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Movie Description
With KATYN, celebrated Polish director Andrzej Wajda delivers a sweeping drama that exposes an oft-overlooked moment in WWII history. After the Nazis stormed into Poland, Stalin ordered Russian soldiers into the country as well, in order to oversee the imprisonment of all Polish officers. As these prisoners fearfully struggled to make sense of what was happening to them, the women in their lives--wives, siblings, mothers, daughters--anxiously awaited their return. Though mystery shrouded the events that were to unfold, these women eventually learned the bitter truth. Sadly, they were ordered to remain silent due to post-war Poland’s dependence on Russia.
Though he won an honorary Oscar in 2000, Wajda proves with KATYN that he has no intention of slowing down. Based on a novel by Andrzej Mularczyck (POST MORTEM), Wajda elevates it into a work of pure cinema. It helps that he’s chosen some truly accomplished collaborators: Pawel Edelman’s richly textured cinematography and Krzysztof Penderecki’s powerful, resonant score help to further establish an atmosphere of beautiful sorrow. The cast--including Maja Osteszewska, Artur Zmijewski, and Andrzej Chyra--rise to the challenge as well, bringing a humanity and warmth to their characters that pack an even more devastating emotional punch.
Industry Reviews
3 stars out of 5 -- "The narrative, in the form of a docu-drama, is all the more gripping because of the restraint Wajda demonstrates."
Box Office - Richard Mowe (02/18/2009)
"[S]olemn and searing....With elegant concision, the film explores both the events leading up to the massacre and its aftermath..."
New York Times - A. O. Scott (02/18/2009)
"Wajda musters the power of classical filmmaking and personal emotional investment to dramatize a stunning atrocity long covered up..." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (02/27/2009)
4 stars out of 5 -- "With its mournful score, muted cinematography and restrained performances, this is a work of sober commemoration..."
Total Film - Tom Dawson (05/27/2009)
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "The film ends with a scene of relentless horror, showing the assembly line of execution....Wajda has brought some small measure of rest to their names, to Poland, and to history..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (07/23/2009)
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