The Promised Land by Andrzej Wajda is kind of a movie landscape of the city based on the novel written by Władysław Reymont at the end of XIX century. It portraits visual sphere of the city of Łódź in which dominate factory chimneys, smog and crowded streets but the film also vividly considers social classes; highlights capitalistic pursuits and weak morality of wealthy. After Reymont, the director of the movie takes a close look at characters, their hearts and souls and does not fear of being direct or critical. It is quite a masterpiece.
The times are changing, cities are evolving, growing bigger, people are investing in new technologies and getting more hungry of money. We see the darkest corners of Łódź, the narrowest alleys with beggarly and needy citizens living without a penny, village people leaving their possessions close to the peaceful nature and moving into smoggy, industrial jungle in hope for an employment, we observe a frustrated representant of old nobility and most of all – the richest, spoiled dwellers, the highest class of society among which three young man desperately want to be. Karol Borowiecki (Daniel Olbrychski), Moryc Welt (Wojciech Pszoniak) and Maks Baum (Andrzej Seweryn) are good friends who dream of building their own cotton factory. They have no money, but they’re smart, they manipulate, establish new contacts, ask family members to borrow money. These men are able to do a lot (or actually to sink so low) to see their dream coming true.
The trio consists of a Pole, a Jew and a German; they stick close together in this multiethnical city. Each of them has special skills which are helpful when starting a business. Moryc is excellent with people, he gains trust quickly and contracts loans easily, Hans think prospectively but sometimes flies into passion; he has dose of romanticism in him. Hans is secretly sweet on Anka, Karol’s fiancée (Anna Nehrebecka).
It is Karol for who wealthy directors have the biggest respect. Young Borowiecki is a born manager, he’s very active and concrete. His father taught him never to lose honor and pride, which is good but in this case it evolved in dangerous direction and made Karol blind and deaf to other people’s suffering. He feels no compassion for his employees who frequently sustain injuries at the factory and beg for some kind of compensation. This young man is very smart and sophisticated in flirting with women – they’re wisely chosen and having affairs with them often leads to financial benefits. It’s hard to say Karol is a protagonist when Wajda gives nearly equal time and attention to all characters and social groups, but the fact that Karol is a center of people’s interest make us want to follow his steps.
Probably you’ve already understood that Wajda is very detailed in filming the core of urban life, meaning its citizens. Thanks to elaborate dialogues (characters mix languages while speaking) and the work of camera, which often zoom in the characters from full shot to close up, viewers gain an introspective feeling, they can look through characters’ tricks. Screenplay and cinematography play along beautifully in The Promised Land. I have no quarrel when it comes to technical issues. Marvelous costumes and make up fits to characters; it’s most visible in female characters who dress colorfully, seductively, put pearls and golden jewellery in their hair, ears and on fingers which shows how shallow and vanity they are. The theatre sequence unveils the craft of both Wajda’s cinematographers (Kłosiński, Sobociński, Dybowski) and scenographers (Putowski, Kosarewicz) – it’s very dynamic and coherent; precise film devices help us explain that cultural institution is being dominated by capitalists who plot deals during the performances and have no respect for high values. It’s pragmatism that counts.
I have to mention that the highlight of the film cast is Wojciech Pszoniak. After each scene featuring him my thought was: “He is a genius”. Bright, funny and sneaky in his role. One does not simply watch Pszoniak acting, the actor is being absorbed by the viewer. The scene with Grunspan (Stanisław Igar) is extraordinary: Moryc doesn’t want to give back the money he borrowed from Grunspan; he basically changes his character’s identity and at the end of scene gives viewers the sign that he was just acting.
After watching The Promised Land you won’t ask again why Łódź arouses mostly negative feelings in Poles experiences. Destroyed, dark, depressing, miserable fallen industrial city of which modern pursuits had been paid by the suffering poor. Fortunately, leadership of Łódź recently started working on its appearance. The most incredible project is National Centre of Cinematography which is arising in place of heat and power plant “EC1” (closed in 2001). There is a hope by the end of 2019 Łódź will become biblical promised land for film experts and cinephiles. Looking forward to.
Polish Cinema Review 