With Fire and Sword (film)
Encyclopedia
With Fire and Sword is the English title of the Polish
film
Ogniem i Mieczem, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman
, released in 1999. The film is based on a novel of the same name
, the first part in The Trilogy
of Henryk Sienkiewicz
.
At the time of its filming it was the most expensive Polish film ever made (since surpassed by Quo Vadis
, 2001).
lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
of the 17th century during the Khmelnytsky Uprising
. A Polish knight Skrzetuski and a Cossack otaman Bohun fall in love with the same woman, Helena. Their rivalry unfolds against the backdrop of a Cossack uprising led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky
aimed at reclaiming the control of the land from the hands of the Polish nobles. Historic events form a framework for an action- and character-driven plot, and fictional characters mingle with historic ones. The movie, conversely to the book, does not finish with the great face-off in the form of the Battle of Beresteczko.
. The movie suggests that the Poles were quickly routed by Cossacks and the Polish elite cavalry (husaria) showed needless bravado in the face of unfavorable weather conditions. In reality, the Poles were not only greatly outnumbered, especially after they were deserted by all the Cossacks who had switched sides and joined Bohdan Khmelnytsky, but also their commander, Stefan Potocki
, was only 24 years old; despite that the battle, though eventually lost by the Poles, lasted for nearly three weeks.
The original book is often deemed to be nationalistic and Ukrainophobic, especially in Ukraine. The movie on the other hand has been praised for its depiction of Ukraine and Ukrainians as "vivid rather than monochromatic; they are multi-dimensional, eliciting more than one feeling of, say, fascination or dislike". However, some Polish reviewers felt that the movie emphasized Cossacks' successes and positive traits while diminishing those of the Poles, in the spirit of political correctness.
The director was aware of the controversies and criticism. He was quoted as saying:
Sienkiewicz's book is still considered anti-Ukrainian by some Ukrainians. I understand that problem, but when I was in Kiev at a conference of Ukrainian intellectuals ... many people with whom I spoke had read the novel closely and they quoted whole passages where Sienkiewicz criticized the Polish nobles as strongly as the Cossacks. For both sides it was clear that the result of this tragic conflict was the eventual demise of both the Commonwealth and the Sich. I am well aware that the film may agitate those in Ukraine who blame everything on the Poles, and in Poland those who blame all that was bad on the Ukrainians. My film will certainly not convince any radicals. ... My film finishes with the final words of Sienkiewicz's novel: "Hatred poisoned the hearts of two brother nations".
, which was filmed in 1974, and Colonel Wolodyjowski, which was filmed in 1969. This might have been due to political tension between Polish People's Republic and Ukrainian SSR
, as filming a novel taking up a politically loaded subject of Polish-Ukrainian relations (another stalled film project was Taras Bulba
by Nikolai Gogol
) was deemed undesired by the Soviet Union
..
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Ogniem i Mieczem, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman
Jerzy Hoffman
Jerzy Hoffman is a Polish film director and screenwriter. He is the father of early Macintosh development team member Joanna Hoffman.-Selected filmography:*Battle of Warsaw 1920...
, released in 1999. The film is based on a novel of the same name
With Fire and Sword
With Fire and Sword is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as the Trilogy, followed by The Deluge and Fire in the Steppe , also translated as Colonel Wolodyjowski...
, the first part in The Trilogy
The Trilogy
In modern culture, The Trilogy may also refer to George Lucas' The Trilogy. For the general use of the term "trilogy", see Trilogy.The Trilogy is a series of three novels written by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz. The series follows dramatized versions of famous events in Polish history,...
of Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...
.
At the time of its filming it was the most expensive Polish film ever made (since surpassed by Quo Vadis
Quo Vadis (2001 film)
Quo Vadis is a 2001 Polish film directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz based on the book of the same title by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It was Poland's submission to the 74th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not nominated....
, 2001).
Plot
The story is set in the UkrainianUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
of the 17th century during the Khmelnytsky Uprising
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, was a Cossack rebellion in the Ukraine between the years 1648–1657 which turned into a Ukrainian war of liberation from Poland...
. A Polish knight Skrzetuski and a Cossack otaman Bohun fall in love with the same woman, Helena. Their rivalry unfolds against the backdrop of a Cossack uprising led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky was a hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates which resulted in the creation of a Cossack state...
aimed at reclaiming the control of the land from the hands of the Polish nobles. Historic events form a framework for an action- and character-driven plot, and fictional characters mingle with historic ones. The movie, conversely to the book, does not finish with the great face-off in the form of the Battle of Beresteczko.
Critical reception
The movie has been criticized for introducing some factual inaccuracies. One of the least accurate sections of the film is Hoffman's presentation of the first battle between the Poles and the Cossacks - the Battle of Zhovti VodyBattle of Zhovti Vody
Battle of Zhovti Vody , was the first significant battle of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. The name of the battle derived from a nearby river.-Scope:...
. The movie suggests that the Poles were quickly routed by Cossacks and the Polish elite cavalry (husaria) showed needless bravado in the face of unfavorable weather conditions. In reality, the Poles were not only greatly outnumbered, especially after they were deserted by all the Cossacks who had switched sides and joined Bohdan Khmelnytsky, but also their commander, Stefan Potocki
Stefan Potocki
Stefan Potocki was a Polish nobleman, starosta of Nizhyn.In the Battle of Zhovti Vody Stefan Potocki was wounded, taken prisoner of war and died from gangrene on May 19, 1648....
, was only 24 years old; despite that the battle, though eventually lost by the Poles, lasted for nearly three weeks.
The original book is often deemed to be nationalistic and Ukrainophobic, especially in Ukraine. The movie on the other hand has been praised for its depiction of Ukraine and Ukrainians as "vivid rather than monochromatic; they are multi-dimensional, eliciting more than one feeling of, say, fascination or dislike". However, some Polish reviewers felt that the movie emphasized Cossacks' successes and positive traits while diminishing those of the Poles, in the spirit of political correctness.
The director was aware of the controversies and criticism. He was quoted as saying:
Sienkiewicz's book is still considered anti-Ukrainian by some Ukrainians. I understand that problem, but when I was in Kiev at a conference of Ukrainian intellectuals ... many people with whom I spoke had read the novel closely and they quoted whole passages where Sienkiewicz criticized the Polish nobles as strongly as the Cossacks. For both sides it was clear that the result of this tragic conflict was the eventual demise of both the Commonwealth and the Sich. I am well aware that the film may agitate those in Ukraine who blame everything on the Poles, and in Poland those who blame all that was bad on the Ukrainians. My film will certainly not convince any radicals. ... My film finishes with the final words of Sienkiewicz's novel: "Hatred poisoned the hearts of two brother nations".
Political background
Although the original novel is the first part of the Trilogy, the film was the last part of Hoffman's version of the trilogy to be made, following The DelugeThe Deluge (film)
The Deluge is the English title of the Polish film Potop, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman, released in 1974. The film is based on the novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz...
, which was filmed in 1974, and Colonel Wolodyjowski, which was filmed in 1969. This might have been due to political tension between Polish People's Republic and Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
, as filming a novel taking up a politically loaded subject of Polish-Ukrainian relations (another stalled film project was Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba is a romanticized historical novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Zaporozhian Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kiev Academy and return home...
by Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
) was deemed undesired by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
..
Cast
- Izabella ScorupcoIzabella ScorupcoIzabella Scorupco is a Polish-Swedish actress and model, best known for her portrayal of Bond girl Natalya Simonova in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye.- Biography :...
as Helena KurcewiczównaHelena KurcewiczównaHelena Kurcewicz is a fictional character appearing in the novel With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz as the main female protagonist. She is also mentioned in The Deluge and in Colonel Wolodyjowski.Helena is a beautiful orphaned princess living with her aunt and cousins in Rozłogi... - Michał Żebrowski as Jan SkrzetuskiJan SkrzetuskiJan Skrzetuski is a fictional character created by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz in the novel With Fire and Sword. He is a man of honour, always faithful to his master, duke Jeremi Wiśniowiecki. He loves Helena Kurcewiczówna, who was kidnapped by the Ukrainian Cossack Bohun, who is also in...
- Aleksandr DomogarovAleksandr DomogarovAleksandr Domogarov is a Russian actor known for playing historical roles.Aleksandr Domogarov was born in 1963 in Moscow, USSR . He went to school from 1970 to 1980 and was planning to become an engineer. However he soon discovered it was not his profession and went into the Maly Theatre school...
as Jurko BohunIvan BohunIvan Bohun was a Ukrainian Cossack colonel. Close associate and friend of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, he opposed both the pacts with Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and with Tsardom of Russia .... - Krzysztof KowalewskiKrzysztof KowalewskiKrzysztof Kowalewski is a Polish actor and comedian. He starred in the 1976 film Brunet wieczorową porą. His first wife Vivian came from Cuba. For many years he has been in a relationship with a popular Polish acctress Ewa Wisniewska. They split up after Krzysztof met an actress Agnieszka Suchora,...
as Jan Onufry Zagłoba - Bohdan StupkaBohdan StupkaBohdan Stupka is a popular Ukrainian actor. He was born in Kulykiv, which is in Lviv oblast , Ukraine.Stupka is recognized as the most famous living Ukrainian actor. He has played more than hundred roles in films and over fifty in theaters. Stupka has been awarded the title Artist of Ukraine and...
as Bohdan KhmelnytskyBohdan KhmelnytskyBohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky was a hetman of the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates which resulted in the creation of a Cossack state... - 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...
as Jeremi WiśniowieckiJeremi WisniowieckiJeremi Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki was a notable member of the aristocracy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Prince at Wiśniowiec, Łubnie and Chorol and a father of future Polish king Michał I... - Zbigniew ZamachowskiZbigniew ZamachowskiZbigniew Zamachowski is a Polish actor.Zamachowski graduated the actor's faculty in "PWSFTViT" in Łódź. He began his acting career in 1981 and in 1989 had a co-starring role in Part Ten of director Krzysztof Kieślowski's film series, The Decalogue...
as Michał Wołodyjowski - Wiktor ZborowskiWiktor ZborowskiWiktor Zborowski is a Polish actor. He is nephew of Jan Kobuszewski. In 1973 he finished Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna w Warszawie. He appeared in the comedy television series Bao-Bab, czyli zielono mi in 2003....
as Longinus PodbipiętaLonginus PodbipietaLonginus Podbipięta is a fictional character in the novel With Fire and Sword written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. He is a Lithuanian and his coat of arms is called "Zerwikaptur". He had vowed to remain chaste until he cut off three heads with one blow of his huge sword , like his ancestor did at the... - 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....
as Toğay beyTogay beyTugay Bey sometimes also spelled as Tugai Bey was a notable military leader and politician of the Crimean Tatars.Toğay descended from the Arğıns - one of noble Crimean families, and his full name is Arğın Doğan Toğay bey...
(Tuhaj Bej) - 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 :...
as Jan II Kazimierz - Wojciech Malajkat as RzędzianRzedzianRzędzian is a fictional character created by Henryk Sienkiewicz. He appears as the secondary character in With Fire and Sword and in The Deluge. He is a poor Polish nobleman who serves Jan Skrzetuski. He's cunning and greedy but always loyal to his master. He helps to free Helena Kurcewiczówna from...
- Ewa WisniewskaEwa WiśniewskaEwa Wiśniewska is a Polish actress. Her sister, Małgorzata Niemirska, is an actress.Wiśniewska was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland's highest Orders, and many other Orders, including Gold Cross of Merit....
as Kurcewiczowa - Ruslana PysankaRuslana PysankaRuslana Pysanka , born Ruslana Ihorivna Pysanko on 17 November 1965 in Kiev, is a Ukrainian actress, showwoman and cinematographer, the only obese celebrity in the country....
as Horpyna - Gustaw HoloubekGustaw HoloubekGustaw Holoubek was a Polish actor, director, member of the Polish Sejm, and a senator.Holoubek participated in the September Campaign and was a prisoner of war during the Nazi German Occupation of Poland...
as Adam KisielAdam KisielAdam Świętołdycz Kisiel was the Voivode of Kiev and castellan or voivode of Czernihów . He was the last Orthodox senator of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth... - Andrzej Kopiczynski as Zaćwilichowski
- Maciej Kozlowski as Maxym KryvonisMaxym KryvonisMaksym Kryvonis was one of the Cossack leaders of Khmelnytsky Uprising. In the first stage of the uprising he was the leader of the most radical faction of the rebels who rejected all compromises with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and wanted to drive all Catholics and Jews out of...
- Adam FerencyAdam FerencyAdam Ferency is a Polish actor. He has appeared in over 70 films and televisison shows since 1976. He starred in the 1990 film Burial of a Potato, which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival....
as İslâm III GirayIslâm III Girayİslâm III Giray — a khan of the Crimean Khanate in 1644–1654.In 1648 allied with Zaporozhian Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky in his revolt against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1654 after the Treaty of Pereyaslav, he switched sides and allied with Poland against the Tsardom of... - Gustaw LutkiewiczGustaw LutkiewiczGustaw Lutkiewicz is a Polish actor and singer.He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1970 and the Officer's Cross in 1985.-Filmography:*1999:With Fire and Sword under Jerzy Hoffman....
as Yakiv BarabashYakiv BarabashYakiv Barabash was a Zaporozhian Cossack Otaman who opposed Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky.In 1657 he and Poltava polkovnyk Martyn Pushkar led a pro-Muscovy revolt against Vyhovsky, who was generally pro-Polish in his policies. The revolt ended in June 1658 near Poltava, when Vyhovsky and his cossacks... - Dmytro Myrhorodsky as Koshovy otamanAtamanAtaman was a commander title of the Ukrainian People's Army, Cossack, and haidamak leaders, who were in essence the Cossacks...
- Jerzy BonczakJerzy BończakJerzy Bończak is a Polish actor. He appeared in the television series Aby do świtu... in 1992.-References:...
as Daniel CzaplińskiDaniel CzaplińskiDaniel Czapliński was a deputy starosta of Chigirin and a rotmistrz in the forces of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. He is best known as an enemy of Bohdan Khmelnytsky with whom he got into a dispute over property... - Krzysztof Gosztyla as Jerzy OssolińskiJerzy OssolinskiPrince Jerzy Ossoliński was a Polish szlachcic, Crown Court Treasurer from 1632, voivode of Sandomierz from 1636, Reichsfürst since 1634, Crown Deputy Chancellor from 1639, Great Crown Chancellor from 1643, starost of Bydgoszcz , Lubomel , Puck and Bolim , magnate, politician and diplomat...
- Szymon Kobylinski as Mikołaj Ostroróg
See also
- The DelugeThe Deluge (film)The Deluge is the English title of the Polish film Potop, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman, released in 1974. The film is based on the novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz...
- Colonel WolodyjowskiColonel Wolodyjowski (film)Colonel Wolodyjowski is the English title of the Polish film Pan Wołodyjowski, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman, released in 1968. The film is based on Fire in the Steppe, a novel by the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz...
- Bohdan Khmelnytsky#Controversies
- Taras Bulba (2009 film)