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The Law and the Fist

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In the days after World War II, Poland was a bit wild. The official war was over, but it raged on with plundering thugs and was littered with those that oppose the newly forming government. Directors Jerzy Hofman and Edward Skorzewski take us into postwar Poland in their film "The Law and the Fist" (Prawo i Piesc).

The main character of the film is Andrzej Kenig (as played by Gustaw Holoubek). Andrzej is the type of guy who does not hesitate to put himself in danger if it is to help others; however, he is also interested in making money because he lost everything in the war. Andrzej finds a job securing a former German town that is now part of Poland. (At the close of World War II, Poland lost a sizable amount of land on its Eastern side to the Ukraine and given a smaller amount of former German territory on its western side.)

Andrzej gets himself into more than he probably bargained for by accepting the job. Securing a town is precarious work as there may be German solders still wandering about. The movie is very suspenseful because of the unexpected events in the town and intense action.

Director Jerzy Hoffman is best known for his adaptations of the Sienkiewicz trilogy ("Pan Wolodyjowski," "Potop" and "Ogniem i Mieczem"). "The Law and the Fist" is one of his earliest movies (1964), but he already had ten years experience as a director at this point; he directed a number of documentaries with Skorzewski prior to this movie.