Ashes and Diamonds
Seen it?1958 | 103 min | Drama, War, Romance
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (96% on Rotten Tomatoes). A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics and history buffs. If you loved The Pianist or Fury, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense, warm and romantic.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 43 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Polish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1958: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A young academy soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, is ordered to shoot the secretary of the KW PPR. A coincidence causes him to kill someone else. Meeting face to face with his victim, he gets a shock. He faces the necessity of repeating the assassination. He meets Krystyna, a girl working as a barmaid in the restaurant of the "Monopol" hotel. His affection for her makes him even more aware of the senselessness of killing at the end of the war. Loyalty to the oath he took, and thus the obligation to obey the order, tips the scales.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
96% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.4 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 53K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Andrzej Wajda
- Zbigniew CybulskiMaciek Chełmicki
- Ewa KrzyżewskaKrystyna Rozbicka
- Wacław ZastrzeżynskiSzczuka
- Adam PawlikowskiAndrzej Kossecki
- Bogumił KobielaDrewnowski
- Jan CiecierskiPorter
- Stanisław MilskiPieniążek
- Artur MłodnickiKotowicz
- Halina KwiatkowskaStaniewiczowa
- Ignacy MachowskiWaga