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Howard Orr
25Apr12
Rife with tantalising non-committals and complexities; a reminder that art can be a provocation to the viewer to inspect that always-complicated histories that we so often dismiss as having been settled.
Mr. Arkadin
28Jan12
Visually arresting throughout. According to Wajda, Zbigniew Cybulski was channeling James Dean and the film's DP was channeling *Citizen Kane*. (And, could it be possible that De Palma lifted the idea for the penultimate killing in *Blow Out* from this film's fireworks scene? Probably not, but the one couldn't help but make me think of the other...) What's the next best Wajda to watch?
Howard Orr likes this
Christopher Taylor
1Dec11
A masterful and visual voyage into a particular time and place, it is in the pensive moments of this film that I find the beauty and melancholy of Ashes and Diamonds.
Gonzalo Caride
7Oct11
Apart from a few nice scenes (the frame took to present it is one of them) the movie lacks pace, tension and becomes boring as soon as you realize where it's aiming to. Jerzy Wojcik (DP) delivers an outstanding use of the camera, lights, composition and depth of field. This movie is a great lesson in terms of cinematography, but apart from that, what else does it have to offer?
Sveta likes this
Caden Cotard
22Nov10
It's well-made to be sure, but so slow-moving and ponderous that I swiftly lost interest. And this is coming from a guy who love Down by Law.
DT likes this
sharunasbresson
20Mar10
many years since I first saw this movie. two days ago I've stumbled on it and was gladly surprised to find out how deeply affecting it still remains to me. With all the baroque excesses it is nonetheless a very nuanced meditation against manicheism. just a night before two enemies became the winner and the looser their differences are so much more blurred. in times like ours we're starving for such consciousness
Robert W Peabody III
2Nov09
Ashes and Diamonds (1958) Popiól i diament DIR Andrzej Wajda SCR Andrzej Wajda, Jerzy Andrzejewski DP Jerzy Wojcik 103 Min Cyprian Norwid asks if after chaos, there will be ashes or diamonds. A brilliant and taut film dense with multiple ironies arising from historic constraints.
Giovanni Colantonio
24Jun09
Ashes and Diamonds starts and ends very strongly. But the middle doesn't really hold up to the quality set in the opening minutes. Nevertheless, it's got great moments in that space. And even when things are slow, the beautiful cinematography really helps move it along. A solid film all in all.