The Wedding (1972 film)
Encyclopedia
Wesele is a motion picture made in 1972 in Poland
by Andrzej Wajda
as an adaptation of a play by the same title
written by Stanisław Wyspiański in 1901. Wajda also directed "Wesele" for the theatre.
"Wesele" is a defining work of Polish drama written at the turn of the 20th century. It describes the perils of the national drive toward self-determination after the Polish uprisings of November 1830
and January 1863
, the result of the Partitions of Poland
. The plot is set at the wedding of a member of Kraków
intelligentsia (the Bridegroom, played by Daniel Olbrychski
), and his peasant Bride (played by Ewa Ziętek
). Their class-blurring union follows a fashionable trend among friends of the playwright from the modernist Young Poland
movement.
The play by Wyspiański was based on a real-life event: the wedding of Lucjan Rydel
at the St. Mary's Basilica
in Kraków and his wedding reception in the village of Bronowice. It was inspired in part also by the modernist painting of Jacek Malczewski
and Maksymilian Gierymski
.
The celebration of the new marriage moves on from the church to the villager's house. In the rooms adjoining that of the wedding party, guests continually burst into arguments, make love, or simply rest from their merriment, dancing and feasting. Interspersed with the real guests are the well-known figures of Polish history and culture, who represent the guilty consciences of the characters. The two groups gradually begin a series of dialogues. The Poet (played by Andrzej Łapicki) is visited successively by the Black Knight, a symbol of the nation's past military glory; the Journalist (played by Wojciech Pszoniak
), then by the court jester and conservative political sage Stańczyk; and the Ghost of Wernyhora (Marek Walczewski), a paradigm of leadership for Poland
. Wernyhora presents the Host with a golden horn symbolizing the national mission, and calls the Polish people to a revolt. One of the farm hands is dispatched to sound the horn at each corner of Poland, but he loses the horn soon after.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
by Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
as an adaptation of a play by the same title
The Wedding (1901 play)
The Wedding is a defining work of Polish drama written at the turn of the 20th century by Stanisław Wyspiański. It describes the perils of the national drive toward self-determination following the two unsuccessful uprisings against the Partitions of Poland, in November 1830 and January 1863...
written by Stanisław Wyspiański in 1901. Wajda also directed "Wesele" for the theatre.
"Wesele" is a defining work of Polish drama written at the turn of the 20th century. It describes the perils of the national drive toward self-determination after the Polish uprisings of November 1830
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
and January 1863
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
, the result of the Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
. The plot is set at the wedding of a member of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
intelligentsia (the Bridegroom, played by Daniel Olbrychski
Daniel Olbrychski
Daniel Olbrychski is a Polish actor best known for leading roles in several Andrzej Wajda movies and also known for playing the Russian defector and spymaster Vassily Orlov, alongside Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie in the movie Salt....
), and his peasant Bride (played by Ewa Ziętek
Ewa Ziętek
Ewa Ziętek is a Polish actress. She has made over 50 appearances in film and television. She starred in the 1978 comedy film What Will You Do When You Catch Me?.-External links:...
). Their class-blurring union follows a fashionable trend among friends of the playwright from the modernist Young Poland
Young Poland
Young Poland is a modernist period in Polish visual arts, literature and music, covering roughly the years between 1890 and 1918. It was a result of strong aesthetic opposition to the ideas of Positivism...
movement.
The play by Wyspiański was based on a real-life event: the wedding of Lucjan Rydel
Lucjan Rydel
Lucjan Rydel a.k.a. Lucjan Antoni Feliks Rydel , was a Polish playwright and poet from the Young Poland movement.-Life:...
at the St. Mary's Basilica
St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków
St. Mary's Basilica , is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century , adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland...
in Kraków and his wedding reception in the village of Bronowice. It was inspired in part also by the modernist painting of Jacek Malczewski
Jacek Malczewski
Jacek Malczewski was one of the most famous painters of Polish Symbolism. In his creativity he successfully joins the predominant style of his times with motifs of Polish martyrdom.-See also:...
and Maksymilian Gierymski
Maksymilian Gierymski
Maksymilian Gierymski was a Polish painter, specializing mainly in watercolours. He was the older brother of painter Aleksander Gierymski.As a seventeen-years-old boy, he participated in the January Uprising...
.
Plot summary
A poet marries a peasant girl. Their wedding reception follows.The celebration of the new marriage moves on from the church to the villager's house. In the rooms adjoining that of the wedding party, guests continually burst into arguments, make love, or simply rest from their merriment, dancing and feasting. Interspersed with the real guests are the well-known figures of Polish history and culture, who represent the guilty consciences of the characters. The two groups gradually begin a series of dialogues. The Poet (played by Andrzej Łapicki) is visited successively by the Black Knight, a symbol of the nation's past military glory; the Journalist (played by Wojciech Pszoniak
Wojciech Pszoniak
Wojciech Pszoniak , is a Polish film and theater actor.Pszoniak gained international visibility following Andrzej Wajda's 1975 film The Promised Land, in which he played Moritz, one of the three main characters....
), then by the court jester and conservative political sage Stańczyk; and the Ghost of Wernyhora (Marek Walczewski), a paradigm of leadership for Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Wernyhora presents the Host with a golden horn symbolizing the national mission, and calls the Polish people to a revolt. One of the farm hands is dispatched to sound the horn at each corner of Poland, but he loses the horn soon after.