Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It changed my life! , July 21, 2005
"Fire and Sword" (Ogniem i Mieczem) was an important cinematic event in my own life, as this great Polish epic caught my attention and created my interest in Polish cinema. Its story, special effects, and the history I learned, simply amazed me. The movie had a life-changing effect one me personally, as a spiritual and a cultural experience of my Polish roots and cultural history. It ranks among the best cinema I have ever watched and is one of my all time favorite films.
"Fire and Sword" is based on the first of a trilogy written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It takes place in the 17th century, when Poland's borders were much larger than today, and all of Poland's neighbors invaded the land. This story has it all; and is a love story and a war story. It is long (176 minutes), but considering the epic subject matter and intricate story, I loved every minute and feel it takes so long to fully tell the whole story.
Although the film should not be taken as an exact history, it is remarkable how many of the historical details do match up. In my study of this time in history, and through my involvement with a 17th century, Polish-Lithuanian living-history group, I am amazed at the accuracy of even minor details presented in this film. Regardless, the film is not a documentary, rather, it is, without a doubt, pure cinematic entertainment.
Even people unfamiliar with Polish cinema may recognize some of its actors. Izabella Scorupco, the leading lady, also played in many English speaking films, including "Golden Eye" and "Reign of Fire." Two prominent actors (Michal Zebrowski and Zbigniew Zamachowski) were also in Roman Polanski's "The Pianist." If you enjoy historical movies, "Fire and Sword" is a must.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, great movie, great DVD, September 12, 2005
I was lucky enough to see this in a theater about 5 years ago when it played for only one day in Minneapolis, at a Polish film festival. Ogniem i Mieczem is every bit as good as Braveheart and Branagh's Henry V (both of which I also liked). It is such a shame that hardly anyone in the USA even knows that this movie exists. I hadn't even known it existed until I happened to stumble across a writeup in the paper that morning. They were selling VHS copies in the lobby but I didn't have enough cash on me so I got the soundtrack CD instead.
Not having seen it since that first time, I was really excited to receive my DVD in the mail today. I was a little concerned because I have read some bad reviews of the quality of the DVD versions. But I thought a bad copy is better than no copy at all. Well, I just finished watching it (all 176 minutes of it). No need to worry. The version I have is in widescreen from someplace called ITI Home Video and was released in 2004 or 2005 (depending on what source you read). Whoever did it must have read the complaints about the previous versions because this one is just fine. Of course, like most of the great epics (Lawrence of Arabia, et. al.) you can never get the full impact on the small screen, but the picture and sound quality are still great. The case has a one paragraph English-language description and a short note about the subtitle choices (Polish, English, French, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish). The rest of the "liner notes" are in Polish, as are the chapter titles. There's not much in the way of extras, primarily short written bios (in English) and filmographies of the director and principle cast. There's no "Making of..." or "Director's commentary." It does contain the music video for "Dumka Na Dwa Serca" which never appears in the movie but is on the original soundtrack CD. (By the way, this is one of the most haunting scores I've ever heard. If you can find a copy of the CD, get it.)
All the superlatives have already been applied to this movie by other reviewers so I don't know what more I can add. Jerzy Hoffman turned one of my favorite books into one of my favorite movies. Now we've gotten the DVD that we've been waiting for.
Addendum 9-30-05
I do have a question I'd like to see if someone has the answer to. A friend who also saw this in a theater has a recollection of some scenes being in Ukrainian and is wondering if the Ukrainian is retained in the DVD. Unfortunately he lives too far away to borrow my copy and I don't understand either Polish or Ukrainian so I can't tell the difference.
It does not appear that there is any dubbing going on (eg, Polish over Ukrainian). However, I don't know if they filmed 2 versions of some scenes, Polish and Ukrainian, and used a Polish language version for the DVD. Since I understand neither, they would sound the same to me.
Does anyone know if this DVD version retains the Ukrainian language scenes? If you do, can you let me know or post a response? Thanks
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outdid "Titanic" in Poland and rightly so!, March 23, 2006
The story introduces Henryk Sienkiewicz's "Four Musketeers:"
(1) Jan Skshetuski, an officer of Hussars (heavy cavalry) and the role model of an officer and gentleman. He has the fortune, or rather misfortune, to rescue a nobleman from bandits at the beginning of the story. The nobleman is Bogdan Chmielnicki (well portrayed by Bogdan Stupka, Ukraine's Minister of Culture) who will shortly start a cataclysmic civil war.
(2) Jan Onufry Zagloba, a cross between Homer's Ulysses and Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. He loves food and wine ("I hate empty bottles!") and he likes to tell tales that exaggerate his bravery. Although he would rather avoid combat ("I hate crowds"), he will fight when circumstances or honor compel him to do so. Then he is so angry at the disturbance of his peaceful routine that he becomes very dangerous to the enemy.
Although Henryk Sienkiewicz claims to have modeled Pan Zagloba on a man he met in the United States, he seems to symbolize the Polish character itself (much as the folk figure Michel symbolizes the German character). He would rather tell stories and enjoy a drink but, when someone attacks him, he becomes a ferocious adversary who uses his considerable intelligence as well as his sword to win.
(3) Jerzy Michael Wolodyjowski, an officer of dragoons (light cavalry). He is known as "the little knight" and he has a short yellow mustache that begins to twitch at the prospect of combat. "The Deluge" describes him as having "more fun than a puppy in a duck pond" during a melee with the Swedes.
(4) Longin Podbipyenta, of the House of Hoodsnatcher. Pan Zagloba has some fun with his name by calling him "Sir Long Anus of the House of Trousersnatcher." This giant Lithuanian knight's ancestor gained the name Hoodsnatcher (or Cowl-Cutter) for beheading three hooded knights of the Teutonic Order with one blow at the Battle of Grunwald (1410). (A movie version of Sienkiewicz's "The Teutonic Knights" is available in English.)
Pan Longin has taken a vow of chastity until he also beheads three enemies with one blow, and he carries his ancestor's giant sword for this purpose. Despite his obsession with chopping off heads, he is a benevolent knight who wants only the best for his comrades and country.
The other characters are interesting and are not mere supporting cast. Jurek Bohun is a young Cossack colonel who is Jan Skshetuski's rival for Helen's hand. He goes over to Chmielnicki after massacring her foster family (when he discovers that they've promised her to Skshetuski).
Duke Jarema Wisniowiecki is a headstrong but resolute leader who opposes Chmielnicki. The movie even introduces his son Michael Korybut, who will later become King of Poland later. He was unfortunately a mediocre leader who lacked his father's qualities.
Jendzian, Skshetuski's servant is always pointing out that he is not a commoner but a noble (szlachta), although a poor one. He is also always trying to get rewards from his master and loot from the battlefield, but he is a loyal servant to Skshetuski.
The witch Horpyna is also very well portrayed, as is the Tartar chieftain Tuhaj Bey. The actor (who portrayed Ayza Bey in "Colonel Wolodyjowski") makes the Tartar chieftain truly ferocious; in one scene he refers to his Cossack allies as "pig-eaters" and bangs a couple of heads together.
There is comic relief amid the bloodshed, such as when a grenade lands next to Pan Zagloba and interrupts his peaceful enjoyment of a drink in the middle of the siege of Zbaraj. When he throws out his empty bottle it lands on a Cossack leader's head, and throwing out the grenade brings down the Cossack flag.
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