS and IVANHOE than WAR AND PEACE, and the source material makes for a highly entertaining movie. The epic scope is quite impressive (fully comparable to Hollywood epics of the same era, like QUO VADIS or SPARTACUS). The setting will be unfamiliar to many audiences (Poland and Prussia in the middle ages), but the plight of the Polish knight Jurand as he and his family are tormented by the dastardly Teutonic Knights is emotionally involving. I saw this in 2005 on a not-so-good video from Polart (washed-out color, poor subtitles), but I've recently seen a DVD on offer, which I hope will have higher quality; it's a handsomely made film that deserves restoration and a wider audience.

The best historical movie ever set in Middle Ages. After 40 years it is still unbeatable. There is no single minute without action and no chance of getting bored. The film, based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, was seen by over 30 million Poles and is a must for historical movie fan. Many scenes hit a viewer with power and skill but nothing beats the battle of Grunwald sequence, which lasts almost 20 minutes. Every Hollywood film lacks such sequence. No detail is bit of absurd as it sometimes happens in American movies. Actors are at their peak, especially Andrzej Szalawski(Jurand) who plays his best role. Absolutely worth of seeing.

Greatest Polish big budget film for me. Far, far better than today's huge budget craps that are released on DVD market, craps most of them from Eastern Europe, where CGI is galore. This sixties movie amazed me, even dubbed in French. A pure masterpiece, which has nothing to envy to Hollywood material. Excellent camera work, jawdropping cast and acting. Such movies are so rare to find, especially from Eastern Europe. If you crave for Medieval films, with plenty of extras, battles, gruesome and awesome battles, pulled by outstanding production design, this film is definitely for you. I don't know the other movies from this director, political oriented, but if I have the opportunity to watch them, I won't miss.

The movie is based on a Sienkiewicz's novel written in 1910 (500th anniversary of Tannenberg battle) and during the time of top German power in Europe. The content describes the life of medieval Polish gentry on the background of historical events (conflicts between the German Teutonic Orden and Kingdoms of Poland and Lithuania). Shows, how crude and cruel the life was that time. The movie has been made about 1960 on order of communist and para-nationalist propaganda to illustrate the role of alliance between Poles and "eastern nations" in stopping the German expansionism (a cold war ran that time, Poland had no diplomatic links with FR of Germany, which was putting Poland's western borders into questioning). The final Tannenberg battle scene is probably the best one battle movie in the history of cinematography. However, some propaganda accents have been put, i.e. German knights shooting "Heil!" at the beginning of the battle. The main tune of the film is to present Poles as a fit and sound nation.

I have seen this movie many years ago. This movie to my knowledge is one of the best Knights movies that ever been made. The plot is fantastic and the ending is a very sad one. This movie shows to what extreme some people would go to avenge even if they are in the wrong. A great movie and not enough acclaimed to my satisfaction.