Wow , I don't think I've felt as sad after a film . Immediately it made me want to learn more about the history surrounding this period of the war .
First of all i'd warn you this film is graphic if you think about Rwanda you'll be prepared . Poland in the 20th century stood on the political and aspirational fault line between Germany and Russia and became the battlefield of those two opposing forces . It's history is intertwined with the rise and fall of the central and Eastern European empires namely Poland-Lithuania, Russia , Ukraine , Habsberg , Austria-Hungary , Nazi Germany , Naploeonic French Republic just to name a few and as a result the ethnic mix within its borders contains a volatile religious fault line between Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity . It's this fault line that provides the plot of the film .
The script , costume , acting and cinematography all deserve praise . We start with the happiness of inter marriage weddings and the national songs that go along with that and end with destruction hatred and death , it's not a happy film but it's not a triumphant slice of history , it's a period of time that man should be ashamed of how sick he can become when encouraged to by those who wear the cloth of god and should know better .
But it is an important film and I'm glad I've seen it but it really made me sad .
It's definitely worth seeing but be prepared to lose your smile .
First of all i'd warn you this film is graphic if you think about Rwanda you'll be prepared . Poland in the 20th century stood on the political and aspirational fault line between Germany and Russia and became the battlefield of those two opposing forces . It's history is intertwined with the rise and fall of the central and Eastern European empires namely Poland-Lithuania, Russia , Ukraine , Habsberg , Austria-Hungary , Nazi Germany , Naploeonic French Republic just to name a few and as a result the ethnic mix within its borders contains a volatile religious fault line between Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity . It's this fault line that provides the plot of the film .
The script , costume , acting and cinematography all deserve praise . We start with the happiness of inter marriage weddings and the national songs that go along with that and end with destruction hatred and death , it's not a happy film but it's not a triumphant slice of history , it's a period of time that man should be ashamed of how sick he can become when encouraged to by those who wear the cloth of god and should know better .
But it is an important film and I'm glad I've seen it but it really made me sad .
It's definitely worth seeing but be prepared to lose your smile .