With Fire and Sword (1999)
(Ogniem i mieczem, Jerzy Hoffman, Poland 1999, 175 min., DCP, Polish w/English subtitles)
The film is based on the novel With Fire and Sword, the first part in The Trilogy written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. The story is set in the 17th century, during a period of strife on the eastern fringes of Polish territory, in today's Ukraine. A Polish noble, Skrzetuski, and a Cossack ataman Bohun, both fall in love with the same woman, Helena. Their rivalry unfolds against the backdrop of a Cossack uprising led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, aimed at reclaiming control of the land from the hands of the Polish nobles. Historic events form a framework for an action and character-driven plot, and fictional characters mingle with historic ones. The movie, as the book, culminates with the savage siege of Zbaraż.