Decision on filming “Weddings” Stanisław Wyspiański She was for Andrzej Wajda risky step. Critics and colleagues were afraid that the transfer of a dramatic poem to the screen would not give away its multidimensionality. Daniel Olbrychski himself did not believe in this idea and tried to dissuade the director from the film. Wajda, however, insisted, and the effect of his work went down in the history of Polish cinematography.
Wyspiański’s drama has been considered one of the most important works of Polish literature for decades. He was staged on theaters many times, but no one had dared to move it to the screen before. Wajda decided to do this, despite the fact that there were voices of opposition in the film environment.
Critics were afraid that the film adaptation would not give away the poetry of the original and would lose its multi -layer message. In the Polish People’s Republic, the topic of national disadvantages and social divisions could also be controversial. Daniel Olbrychski himself, who played the groom, had great doubts.
“I was one of the greatest opponents of the” Wedding “. I told Andrzej: ‘If you want, do it, if you want, I will play you, but this is a mistake. A poem in the cinema?
After all, it is written for the theater, ” ‘”Olbrychski recalled in one of the interviews.
Despite the initial fears, the film turned out to be an artistic triumph and one of the most important works in Wajda’s achievements. The audience and critics appreciated his vision, and the “wedding” became the inspiration for the next generations of the creators.
The film’s success was largely due to the director’s attention to loyalty to the original. He invited Andrzej Kijowski to work on the script, emphasizing that the text must remain as close as possible to Wyspiański’s drama. The only significant change was the transfer of the place of action – instead of in the side chamber, as in art, everything took place in a dance room.
Photos of Witold Sobociński and the music of Stanisław Radwan gave the film a unique atmosphere, and the cast created unforgettable creations. Ewa Ziętek as the bride, Daniel Olbrychski in the role of the groom or Franciszek Pieczka as a bonnet made the film to today enjoy recognition.
The film was successful not only in Poland but also abroad. At the San Sebastián International Film Festival, he won the silver shell, and in 2014 he went to the prestigious “Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema” list. The legendary director recognized “the wedding” as one of the masterpieces of Polish cinema and chose them for presentation in the United States and Canada.
Although at first many did not believe in this project, Wajda proved that his vision was right. Today, “Wedding” remains one of the most important Polish films and proof that it is worth taking risks in art.
See also: Daniel Olbrychski the first hero of the series “Man of the Film”