A band of Polish partisans enters the 1919 uprising in Upper Silesa (then part of the German Empire) in order to join the country with Poland. In the center is the young and daring Gabriel.
This film can hardly be considered a "masterpiece" as it aims primarily for superficial fun and action, while appealing to a strong, sentimental patriotism. Though occasionally melancholic, war is shown as a great adventure in which it is sweet and honorable to die for one's fatherland. The German troops are generally portrayed as dumb cardboard Indians, who are constantly marching into the insurgent's ambushes. Otherwise they have no character or faces of their own, not even villainous ones.The Polish heroes on the other are for the most part stereotypically portrayed as well. Pretty annoying are the repeated meetings of the young hero with a young German nurse, emphasized by a thick layer of key music. As they meet an instant wild erotic attraction sets in, but is never fulfilled. The nurse might be seen as a symbol of the country that will not yet be gained, as the uprising finally fails.
Which leads us to the historical background: the film seems to deliberately confuse Upper Silesia with Lower Silesia. The former had a population ratio of ca. 50:50 / German : Poles, while the latter was next to 95% German. Both parts of Silesia were annexed by Poland after 1945, and almost the entire German population (90% in Lower, 40% in Upper Silesia) was driven out violently.
The film argues for a "Blood & Soil"-style Polish entitlement to Silesia. In fact, the nationalist militias as shown in the film committed many terrorist acts. After a plebiscite in 1921 that had resulted in a clear majority for Prussia/Germany the third uprising started. The Allies of WWI made an end to the fighting, but finally 1/3 of Upper Silesia became part of Poland.
The historical misrepresentation and the naive patriotism of the movie make it hard to watch for anyone not being Polish. The photography though is very beautiful and strikingly captures the atmosphere of the country of the "black soil" with its mines and factories.
This film can hardly be considered a "masterpiece" as it aims primarily for superficial fun and action, while appealing to a strong, sentimental patriotism. Though occasionally melancholic, war is shown as a great adventure in which it is sweet and honorable to die for one's fatherland. The German troops are generally portrayed as dumb cardboard Indians, who are constantly marching into the insurgent's ambushes. Otherwise they have no character or faces of their own, not even villainous ones.The Polish heroes on the other are for the most part stereotypically portrayed as well. Pretty annoying are the repeated meetings of the young hero with a young German nurse, emphasized by a thick layer of key music. As they meet an instant wild erotic attraction sets in, but is never fulfilled. The nurse might be seen as a symbol of the country that will not yet be gained, as the uprising finally fails.
Which leads us to the historical background: the film seems to deliberately confuse Upper Silesia with Lower Silesia. The former had a population ratio of ca. 50:50 / German : Poles, while the latter was next to 95% German. Both parts of Silesia were annexed by Poland after 1945, and almost the entire German population (90% in Lower, 40% in Upper Silesia) was driven out violently.
The film argues for a "Blood & Soil"-style Polish entitlement to Silesia. In fact, the nationalist militias as shown in the film committed many terrorist acts. After a plebiscite in 1921 that had resulted in a clear majority for Prussia/Germany the third uprising started. The Allies of WWI made an end to the fighting, but finally 1/3 of Upper Silesia became part of Poland.
The historical misrepresentation and the naive patriotism of the movie make it hard to watch for anyone not being Polish. The photography though is very beautiful and strikingly captures the atmosphere of the country of the "black soil" with its mines and factories.