The story line has two strands - one the warfare occasioned by the Cossack uprising of 1648 in the Ukraine, the other, that of two men, rivals in war who fall in love with the same woman. Izabella Scorupco as the. heroine Helena is both beautiful and refined, as well as brave. She becomes the object of pursuit by the two very different suitors: Bohun a Cossack who grew up with the family with whom Helena lived with after she was orphaned by the death of her parents, and Skrzetuski, the Polish Noble who, while on a mission into the Ukraine meets Helena and soon discovers that they are in love.

Husaria - Polish heavy cavalry

The Cossack uprising or rebellion marks the beginning of modern Ukrainian consciousness, though at the time the ethnicity of the Cossacks was a very very fluid concept. . It was as much about class as about ethnicity and religion. Led by Chmielnicki, the Cossack War Lord, it had the Tartars joining the Cossack cause. The Cossack Rebellion cannot be compressed into a short story. But, employing a huge cast and thousands of extras and the most exciting cinema-photographic equipment and techniques, Hoffman draws the audience into the very center of the very real action. The battle scenes alone are worth the price of the ticket; above all see the huiai horod, a mobile siege tower. For its time it was a very unique seize weapon.

Among the many other colorful characters portrayed in the film is Zagloba, a, Pole, who, described as a resembling Shakespear's Falstaff, provides lighter moments during the more serious ones. Michal Wolodyjowski, another Pole, is the consummate noble knight. Although small in stature he is the most outstanding fighter with a sword. A very interesting member of the cast is Longimus Podkopieta, also a Pole. He. compares well with Don Quixote. His name Longimus describes him as very well. His sword has a character of its own and Longimus uses it very effectively. Chmielnicki himself is portrayed as someone who at times in his life wanted to be a Polish nobleman, and at other times, utterly frustrated, sought to destroy Poland.

The initial screening of the film attracted 330,000 persons for its audience; American action thrillers which are usually are the main fare of Polish Cinema goers; they just don’t tug at the heart strings like a good old fashioned epic costume drama. Additionally, it’s a great start for people who are curious about Polish history.

from press release written by Bronislaus Trzyzewski