With fire and sword

Filmmakers

Jerzy Hoffman about theTrylogy

'I learned about Poland in the faraway Siberia, where my parents were sent by the Soviets in 1940. I first read two parts of The Trilogy in a copy my father sent me from the Soviet-German frontline. But not 'With Fire and Sword', which never made it through the Soviet censors.

Years later it was the same with the films: I first shot 'Pan Wolodyjowski' in 1968, then 'The Deluge' in 1974 - nominated to Oscar '74 - and it seemed 'With Fire and Sword' will never see the light of the day.

I always thought there were three things indispensable in film-maker's profession: talent, skills and determination. And this last one is the most important of all.

Many people thought I am a maniac, when I kept repeating that 'With Fire and Sword' would certainly come into being...'. And it did. I fought for it for eleven years. And in 1999, after long last, I can see my dream coming true; I am bringing to life my beloved Sienkiewicz's heroes...

The idiom of cinema has changed  since. It has to appeal not only to those who have read the book or know it by heart but also to those who never read it  or never even heard about it at all. Perhaps they will get the book after seeing the film. That's why I only took out the stories of the main characters from the book.

I am talking about things that seem universal. I am telling a story of human passion - of love, hate, envy and lust for power - the passions  which ever since Cain and Abel have controlled our deeds. To be true, every story, be it even in a historic guise, must to tell about these problems - no matter  where you are.

The film is comprehensible not only for Poles but also world wide, because passions know no frontiers.

I wanted to bring about the wild and heady climate of the seventeenth century borderland into this film. It is brutal at times, but only when it is dramatically justified; it is also lyrical, because it's a film about love.  

To me 'With Fire and Sword'  it's a Polish-Ukrainian 'Gone With The Wind', with the human fate thrown against the tragic background of civil war..

Cast

Movie description

'1647 was a strange year, with many a sign in the sky and on the earth foreboding some disastrous and extraordinary events',

Henryk Sienkiewicz, With Fire and Sword

The seventeenth century Polish-Ukrainian borderland is  torn by a Cossack uprising. A young Polish Colonel Skrzetuski on his way back from Russia meets beautiful Helena in a broken coach. He falls in love with her and in almost no time confesses his feelings to her to find out they are reciprocal. Unfortunately, as a result of her Aunt's plot, Helena had been promised to a Ukrainian soldier Bohun in return for his resignation from the right to family property. When Skrzetuski finds out about the plot, the Aunt agrees to give Helena to him. Bohun, who is also madly in love with Helena, goes mad and burns the property down, killing the Aunt's sons.

Thanks to Skrzetuski's companion Zagloba, Helena takes refuge in the Castle of Bar. While Skrzetuski, under the command of Polish Prince Wisniowiecki, is fighting Cossacks down in Ukraine,  Bohun's troops seize the Castle of Bar. Bohun kidnaps Helena and hides her away. From now on, for the two rivals the war between the two peoples, becomes a private affair.....

Skrzetuski embarks upon a hunt for Bohun with the help of his servant Rzedzian and three friends: Zagloba, a fat, jovially bragging drinker, Colonel Wolodyjowski, a master of sabre, and Longinus, a don Quixotic type of a knight, and an owner of a very heavy sword.

In the course of the hunt Bohun imprisons Zagloba, who is  freed by Wolodyjowski. Bohun runs away but then comes against  the two again and is seriously wounded in a duel with Wolodyjowski.

Rzedzian, who pretends to take care of him, cunningly learns from him Helena's whereabouts and the company  goes on the free her from the hands of Bohun's men.

On the way back they are attacked by Tartars allied with Cossacs. While Zagloba and Wolodyjowski are keeping the attackers busy, Rzedzian takes Helena to the nearby Castle of Zbaraz.

When the Castle of Zbaraz is under the Tartar siege, the three knights perform many heroic deeds. Trying to bring  help from the royal troops, Longinus sneaks out of the besieged town and is killed in battle, however, not before he is able to keep his vows and cut three pagan heads in one go.

Skrzetuski is next to try and eventually, on his last legs, he reaches the king, who decides to come to their aid.

Skrzetuski meets Helena in the liberated castle. They announce their engagement and Skrzetuski gets imprisoned Bohun as a present from his friends. However, he lets Bohun free, who rides away into the depth of Ukrainian steppes.