(Ausführliche deutsche Kritik hier)
Ashes and Diamonds is one of the most renowned classics of Polish cinema. The film takes a devastating look at Poland in the aftermath of the Second World War and empathetically depicts how the country's inhabitants and national spirit are crushed between the German and Russian occupiers. Andrzej Wajda builds up suspense through a plot surrounding a political assassination attempt and breaks down the national tragedy into individual personal fates without losing sight of the big picture. The director stages the all-encompassing dreariness with beautiful images and sad irony.