Man of Iron - (Mr Bongo Films) (1981) [DVD]

Just want to thank Mr Bongo for bringing this out. I have been after replacing my old vhs copy of the TV for years - finally it is reissued. For those that remember this from it's original release and it's days of being played in arthouse cinemas around the UK, fantastic that it was released last year. For those who never seen it, please buy it as it is one of Wajda's finest films and accurate account. My father worked at Gdansk shipyard so I should know. But it now before it dissapears again.

Man of Iron (Czlowiek z Zelaza) is the sequel to Andrzej Wajda's Man of Marble. Much like Man of Marble, which consists of an unraveling story that is unfolded by a series of flashbacks told by various characters, this film follows a similar format. This time, a reporter named Winkel has the task of unraveling the story at the urging of government agents who want him to find dirt on Maciej Tomczyk (Jerzy Radziwilowicz), a key player of Solidarity movement.

Although the characters of the film are fictitious, it is based on historical events. As Man of Marble recounts events of the 1950s to 1970s, Man of Iron covers the time of the 1970s to 1980s. Essentially, Man of Iron is the story of how the government attempts to suppress the steelworkers' strike. In the context of the story we learn about the Police State that existed in the early 1980s in Poland and the Solidarity movement that helped topple communism. I also have to add, Man of Iron stands alone well and it isn't necessary to watch Man of Marble to enjoy it.

For those who saw Man of Marble this film will be even more interesting as it resolves the questions left unanswered. Man of Iron has several of the same leading actors (such as Krystyna Janda). Furthermore, a young Boguslaw Linda, who later became one of the most popular and highest paid Polish actors in the 1990s-2000s, also plays a part in Man of Iron. This early character is quite a contrast to the "though guy" roles he is most known for and which made him famous. Also of interest is that Lech Walesa, who is practically synonymous with the Solidarity movement, appears as himself in this movie.

Andrzej Wajda is probably one of the most famous Polish directors of all time. His films are often based on great works of literature or portray important historical events. Unquestionably, Man of Iron fits in with the later showing us a key event of great importance to Polish history from the early 1980s. Wajda's films are all worth watching.

Typing in a correctly spelled 'Man of Iron' into a DVD search-engine and immediately every conceivable configuration of Robert Downing Jnr's "Iron Man" comes up ....presuming that we are both illiterate morons AND couldn't possibly want a 1981 film about Poland - made in Poland.

Even the most news-shy hermit could fail to have heard something about Solidarity, Gdansk and Lech Walesa's rallying, admittedly 30 years ago but now is a time to reflect, with the dust settled.

Like many, I was already familiar with Poland's most well-known (at least in the "west") director Krzysztof Kieslowski but Andrzej Wajda was a name I'd heard but not seen his work. I'm always keen to see movies, especially long ones made about social issues by a native of that country and reviews were all favourable. Buying this Mr Bongo DVD, I was not disappointed.

Some other reviewers have gone into detail about the political ins & outs but it was the film itself I primarily wanted to see and I want to immediately commend both the casting and performance of Marian Opania, as Winkiel, who excellently conveys a very believable TV journalist whose lifestyle may be typical of the profession. We witness and share his hopes and anxieties, from squeezing out the cloth he used to mop up the vodka from the bottle he'd just broken into a toothbrush cup, his other mental and physical angsts and the very real situations of power-cuts and strikes that affect everything, such as the phones.

As Winkiel gets down to the task of reporting on the uprising from the inside, especially of the charismatic leader of the striking shipbuilders, Maciek Tomczyk, whose father was killed in the riots of 1970 and whose wife was detained. As the journalist interviews those around and who know Tomczyk scenes are recreated, including the occasional use of actual news footage which illustrate the various strands leading up to the strike.

Obviously, a lot more than this goes into a riveting two and a half hour film but hopefully, with your appetite whetted, you'll now want to try it yourself. There's a whole canvas here on which Poland is painted and it's an absolutely fascinating one, but still well enough made to be both informative and entertaining.

Highly recommended for those who, like me, want to expand their World Cinema repertoire beyond the easily available/popular but still want to play safe as this is a universal film that just happens to made in the Polish language. If the subject matter is of particular interest too, well, you know it's one for your online shopping cart!