Richard Brzostek - 04/04/2008 
Jerzy Hoffman brings one of Poland's oldest legends to film -- the story of Popiel. This a story from Poland's prehistory pagan time; a story that has been told and re-told, and Hoffman does a fantastic retelling of the story on film.
The film is well done -- from the eerie music to the fierce battles. There are also rituals and pagan dances that left me in awe thinking this was how Poland was like back then. We also see the Vikings, who battle the pre-history Poles. Oddly, some of the Vikings carry Draco standards resembling the type Sarmatian horsemen carried some 500 years earlier while in Roman service. The battle scenes are comparable in realistic special effects and sheer brutality with other historical films such as "Braveheart."
About half of the cast from Hoffman's "Ogniem i Mieczem" star in "Stara Basn." Michal Zebrowski plays a lead role again and you are sure to recognize several other faces. New faces include Malgorzata Foremniak, who plays Popiel's wife. An interesting aside: Foremniak plays the lead role in the Japanese-Polish film "Avalon," but the make-up and costumes in "Stara Basn" are so well done I didn't recognize her.
"Stara Basn" is an exceptional Polish film. It has action, battles, romance, suspense, and interesting costumes. The movie also has its cultural aspect, as it is based on a classic Polish legend. |
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