"Ashes and Diamonds", the final segment of Andrzej Wajda's celebrated war trilogy("A Generation" and "Kanal" preceded it) explores the effects of world war II on Poland's disillusioned youth. Wajda's unglorified vision of warfare and it's bitter aftermath, is informed with moral and historical ambiguity, leaving the viewer with several independent decisions to make.
After a first viewing, "Ashes and Diamonds" is a story of violence and love, skillfully-plotted and compulsively told; a typical suspense thriller with it's perilous assignments and stylish black and white cinematography suggesting noir. On another level, the film contains elements of high tragedy.
"Ashes and Diamonds"(The title is taken from a poem by Norwid) posits that the wrong done to a generation of youngsters, who died in a suspect cause, was deplorable. Wajda's frames are filled with bold and exciting images that infuse his work with an an admirable visual intensity. The filmmaker's penchant for hyperbole and symbolism; for the ornate and the spectacular, led to a persistent charge of 'baroquenesss'. It is my observation however, that the consistant visuals and atmospheric richness of his cinema, blend congrously with his thematic concerns. "Ashes and Diamonds" is an explosive evocation of post-war chaos. In it's compassionate attitude towards the individual, the community, and the nation; with it's committment to historical and social relevance, and in it's eloquent approach to human destiny, "Ashes and Diamonds" remains one of the most significant and provocative films ever to come out of Eastern Europe. Kurt Note: The plot of this review was willfully excised so as not to get anywhere near a 'spoiler' tag.
After a first viewing, "Ashes and Diamonds" is a story of violence and love, skillfully-plotted and compulsively told; a typical suspense thriller with it's perilous assignments and stylish black and white cinematography suggesting noir. On another level, the film contains elements of high tragedy.
"Ashes and Diamonds"(The title is taken from a poem by Norwid) posits that the wrong done to a generation of youngsters, who died in a suspect cause, was deplorable. Wajda's frames are filled with bold and exciting images that infuse his work with an an admirable visual intensity. The filmmaker's penchant for hyperbole and symbolism; for the ornate and the spectacular, led to a persistent charge of 'baroquenesss'. It is my observation however, that the consistant visuals and atmospheric richness of his cinema, blend congrously with his thematic concerns. "Ashes and Diamonds" is an explosive evocation of post-war chaos. In it's compassionate attitude towards the individual, the community, and the nation; with it's committment to historical and social relevance, and in it's eloquent approach to human destiny, "Ashes and Diamonds" remains one of the most significant and provocative films ever to come out of Eastern Europe. Kurt Note: The plot of this review was willfully excised so as not to get anywhere near a 'spoiler' tag.