La Terre de la grande promesse

Usually I tend to hold on to those movies where there are many things I can relate to, in other words modern realistic dramas.

In this case, even if many situations in the film is dramatized incredible, its still a world that in some way did historical exist when Europe was early industrialized. A storyline of a very raw world these people lived in, with a very hard over dramatized personal directions of the actors: This is a typical East-European style of a movie, when it comes to directing and acting. Even if I was a bit put off by this over dramatization I was glued to the screen.

This production is so well done in all aspects that you will be tussed around in your mind and almost put to trans like you did when you saw animated movies as a child.

I disparead for many moments, and just fell into the movie, living in the story, something I seldom do nowadays.

The entire concept of this movie is stunning. The technical quality is about the best I have ever seen and heard of a movie that is that old.

The scenaries are completely mind blowing, considering that digital effects didn't exist 1975. Photography that is remarkable beautiful and for the time a fantastic sound engineering when it comes to recording and post.

I watched this film on DVD screened by very good equipment, and It was shocking that that quality could be produced 1975.

Respect for Polish film workers !

I first learned of Andrzej Wajda when he won an honorary Oscar in 2001 (awarded to him by Jane Fonda, whereupon he made his acceptance speech in his native language). In the years since I've made an effort to watch his movies. I've now seen his Academy Award-nominated "Ziemia obiecana" ("The Promised Land" in English). It's based on a novel about a Pole, a German and a Jew who make plans to build a factory in Lodz in the late 1800s. We might not think of 1800s Poland as the industrialized society that England or Germany were, but Wajda's movie makes it look like bastion of raw capitalism that we saw in Charles Dickens's novels.

The movie reminded me of Martin Ritt's "Norma Rae" in showing the conditions in the factory - as contrasted with the opulent lives of the owners - and the owners' reluctance to allowing the workers to form a union. But even beyond that, Wajda's gift for storytelling and his use of staging to put forth the narrative should rank him alongside Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick as one of the greatest directors of all time (anyone who's seen "Ashes and Diamonds" or "Canal" can vouch for that). The clever blend of comedy and drama amount to something that you just have to see.

Absolutely brilliant. Many regard this as Wajda's, and maybe even Poland's best ever film. Exciting, ceaselessly and unstoppably powerful, acted with herculean guile, fervour and passion. This is quite possibly the most exciting film I've ever seen. The drama, wit and ferocity of the bulk of the film build so, so effectively to its deafening crescendo, the music, the setting, the actors and the camera-work complementing and intertwining with each other in a way quite possibly unmatched in anything else I've seen. And another great think about it is its shameless, paradoxically both subtle and explicit POLITICAL content. This is Wajda's demonstration that however much he may be portrayed as a hero of Poland's rebellion against its socialist regime, he is at the same time sympathetic to the cause which drove Marxism, and hostile to the vulgarities of the interaction of man and money, the dehumanising, reifying assault with which rampant capitalism engages with the human psyche. If this is propaganda, then it is a heartfelt, stunningly effective damasking of the myth with which we all live today.

By the way, I've only seen the re-released version, shorter than the original. Should i also see the longer 1974 version? I think the freshness and crispness of the cinematography in the more recent version might have added to the film.

A rich epic of the sweeping changes in values and material life brought on by the industrial revolution's rather late arrival in Poland. Praiseworthy in its physical scope, masterful direction, and fine acting. The recreation of a nearly-century-old city is impresive in its scale and thoroughness. On one level, this is socialist propaganda, but on another it has the ring of universal truth.

This definitely may be Andrzej Wajda's most introspective and interesting film. The plot grabs you with its humour and depth while Wajda makes magic with the camera. The Kurowo scene with the poppy flowers is classic...the music calls on nostalgia. Of course, what makes "Ziemia Obiecana" so amazing are the performances. Olbrychski as the scrupleless, handsome Pole...Pszoniak as the hillarious, clever Jew...and (my favourite!) Seweryn as the baby-faced, love-struck German. Naturally, this is a social commentary, but it also reveals certain truths about the human psyche. And let's remember that Wajda was one of the most liberated of all the filmmakers of the Soviet bloc. Calling this propaganda doesn't do anyone justice. Cheers and see this beautiful film!!!