PAN TADEUSZ

Andrzej Wajda's epic, a somewhat Shakespearian look at Poland during the Napoleonic wars. I was surprised at how involved I got in the story--people feel it's a bit too Polish for Western audiences--but I very much enjoyed it. It's beautiful to look at with lovely costumes and sets, as well as an amazing score by Wojciech Kilar (who also did Dracula, The Pianist, We Own the Night and something called Life as a Sexually Transmitted Disease--don't ask). The movie was a huge hit in Poland--in a way I'm surprised, because it seems to be an satiric attack on Poles who claim their actions are based on noble motives of freeing their country from Russia when in reality their actions are based on petty squabbles and long held personal grudges. But it all has a happy ending with everyone dancing a Polonaise.