Who payed the critics

How sad is this?

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Best movie ever!

This 1960s movie is not horrible, but having just re-read the Trilogy, have to say it is not very good, Very little of the quality of the book was conveyed. The characters (which tend to be stereotypical anyway) were even more so in the movie. Azia in particular was all too obviously villainous -- lots of eye-flashing and lip-curling, nothing of the complexity of the character. Also, there was NO chemistry between Michal and Basia; and really nothing to involve you with Basia at all. Hard to believe Basia is considered one of the most endearing of literary heroines in Poland if you base your impression on this film. Here she looks like just any 60s movie cutie, with her anachronistic hairdo. Those bangs! Nothing of the epic quality of Basia's ride back to the fort is conveyed. Even minor details matter in period films. Could they not at least have dressed her in period? In the book, whenever she dresses in male attire, Sienkiewicz is careful to describe her costume -- big baggy trousers, etc. In the film, she rides in stylish 20th century skin-tight trousers making her escape through the snow even more implausible. I would really like to see this remade.

Quite frankly, I was thoroughly captivated. This was made in 1969 and had there were those moments that seemed a bit dated, but nothing sufficient enough to dull the goings on in the film. I'll confess, I always find the love stories in the Trilogy to be a bit contrived (people do seem to fall in and out of love a tad too quickly), but here it was lively and fairly fun. There was considerable effort to make Wolodyjowski and Basia compatible in love and temperament. It was also fascinating to see a young Daniel Olbrychski in his heyday. The characters, major and minor, were all well developed, and the story invigorating. I wanted to fight some Ottoman Turks myself by the end.

I was 21 when I first watched the movie, but I was infatuated like a teenager. I wished I were Basia and dreamt to meet a man like Wolodyjowski. To me, it is first of all a story about love between a strong and heroic man and a self-sacrificing and devoted women. Their happiness was not destined to last long, but such love makes life worth living, and the very fact of its being doomed imparts some majesty to it. And it was played so convincingly! I also like the patriotic idea dominating the film. I'm not a Pole, but no matter whether you are Pole, Russian or anyone else, pride for your Motherland and readiness to sacrifice your life for it is the right feeling to instill. And, certainly, it is just pleasant to watch beautiful women and handsome men dressed in beautiful clothes. The battle scenes, although lacking present-day special effects, are still really impressive. The massacre episode is gruesome but at the same time it is not too naturalistic.

Out of three films made by Mr. Hoffman (Potop, Ogniem i Mieczem, Pan Wolodyjowski) upon the trilogy of Henryk Sienkiewicz, this film is probably the weakest. Strange to notice that this book is the last in the trilogy but was filmed first, so Hoffman preserved this backward method to the end. I only wish he could make new versions of this and Potop films as well! Anyway, Pan Wolodyjowski is a fine portrayal of the 17th century Poland, its wars against Tatars and other nomadic armies. What makes this film so brilliant is the superb battle scene shooting, graphical yet not so unbearable violence and clear patriotic (some may call it nationalistic) sentiment towards Poland. As I wrote, this is not the best film in the series, but try to watch them all three and see how well Hoffman did his job.