Vabank
Encyclopedia
Vabank is a Polish film from 1981; the first film directed by Juliusz Machulski
and a popular criminal comedy
, set in an unnamed city in interwar Poland
.
The film received several awards and nominations, among them:
This film, sometimes referred to as the Polish The Sting
, tells the story of Henryk Kwinto a legendary safe cracker with a score to settle. After taking the fall in a bank robbery
, Kwinto is released from prison and hoping to return to a quiet married life and playing trumpet in a jazz band with his friend Tadeusz. However, these hopes are soon dashed when he discovers his wife has a new man in her life and that his music partner Tadeusz has apparently committed suicide due to financial difficulties.
When two young jewel thieves approach Kwinto to hit a bank run by Gustaw Kramer, a ruthless and criminal bank president, Kwinto tells them he is not interested and that he is nothing more than a simple musician.
However, when Kwinto realizes the cut he received from Kramer in exchange for his prison time is little more than 20 Złoty a day and that Kramer himself is responsible for Tadeusz’s death, Kwinto decides to get even with him. He tracks down his former associate Dane and with the two jewel thieves, plan a robbery of Kramer’s reportedly heist-proof bank.
A sequel
, Vabank II, was made in 1984.
Juliusz Machulski
Juliusz Machulski is a Polish film director and screenplay writer. Son of noted actor Jan Machulski, Juliusz became notable for his comedies ridiculing the life in communist-ruled Poland of 1970s and 1980s....
and a popular criminal comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, set in an unnamed city in interwar 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 film received several awards and nominations, among them:
- Polish Film FestivalPolish Film FestivalThe Polish Film Festival is an annual film festival first held in Gdańsk, now held in Gdynia, Poland....
1981 – Best Debut Director - Mystfest 1982 – Best Film
This film, sometimes referred to as the Polish The Sting
The Sting
The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936 that involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters to con a mob boss . The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who previously directed Newman and Redford in the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Created by...
, tells the story of Henryk Kwinto a legendary safe cracker with a score to settle. After taking the fall in a bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
, Kwinto is released from prison and hoping to return to a quiet married life and playing trumpet in a jazz band with his friend Tadeusz. However, these hopes are soon dashed when he discovers his wife has a new man in her life and that his music partner Tadeusz has apparently committed suicide due to financial difficulties.
When two young jewel thieves approach Kwinto to hit a bank run by Gustaw Kramer, a ruthless and criminal bank president, Kwinto tells them he is not interested and that he is nothing more than a simple musician.
However, when Kwinto realizes the cut he received from Kramer in exchange for his prison time is little more than 20 Złoty a day and that Kramer himself is responsible for Tadeusz’s death, Kwinto decides to get even with him. He tracks down his former associate Dane and with the two jewel thieves, plan a robbery of Kramer’s reportedly heist-proof bank.
A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Vabank II, was made in 1984.