Product Details

• Actors: Michal Zebrowski, Li Min, Sun Ji Feng, Wu Fen Xia, Norbert Rakowski
• Directors: Jacek Bromski
• Format: PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen, Import, Color
• Subtitles: English, Polish
• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Vision Film
• Run Time: 103 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002NC7682
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #311,924 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Poland released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. SPOKEN LANGUAGE: POLISH Dolby Digital 5.1; SUBTITLES: ENGLISH, POLISH; WIDESCREEN 1,85:1; SYNOPSIS: 1913. Two Poles escape exile and head to China. One of them dies en route but the other is found, unconscious, by a hunter who takes him to his mountain shack. His beautiful daughter is made to cut her hair and dress like a boy, so as not to tempt fate. But feelings develop between her and the stranger...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a GREAT movie., August 12, 2010

By 

macheesey - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lovers of the Year of the Tiger (Kochankowie Roku Tygrysa) [Reg.2] (DVD)

I didn't actually watch it, I bought it for someone... but they said it's great. So actually, it's their word not mine. Now if you buy it you can't blame me if it's bad.

4.0 out of 5 stars A historical drama set in 1913, February 6, 2010

By 

Richard J. Brzostek (New England, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lovers of the Year of the Tiger (Kochankowie Roku Tygrysa) [Reg.2] (DVD)

Kochankowie Roku Tygrysa (The Lovers of the Year of the Tiger) is a historical drama set in 1913. Although the title gives away the fact that this is a romance, it is a subtle one. We get a hint of the outcome of the romance in the first few minutes of the film when, in the present day, an old man goes to the Polish embassy in China. He wants to visit Poland before he dies and asks them to read the story of why he is interested in going there.

The old man's story takes us back to 1913 in Siberia. At this time Poland isn't on the map because its neighbors have divided her lands amongst themselves for over a hundred years. And for just about as long, the Russians have been sending anyone they find troublesome to Siberia. Two Poles flee from the Russians who are chasing them and one of them (Michal Zebrowski) just barely crosses the river into Manchuria. A hunter finds him and brings him to his home to nurse him back to health. The hunter is an honorable man and discourages the romance before it begins by cutting his daughter's hair and having her dress as a boy. I will save the rest of the details to leave at last a little suspense but there aren't a whole lot of surprises.

Kochankowie Roku Tygrysa is unusual compared to other Polish films in that most of the movie isn't spoken in Polish and most of the actors are not Polish. Although I appreciate that it is spoken in Cantonese, as this adds a level of realism to the film. It is quite a change of pace for director Jacek Bromski, who often does comedies, but that isn't saying much as it is pretty unique compared to Polish cinema in general. Hopefully, we will see more movies about the Poles exiled to Siberia in the years to come.