A Generation
Encyclopedia
A Generation is a 1955
Polish film
directed by Andrzej Wajda
. It is based on the novel Pokolenie by Bohdan Czeszko, who also wrote the script, and it was Wajda's first film and the opening installment of what became his Three War Films trilogy set in the Second World War, completed by Kanal and Ashes and Diamonds
.
, a working-class section of Warsaw
, in 1942 and tells the stories of two young men at odds with the Nazi occupation of Poland. The young protagonist, Stach (Tadeusz Lomnicki
), is living in squalor on the outskirts of the city and carrying out wayward acts of theft and rebellion. After a friend is killed attempting to heist coal from a German supply train, he finds work as an apprentice at a workshop, where he becomes involved in an underground communist resistance cell guided first by friendly journeyman there who in turn introduces Stach to the beautiful Dorota (Urszula Modrzynska
). An outsider, Jasio Krone (Tadeusz Janczar
), the temperamental son of an elderly veteran, is initially reluctant to join the struggle but finally commits himself, running relief operations in the Jewish ghetto during the uprising there.
. A Generation includes an exclusive interview with the director and film critic Jerzy Płażewski, Wajda's 1951 film school short Ceramics from Iłża (Ceramika Iłżecka), production photos, publicity stills, posters, and original artwork by the director and an essay by film scholar Ewa Mazierska.
1955 in film
The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
Polish film
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....
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 novel Pokolenie by Bohdan Czeszko, who also wrote the script, and it was Wajda's first film and the opening installment of what became his Three War Films trilogy set in the Second World War, completed by Kanal and Ashes and Diamonds
Ashes and Diamonds (film)
Ashes and Diamonds is a 1958 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda, based on the 1948 novel by Polish writer Jerzy Andrzejewski...
.
Plot
A Generation is set in WolaWola
Wola is a district in western Warsaw, Poland, formerly the village of Wielka Wola, incorporated into Warsaw in 1916. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it is slowly changing into an office and residential district...
, a working-class section of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, in 1942 and tells the stories of two young men at odds with the Nazi occupation of Poland. The young protagonist, Stach (Tadeusz Lomnicki
Tadeusz Lomnicki
Tadeusz Łomnicki was a Polish actor, one of the most notable stage and film artists of his time in Poland. He is remembered mostly for his roles in comedies and dramas, as well as for the role of Kordian in Juliusz Słowacki's play of the same title...
), is living in squalor on the outskirts of the city and carrying out wayward acts of theft and rebellion. After a friend is killed attempting to heist coal from a German supply train, he finds work as an apprentice at a workshop, where he becomes involved in an underground communist resistance cell guided first by friendly journeyman there who in turn introduces Stach to the beautiful Dorota (Urszula Modrzynska
Urszula Modrzynska
Urszula Modrzyńska was a Polish stage and film actress.Modrzyńska began her career on stage in 1949 in Wilam Horzyca Theater in Toruń. In the 1950s and 1960 she played several memorable parts in movies by Polish directors, namely by Andrzej Wajda ) and Aleksander Ford .In the 1970s she played only...
). An outsider, Jasio Krone (Tadeusz Janczar
Tadeusz Janczar
Tadeusz Janczar was a Polish film actor. He appeared in 26 films between 1952 and 1983.-Selected filmography:* Landscape After the Battle * Bad Luck * Farewells * Kanał * A Generation...
), the temperamental son of an elderly veteran, is initially reluctant to join the struggle but finally commits himself, running relief operations in the Jewish ghetto during the uprising there.
Cast
- Tadeusz Łomnicki as Stach Mazur
- Urszula ModrzyńskaUrszula ModrzynskaUrszula Modrzyńska was a Polish stage and film actress.Modrzyńska began her career on stage in 1949 in Wilam Horzyca Theater in Toruń. In the 1950s and 1960 she played several memorable parts in movies by Polish directors, namely by Andrzej Wajda ) and Aleksander Ford .In the 1970s she played only...
as Dorota - Tadeusz JanczarTadeusz JanczarTadeusz Janczar was a Polish film actor. He appeared in 26 films between 1952 and 1983.-Selected filmography:* Landscape After the Battle * Bad Luck * Farewells * Kanał * A Generation...
as Jasio Krone - Janusz Paluszkiewicz as Sekuła
- Ryszard Kotys as Jacek (credited as Ryszard Kotas)
- Roman PolanskiRoman PolanskiRoman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
as Mundek
Production
Because blanks at the time did not provide recoil, all shots of automatic weapons were done with live ammunition shot into sandbags off screen.Analysis
On its face, the film is a coming-of-age story of survival and shattering loss, delivering a brutal portrait of the human cost of war. But as with all of Wajda's films, Polish history and the individual's struggle in the face of crushing political circumstances are just below the surface. In A Generation, as in Ashes and Diamonds, the conflict between the communists and the nationalist Home Army, each representing a diametrically opposed view of Poland's future, are set on a collision course. For Stach, his work for the resistance is part of a larger class war and the struggle for communism.DVD
A box set of the Three War Films was released by The Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
. A Generation includes an exclusive interview with the director and film critic Jerzy Płażewski, Wajda's 1951 film school short Ceramics from Iłża (Ceramika Iłżecka), production photos, publicity stills, posters, and original artwork by the director and an essay by film scholar Ewa Mazierska.