Pan Tadeusz (film)
Encyclopedia
Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray
in Lithuania
is a 1999
Polish
film directed by Andrzej Wajda
. It is based on the eponymous epic poem
by Polish poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz
(1798–1855). In his film, Andrzej Wajda
weaves the tangled passions of men and women into a handsome, expansive tapestry of exile, yearning, Polish pride, war and history. In a nutshell, Pan Tadeusz is a story of family feuds, vows of vengeance, concealed identities, thwarted love, lusty passions, murder, pain, guilt, deathbed revelations and reconciliations that resonate through the generations.
and Poland
were united, until Poland
was partitioned in 1795 by three nations at its borders: Russia
, Prussia
, and the Austrian Empire
. (see Partitions of Poland
) At that point, Poland
, the formerly powerful nation simply ceased to exist. Yet one hope remained for the patriotic Poles
yearning for autonomy - France
. Napoleon promised to restore the Polish homeland if Poles, in turn, helped him defeat Russia
. Thousands of Poles were part of the French force that reached the gates of Moscow
before being forced into a long and bloody retreat. The film itself centers on two noble
families who live in the Russian-controlled part of Poland
: the Horeszko Family, who ardently favor Polish independence, and the Soplica Family, who support Russia
.
, reads his work to a group of elderly exiles in Paris
. The story takes place over the course of five days in 1811 and one day in 1812 among rolling landscapes of Lithuania
inhabited by Poles
whose homeland has been recently partitioned among Russia
, Austrian Empire
and Prussia
. Not far off in history looms Napoleon's invasion of Russia
, an event that heartens Poles yearning for liberation. But more immediately, the characters in Pan Tadeusz are feuding among themselves.
At odds are two families: the Soplica's and the Horeszko's. Their differences arise from a bloody night when the dashing Jacek Soplica, (who was earlier rejected as a suitor for the old count Horeszkos daughter), takes advantage of a Russian assault on the count's castle to kill old count Horeszko. At that moment, the old count's faithful warden, Gervazy, vows vengeance for his master's death. Gervazy will not forgive and forget that in 1792, the last household lord of the Horeszkos was killed by Jacek Soplica and as a result, the latter was rewarded with the former's castle by the Russian colonizers.
20 years later, matters remain unresolved. Jacek Soplicas brother, the judge (Andrzej Seweryn
), (who now lives in the castle of the old count Horeszko), is locked in a lawsuit over the castle. A new relative of the old murdered count, young count Horeszko (Marek Kondrat
) has just arrived on the scene. So has 20-year-old Tadeusz Soplica (Michal Zebrowski
), the judge's nephew. He is promptly smitten with the innocent Zosia (Alicja Bachleda
), the teenage ward of his manipulative aunt, Telimena (Grazyna Szapolowska
).
Preaching insurrection among the people is Priest Robak (Boguslaw Linda
), who carries more than a few secrets under his cowl
.
Priest Robak informs the Poles who are living in Lithuania
that Napoleon is marching against the Russians
and will be crossing the nearby Niemen River. Naturally, the Poles get intensely worked up over this news as they abhor their Russian overlords.
In the meantime, aunt Telimena (Grazyna Szapolowska
), who is in charge of raising 14 year old Zosia (Alicja Bachleda
), begins a relationship with Tadeusz (Michal Zebrowski
). This relationship does not please the rest of the family who expect Tadeusz to marry Zosia.
More reports arrive of Napoleon on the march. It is said that Polish horsemen are coming with the French and will cross the Niemen River. At this time Tadeusz finds out that his father (Jacek Soplica) is still alive and that it was he who sent Priest Robak to his uncle to secure the marriage of Tadeusz and Zosia. Through this marriage, Jacek Soplica wishes to make amends for his past sins by restoring the land back to the Count. However, aunt Telimena (who is in love with Tadeusz herself) secretly desires Zosia to marry the wealthy Count.
When the Count attends a banquet given by the Soplica's Family, Gervazy (the old count's faithful warden) wreaks havoc by bringing up the old family dispute (namely 'Jacek Soplica' killing old count 'Horeszko'). The Count and Tadeusz agree to settle their dispute with a duel. Meanwhile, it is revealed to the judge that Father Robak is actually Jacek Soplica. To take vengeance on the Soplica Family, the Count and Gervazy head to the village of Dobrzyn to recruit some of the gentry to help them destroy the Soplica family. Their revengeful desire is also wrapped up with the goal of starting an insurrection against the Russians
. The recruited gentry along with the Count put the Soplicas under house arrest while Gervazy and his forces settle in the castle and make it the headquarters of the Count. The Russian soldiers intervene and capture all the rebels and make them prisoner. Nonetheless, the Soplica's supply weapons and free the rebels, which ultimately allows both Poles
and Lithuanians
to come together to fight the Russians
. In the struggle, Jacek Soplica personally saves the lives of both the Count and Gervazy, for which the two men forgive Jacek Soplica for his past sins. Climactically, the Poles
and Lithuanians
win the battle, but many will have to leave their homes to avoid the wrath of the Russians
.
As news is received that Napoleon has declared war on Russia
, the Count and Tadeusz, forgetting their promised duel, head off to join the French troops marching against the Russians. As the story of Pan Tadeusz approaches the end, count Horeszko and Tadeusz Soplica return as soldier heroes and both families (Soplica's and Horeszko's) celebrate and rejoice in peace as Tadeusz is betrothed to Zosia.
The film ends, as it began, with many of the protagonists, now emigres in Paris, listening to Adam Mickiewicz
as he reads from his poem about the homeland to which they cannot return.
's Pan Tadeusz
is a national epic poem of the highest degree of sanctity in Poland
. Ever since it was written, it has caused heated debates on its meanings. And although Mickiewicz's contemporaries criticized it, time has made it a universal masterpiece which can be interpreted and adapted for different times and different people. It is a simple love story set in an old-style Polish countryside mansion for the gentry and its surroundings, against the rising hopes of Napoleon invading Russia
and the subsequent prospect of regaining the country's independence - lost years ago. This film, which in many ways sums up Wajda's long and illustrious career, was a massive success in its native Poland
.
, it was significant in allowing for the unprecedented domination of Polish box-office by domestic productions, an exception in the history of the late 20th century Polish and also European cinema. Pan Tadeusz did not do what Wajda’s other films managed in the past; it did not make the Polish voice heard internationally. While Wajda’s Neo Realist trilogy of Pokolenie (A Generation) (1954), Kanal
(Canal) (1957), and Popiol i diament (Ashes and Diamonds) (1958) was quoted as inspiration by, for instance, Martin Scorsese
, and Wajda’s diptych, Czlowiek z marmuru (Man of Marble
) (1976) and Czlowiek z zelaza (Man of Iron
) (1981), was a lauded messenger from behind the Iron Curtain
, Pan Tadeusz answered to a different set of needs and problems faced by the post-transitional Poland
. It was most audible where it was most needed: at home.
Pan Tadeusz played in eastern Europe during the latter half of 1999, featured at the Berlin Film Festival, and endured a limited, albeit financially unsuccessful, run in the US early in 2000 before vanishing from screens forever.
conceived his breathtaking score for Pan Tadeusz in addition to scores for over 100 films, including: Bram Stoker's Dracula
, Death and the Maiden (film)
, The Portrait of a Lady (film)
, The Pianist (2002 film)
, the The Truman Show
and The Ninth Gate
. Kilar is also internationally known for his epic Exodus, which is famous as the trailer music from Schindler's List
.
The Polish EMI subsidiary label Pomaton released Wojciech Kilar
's score from Pan Tadeusz and distributed it world-wide. The centrepieces of the score are the two long romantic themes, Swiatynia Dumania and Kochajmy Sie. (Running Time: 43 minutes 44 seconds, Pomaton 7243-4-99949-2-8) (1999/2000)
was Poland's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards
, but did not manage to receive a nomination.
Pan Tadeusz did however win awards at The Polish Film: Eagle award 2000. It won Best Film score, Best actress, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Editing and Best Production Design. Andrzej Wajda
won a Life Achievement Award at the same ceremony. Mr. Wajda also won an honorary Academy Award (Oscar statuette) in the same year for five decades of extraordinary film direction.
Foray
A foray was a traditional method of law enforcement in Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In view of the weakness of the executive in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was used by members of the szlachta to defend their rights....
in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
is a 1999
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
Polish
Cinema of Poland
The history of cinema in Poland is almost as long as history of cinematography, and it has universal achievements, even though Polish movies tend to be less commercially available than movies from several other European nations....
film directed by Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
. It is based on the eponymous epic poem
Pan Tadeusz
Pan Tadeusz, the full title in English: Sir Thaddeus, or the Last Lithuanian Foray: A Nobleman's Tale from the Years of 1811 and 1812 in Twelve Books of Verse is an epic poem by the Polish poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz...
by Polish poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
(1798–1855). In his film, Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
weaves the tangled passions of men and women into a handsome, expansive tapestry of exile, yearning, Polish pride, war and history. In a nutshell, Pan Tadeusz is a story of family feuds, vows of vengeance, concealed identities, thwarted love, lusty passions, murder, pain, guilt, deathbed revelations and reconciliations that resonate through the generations.
Historical background
For 400 years, LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
were united, until Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
was partitioned in 1795 by three nations at its borders: Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, and the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
. (see Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
) At that point, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the formerly powerful nation simply ceased to exist. Yet one hope remained for the patriotic Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
yearning for autonomy - France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Napoleon promised to restore the Polish homeland if Poles, in turn, helped him defeat Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Thousands of Poles were part of the French force that reached the gates of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
before being forced into a long and bloody retreat. The film itself centers on two noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
families who live in the Russian-controlled part of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: the Horeszko Family, who ardently favor Polish independence, and the Soplica Family, who support Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Synopsis
Pan Tadeusz is told in flashbacks as the author, Adam MickiewiczAdam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
, reads his work to a group of elderly exiles in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The story takes place over the course of five days in 1811 and one day in 1812 among rolling landscapes of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
inhabited by Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
whose homeland has been recently partitioned among Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
and Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Not far off in history looms Napoleon's invasion of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, an event that heartens Poles yearning for liberation. But more immediately, the characters in Pan Tadeusz are feuding among themselves.
At odds are two families: the Soplica's and the Horeszko's. Their differences arise from a bloody night when the dashing Jacek Soplica, (who was earlier rejected as a suitor for the old count Horeszkos daughter), takes advantage of a Russian assault on the count's castle to kill old count Horeszko. At that moment, the old count's faithful warden, Gervazy, vows vengeance for his master's death. Gervazy will not forgive and forget that in 1792, the last household lord of the Horeszkos was killed by Jacek Soplica and as a result, the latter was rewarded with the former's castle by the Russian colonizers.
20 years later, matters remain unresolved. Jacek Soplicas brother, the judge (Andrzej Seweryn
Andrzej Seweryn
Andrzej Seweryn is a Polish and French actor and director. One of the most successful Polish theatre actors, he starred in over 50 films, mostly in Poland, France and Germany. He is also one of only three non-French actors to be hired by the Paris-based Comédie-Française.- Biography :Andrzej...
), (who now lives in the castle of the old count Horeszko), is locked in a lawsuit over the castle. A new relative of the old murdered count, young count Horeszko (Marek Kondrat
Marek Kondrat
Marek Kondrat – Polish TV, film and theatrical actor, director.In 2007 he planned to revolutionize the Polish domestic wine market by introducing Winarium wine stores in every city with a population of over 100,000.- Awards :...
) has just arrived on the scene. So has 20-year-old Tadeusz Soplica (Michal Zebrowski
Michal Zebrowski
-Filmography:-Discography:* Zakochany Pan Tadeusz * Lubię, Kiedy Kobieta... * Poczytaj Mi Tato * Poczytaj Mi Tato 2 * Poczytaj Mi Tato 3 -External links:...
), the judge's nephew. He is promptly smitten with the innocent Zosia (Alicja Bachleda
Alicja Bachleda
Alicja Bachleda-Curuś is a Polish actress and singer, who has appeared in films including Trade, Ondine, and Pan Tadeusz.-Early life:...
), the teenage ward of his manipulative aunt, Telimena (Grazyna Szapolowska
Grazyna Szapolowska
Grażyna Szapołowska is a Polish film and theatre actress.After passing the baccalauréat she joined at Wroclaw Theatre of Pantomime. In 1977 she graduated from The Theatre Art School in Warsaw...
).
Preaching insurrection among the people is Priest Robak (Boguslaw Linda
Boguslaw Linda
Bogusław Linda is a Polish actor known from films such as Psy and Tato. He appeared in Andrzej Wajda's Man of Iron and Danton and in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Blind Chance and the seventh episode of Kieslowski's Dekalog....
), who carries more than a few secrets under his cowl
Cowl
This article is about the garment used by monks and nuns. For other uses, see Cowl or Cowling .The cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak...
.
Priest Robak informs the Poles who are living in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
that Napoleon is marching against the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and will be crossing the nearby Niemen River. Naturally, the Poles get intensely worked up over this news as they abhor their Russian overlords.
In the meantime, aunt Telimena (Grazyna Szapolowska
Grazyna Szapolowska
Grażyna Szapołowska is a Polish film and theatre actress.After passing the baccalauréat she joined at Wroclaw Theatre of Pantomime. In 1977 she graduated from The Theatre Art School in Warsaw...
), who is in charge of raising 14 year old Zosia (Alicja Bachleda
Alicja Bachleda
Alicja Bachleda-Curuś is a Polish actress and singer, who has appeared in films including Trade, Ondine, and Pan Tadeusz.-Early life:...
), begins a relationship with Tadeusz (Michal Zebrowski
Michal Zebrowski
-Filmography:-Discography:* Zakochany Pan Tadeusz * Lubię, Kiedy Kobieta... * Poczytaj Mi Tato * Poczytaj Mi Tato 2 * Poczytaj Mi Tato 3 -External links:...
). This relationship does not please the rest of the family who expect Tadeusz to marry Zosia.
More reports arrive of Napoleon on the march. It is said that Polish horsemen are coming with the French and will cross the Niemen River. At this time Tadeusz finds out that his father (Jacek Soplica) is still alive and that it was he who sent Priest Robak to his uncle to secure the marriage of Tadeusz and Zosia. Through this marriage, Jacek Soplica wishes to make amends for his past sins by restoring the land back to the Count. However, aunt Telimena (who is in love with Tadeusz herself) secretly desires Zosia to marry the wealthy Count.
When the Count attends a banquet given by the Soplica's Family, Gervazy (the old count's faithful warden) wreaks havoc by bringing up the old family dispute (namely 'Jacek Soplica' killing old count 'Horeszko'). The Count and Tadeusz agree to settle their dispute with a duel. Meanwhile, it is revealed to the judge that Father Robak is actually Jacek Soplica. To take vengeance on the Soplica Family, the Count and Gervazy head to the village of Dobrzyn to recruit some of the gentry to help them destroy the Soplica family. Their revengeful desire is also wrapped up with the goal of starting an insurrection against the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
. The recruited gentry along with the Count put the Soplicas under house arrest while Gervazy and his forces settle in the castle and make it the headquarters of the Count. The Russian soldiers intervene and capture all the rebels and make them prisoner. Nonetheless, the Soplica's supply weapons and free the rebels, which ultimately allows both Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
and Lithuanians
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
to come together to fight the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
. In the struggle, Jacek Soplica personally saves the lives of both the Count and Gervazy, for which the two men forgive Jacek Soplica for his past sins. Climactically, the Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
and Lithuanians
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
win the battle, but many will have to leave their homes to avoid the wrath of the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
.
As news is received that Napoleon has declared war on Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the Count and Tadeusz, forgetting their promised duel, head off to join the French troops marching against the Russians. As the story of Pan Tadeusz approaches the end, count Horeszko and Tadeusz Soplica return as soldier heroes and both families (Soplica's and Horeszko's) celebrate and rejoice in peace as Tadeusz is betrothed to Zosia.
The film ends, as it began, with many of the protagonists, now emigres in Paris, listening to Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
as he reads from his poem about the homeland to which they cannot return.
Cast
- Boguslaw LindaBoguslaw LindaBogusław Linda is a Polish actor known from films such as Psy and Tato. He appeared in Andrzej Wajda's Man of Iron and Danton and in Krzysztof Kieslowski's Blind Chance and the seventh episode of Kieslowski's Dekalog....
(Jacek Soplica [ˈjatsɛk sɔpˈlitsa] alias Priest Robak, Bernardyn, father of Tadeusz Soplica, brother of Judge Soplica) - Michal ZebrowskiMichal Zebrowski-Filmography:-Discography:* Zakochany Pan Tadeusz * Lubię, Kiedy Kobieta... * Poczytaj Mi Tato * Poczytaj Mi Tato 2 * Poczytaj Mi Tato 3 -External links:...
(Tadeusz (Thaddeus) Soplica [taˈdɛuʃ sɔpˈlitsa], son of Jacek Soplica , 20 year old nephew of Judge Soplica, in love with Zosia) - Alicja Bachleda-Curus (Zosia Horeszko [ˈzɔɕa xɔˈrɛʃkɔ], 14 year old orphan raised by Telimena)
- Grazyna SzapolowskaGrazyna SzapolowskaGrażyna Szapołowska is a Polish film and theatre actress.After passing the baccalauréat she joined at Wroclaw Theatre of Pantomime. In 1977 she graduated from The Theatre Art School in Warsaw...
(Telimena [tɛliˈmɛna xɔˈrɛʃkɔ], a distant relative of the Soplicas and of the Horeszkos, guardian of Zosia Horeszko) - Andrzej SewerynAndrzej SewerynAndrzej Seweryn is a Polish and French actor and director. One of the most successful Polish theatre actors, he starred in over 50 films, mostly in Poland, France and Germany. He is also one of only three non-French actors to be hired by the Paris-based Comédie-Française.- Biography :Andrzej...
(Judge Soplica, younger brother of Jacek Soplica) - Marek KondratMarek KondratMarek Kondrat – Polish TV, film and theatrical actor, director.In 2007 he planned to revolutionize the Polish domestic wine market by introducing Winarium wine stores in every city with a population of over 100,000.- Awards :...
(Count Horeszko, a distant relative of the Horeszko family and the rightful owner of the castle) - Daniel OlbrychskiDaniel OlbrychskiDaniel Olbrychski is a Polish actor best known for leading roles in several Andrzej Wajda movies and also known for playing the Russian defector and spymaster Vassily Orlov, alongside Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie in the movie Salt....
(Gervazy [gɛrˈvazɘ], the Warden, formerly a servant of the Horeszko family) - Krzysztof KolbergerKrzysztof KolbergerKrzysztof Marek Kolberger was a Polish actor and theatre director. His father's surname was changed in the 1950s, it was originally Kohlberger. He is the father of actress Julia Kolberger, his daughter with ex-wife Anna Romantowska.Krzysztof Kolberger studied at Warsaw Academy of Dramatic Arts ...
(Adam MickiewiczAdam MickiewiczAdam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
) - Sergei Shakurov (Rykow)
- Jerzy BińczyckiJerzy BińczyckiJerzy Bińczycki was a Polish stage and film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1962 and 1998. He starred in the 1975 film Nights and Days, which was entered into the 26th Berlin International Film Festival....
(Maciej Królik-Rózeczka) - Jerzy TrelaJerzy TrelaJerzy Trela is a Polish actor. In 2003 he starred in the film An Ancient Tale: When the Sun Was a God under Jerzy Hoffman.During the communist era, he was a deputy in the Sejm.-Honours and awards:...
(Podkomorzy) - Jerzy Gralek (Wojski)
- Marian Kociniak (Protazy)
- Piotr Gasowski (Rejent)
- Andrzej Hudziak (Asesor)
- Marek PerepeczkoMarek PerepeczkoMarek Perepeczko was a popular Polish movie and theatrical actor.Between 1960 and 1961 he appeared in Andrzej Konic's Poetic Studio in TVP . Perepeczko graduated from PWST in Warsaw in 1965. He debuted on the stage the same year...
(Maciej Chrzciciel)
Critical reception
Adam MickiewiczAdam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
's Pan Tadeusz
Pan Tadeusz
Pan Tadeusz, the full title in English: Sir Thaddeus, or the Last Lithuanian Foray: A Nobleman's Tale from the Years of 1811 and 1812 in Twelve Books of Verse is an epic poem by the Polish poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz...
is a national epic poem of the highest degree of sanctity in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Ever since it was written, it has caused heated debates on its meanings. And although Mickiewicz's contemporaries criticized it, time has made it a universal masterpiece which can be interpreted and adapted for different times and different people. It is a simple love story set in an old-style Polish countryside mansion for the gentry and its surroundings, against the rising hopes of Napoleon invading Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the subsequent prospect of regaining the country's independence - lost years ago. This film, which in many ways sums up Wajda's long and illustrious career, was a massive success in its native Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Box Office performance
Pan Tadeusz was an overwhelming commercial success, but only in its domestic market. With more than 6 million tickets sold to its screenings in PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, it was significant in allowing for the unprecedented domination of Polish box-office by domestic productions, an exception in the history of the late 20th century Polish and also European cinema. Pan Tadeusz did not do what Wajda’s other films managed in the past; it did not make the Polish voice heard internationally. While Wajda’s Neo Realist trilogy of Pokolenie (A Generation) (1954), Kanal
Kanal (film)
Kanał is a 1956 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It was the first film made about the Warsaw Uprising, telling the story of a company of Home Army resistance fighters escaping the Nazi onslaught through the city's sewers...
(Canal) (1957), and Popiol i diament (Ashes and Diamonds) (1958) was quoted as inspiration by, for instance, Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
, and Wajda’s diptych, Czlowiek z marmuru (Man of Marble
Man of Marble
Man of Marble is a 1976 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It chronicles the fall from grace of a fictional heroic Polish bricklayer, Mateusz Birkut , who became the Stakhanovite symbol of an over-achieving worker, in Nowa Huta, a new socialist city near Kraków...
) (1976) and Czlowiek z zelaza (Man of Iron
Man of Iron
Man of Iron is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union....
) (1981), was a lauded messenger from behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, Pan Tadeusz answered to a different set of needs and problems faced by the post-transitional Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It was most audible where it was most needed: at home.
Pan Tadeusz played in eastern Europe during the latter half of 1999, featured at the Berlin Film Festival, and endured a limited, albeit financially unsuccessful, run in the US early in 2000 before vanishing from screens forever.
Soundtrack by Wojciech Kilar
The famous composer, Wojciech KilarWojciech Kilar
Wojciech Kilar ; b. 17 July 1932 in Lwów, Poland) is a Polish classical and film music composer.-Biography:Wojciech Kilar is one of Poland’s esteemed composers. Born in 1932 in Lwów . His father was a gynecologist and his mother was a theater actress...
conceived his breathtaking score for Pan Tadeusz in addition to scores for over 100 films, including: Bram Stoker's Dracula
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Dracula is a 1992 American Gothic horror-romance film directed and co-produced by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker...
, Death and the Maiden (film)
Death and the Maiden (film)
Death and the Maiden is a 1994 drama film directed by Roman Polanski, based on the play by Ariel Dorfman. It starred Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and Stuart Wilson.-Plot summary:...
, The Portrait of a Lady (film)
The Portrait of a Lady (film)
The Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E...
, The Pianist (2002 film)
The Pianist (2002 film)
The Pianist is a 2002 biographical war film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Adrien Brody. It is an adaptation of the autobiography of the same name by Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman...
, the The Truman Show
The Truman Show
The Truman Show is a 1998 American satirical comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The cast includes Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, as well as Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone...
and The Ninth Gate
The Ninth Gate
The Ninth Gate is a 1999 horror film directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski. It is a neo-noir, occult mystery thriller involving the rare book business, wherein rare-book dealer Dean Corso is hired by bibliophile Boris Balkan to validate a seventeenth-century copy of The Nine Gates...
. Kilar is also internationally known for his epic Exodus, which is famous as the trailer music from Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
.
The Polish EMI subsidiary label Pomaton released Wojciech Kilar
Wojciech Kilar
Wojciech Kilar ; b. 17 July 1932 in Lwów, Poland) is a Polish classical and film music composer.-Biography:Wojciech Kilar is one of Poland’s esteemed composers. Born in 1932 in Lwów . His father was a gynecologist and his mother was a theater actress...
's score from Pan Tadeusz and distributed it world-wide. The centrepieces of the score are the two long romantic themes, Swiatynia Dumania and Kochajmy Sie. (Running Time: 43 minutes 44 seconds, Pomaton 7243-4-99949-2-8) (1999/2000)
Academy Award submission and Awards
Pan TadeuszPan Tadeusz
Pan Tadeusz, the full title in English: Sir Thaddeus, or the Last Lithuanian Foray: A Nobleman's Tale from the Years of 1811 and 1812 in Twelve Books of Verse is an epic poem by the Polish poet, writer and philosopher Adam Mickiewicz...
was Poland's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards
72nd Academy Awards
The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony took place at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, and was Billy Crystal's seventh time hosting the Awards. The ceremony attracted 46.53 million viewers, an audience 3.7% bigger than the previous ceremony.The Academy Awards ceremony was dominated by two films...
, but did not manage to receive a nomination.
Pan Tadeusz did however win awards at The Polish Film: Eagle award 2000. It won Best Film score, Best actress, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Editing and Best Production Design. Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
won a Life Achievement Award at the same ceremony. Mr. Wajda also won an honorary Academy Award (Oscar statuette) in the same year for five decades of extraordinary film direction.