Il sale della terra nera

A Polish war film that pays tribute to a group of Silesians that rose up against their German occupiers in 1920. Though details of character and setting are well rendered, the parts do not add up to a compelling whole. The understated plot is told through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy, the youngest of a family of seven brothers that are sent off by their patriotic father to join the force aimed at reuniting Silesia with Poland. Despite the director's technical abilities and apparent dedication to the subject matter, the movie is long and unwieldy. Even the exceptional cinematography cannot alleviate the boredom. Released in the U.S. in 1971 as The Taste of the Black Earth.

The story of the first or second silezian uprise. After WW I, arises the dispute between Germany and the freshly resurrected Poland about to whom should belong Silezia, a rich, industrial region. The inhabitants are divided between those who consider themselves Polish, German and Silezian. The first start an armed revolt, the German authorities are fighting it with success. Told from the Polish point of view. A masterpiece by K.Kutz, the most "silezian" from the polish directors. A good film, about a very disputed piece of land in the heart of central Europe.