Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Currently Ashes and Diamonds is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Streaming in:🇺🇸 United States
This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Zbigniew Cybulski
Maciek Chelmicki
Ewa Krzyżewska
Krystyna
Wacław Zastrzeżynski
Szczuka
Adam Pawlikowski
Andrzej
Adam Pawlikowski
Andrzej
Adam Pawlikowski
Andrzej
Bogumił Kobiela
Drewnowski
Jan Ciecierski
Portier
Stanisław Milski
Pieniazek
Artur Młodnicki
Kotowicz
Halina Kwiatkowska
Staniewiczowa
Zbigniew Skowroński
Slomka
Ignacy Machowski
Waga
Andrzej Wajda
Director
Barbara Krafftówna
Stefka
Jerzy Andrzejewski
Writer
Aleksander Sewruk
Święcki
Zofia Czerwińska
Lili
Filip Nowak
Composer
Irena Orzecka
Jurgieluszka
Jerzy Wójcik
Cinematographer
Halina Siekierko
Puciatycka
Halina Nawrocka
Editor
Grażyna Staniszewska
Hanka Lewicka
Roman Mann
ProductionDesigner
Jerzy Adamczak
Maj. Wrona
Adolf Chronicki
Podgórski
Wiktor Grotowicz
Franek Pawlicki
Mieczysław Łoza
Smolarski
Tadeusz Kalinowski
Wejchert
Ferdynand Matysik
Staszek Gawlik
Józef Pieracki
Puciatycki
Juliusz Grabowski
Musician (uncredited)
Jerzy Jogałła
Marek Szczuka (uncredited)
Roman Mikuła
Man sitting next to Drewnowski (uncredited)
Ryszard Pietruski
Worker in a Cement Plant (uncredited)
Cyryl Przybył
(uncredited)
Marian Skorupa
Militiaman (uncredited)
Marian Wiśniowski
Militiaman (uncredited)
Krzysztof Winiewicz
Camera Operator
Janusz Morgenstern
First Assistant Director
Wiesław Zdort
Assistant Camera
Anita Janeczkowa
Assistant Director
Jarosław Świtoniak
Assistant Production Design
Halina Sieńska
Makeup Artist
Katarzyna Chodorowicz
Costume Design
Stanisław Adler
Production Manager
Leszek Wajda
Assistant Production Design
Media.
Details.
Release DateOctober 3, 1958
Original NamePopiół i diament
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 43m
Genres
Wiki.
Ashes and Diamonds (Polish: Popiół i diament) is a 1958 Polish drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda, based on the 1948 novel by Polish writer Jerzy Andrzejewski. Starring Zbigniew Cybulski and Ewa Krzyżewska, it completed Wajda's war films trilogy, following A Generation (1954) and Kanal (1956). The action of Ashes and Diamonds takes place in 1945, shortly after World War II. The main protagonist of the film, former Home Army soldier Maciek Chełmicki, is acting in the anti-Communist underground. Maciek receives an order to kill Szczuka, the local secretary of the Polish Workers' Party. Over time, Chełmicki increasingly doubts if his task is worth doing.
Ashes and Diamonds, although based on the novel that directly supported the postwar Communist system in Poland, was subtly modified in comparison with the source material. Wajda sympathized with the soldiers of the Polish independence underground; thus, he devoted most of the attention to Chełmicki. During the three-month development of Ashes and Diamonds, the director made drastic changes to the baseline scenario, thanks to his assistant director Janusz Morgenstern, as well as Cybulski, who played the leading role. The film received permission from the authorities to be distributed only through Andrzejewski's intercession. The film did not receive permission to be screened at the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival. However, Ashes and Diamonds appeared at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI award.
At first, Ashes and Diamonds met positive critical reception, both in Poland and worldwide. However, after the Revolutions of 1989, it was criticized for falsifying the collective memory of Polish partisans. Nevertheless, the film has maintained its reputation as one of the most famous Polish motion pictures in history.