Ashes and Diamonds

(1958)Directed by Andrzej Wajda103 minDrama, War, Romance
Touched with the fire and rebellion of a new generation of Polish film makers

A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl working as a barmaid in the restaurant of the "Monopol" hotel. His affection for her makes him even more aware of the senselessness of killing at the end of the war. Loyalty to the oath he took, and thus the obligation to obey the order, tips the scales.

Zbigniew Cybulskias Maciek Chełmicki
Ewa Krzyżewskaas Krystyna Rozbicka
Adam Pawlikowskias Andrzej Kossecki
Bogumił Kobielaas Drewnowski
Stanisław Milskias Pieniążek
Artur Młodnickias Kotowicz
Halina Kwiatkowskaas Staniewiczowa
Aleksander Sewrukas Święcki
Irena Orzeckaas Jurgieluszka
Halina Siekierkoas Puciatycka
Grażyna Staniszewskaas Hanka Lewicka
Jerzy Adamczakas Maj. Wrona
Adolf Chronickias Podgórski
Wiktor Grotowiczas Franek Pawlicki
Mieczysław Łozaas Smolarski
Ferdynand Matysikas Staszek Gawlik
Józef Pierackias Puciatycki