There are so many great things about how this movie is made - the directing, the shots, the tonal quality, and the pacing. Probably most brilliant of all is how the total makes the viewer feel claustophobic. I admit, though, it's a tad dated.
Touched with the fire and rebellion of a new generation of Polish film makers
A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl working as a barmaid in the restaurant of the "Monopol" hotel. His affection for her makes him even more aware of the senselessness of killing at the end of the war. Loyalty to the oath he took, and thus the obligation to obey the order, tips the scales.
Top Cast
Zbigniew Cybulski
Maciek Chełmicki
Ewa Krzyżewska
Krystyna Rozbicka
Wacław Zastrzeżynski
Szczuka
Adam Pawlikowski
Andrzej Kossecki
Bogumił Kobiela
Drewnowski
Jan Ciecierski
Porter
Stanisław Milski
Pieniążek
Artur Młodnicki
Kotowicz
Halina Kwiatkowska
Staniewiczowa
Ignacy Machowski
Waga
Zbigniew Skowroński
Slomka
Barbara Krafftówna
Stefka
Aleksander Sewruk
Święcki
Zofia Czerwińska
Lili
Irena Orzecka
Jurgieluszka
Halina Siekierko
Puciatycka
Reviews
There are so many great things about how this movie is made - the directing, the shots, the tonal quality, and the pacing. Probably most brilliant of all is how the total makes the viewer feel claustrophobic. I admit, though, it's a tad dated.
You might have thought that on May 8th, 1945 the population of Poland would have been united in celebrating the defeat of their Nazi invaders. Instead, though, this film quite deftly illustrates a mixture of joy and trepidation as those who had fought together to free their country now found themselves on opposite sides of a new societal order that was going to pit the freedom-loving Poles on one side with those…
My first Wajda and I really enjoyed it. I thought that Cybulski's performance was great and I loved the scene in the pub where he's lighting vodka shots, which he plays perfectly. The shots of him through the patterned staircase looked amazing in black and white, and especially because of his sunglasses. I did get a bit lost in the politics side of the plot but despite that I didn't get bored and I really liked the…
FAQ about Ashes and Diamonds
What is Ashes and Diamonds about?
A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl…
When was Ashes and Diamonds released?
Ashes and Diamonds was released in 1958.
What genres does Ashes and Diamonds belong to?
Ashes and Diamonds is categorised as Drama, War, Romance.
Who stars in Ashes and Diamonds?
The cast of Ashes and Diamonds includes Zbigniew Cybulski, Ewa Krzyżewska, Wacław Zastrzeżynski, Adam Pawlikowski, Bogumił Kobiela.