Symbols of Polish Identity in Andrzej Wajda’s Masterpiece Ashes and Diamonds
Ashes and Diamonds. A story of a nation. This film directed by Andrzej Wajda is a story about the reconstruction of a society after a costly war. It is a story about the effects of war on everyday people in a divided nation. But most of all, the narrative of the film is a fictional depiction of the fight for the soul of Poland after the war and the early years under the communist government. The film follows a resistance soldier, Maciek Chelmicki, on his mission to assassinate a Communist district leader, Commissar Szczuka, during the last day of World War II. During the mission to kill this political opponent, Maciek and his fellow compatriots, Andrzej and Drewnowski, kill two innocent factory workers, which forces them to re-group at a hotel in town. While there, the soldiers run into Szczuka, providing Maciek another opportunity at the mission. But during their stay, Maciek meets a young barmaid, Krystyna, and ends up falling in love with her. This possibility of a new life, outside of war, causes him to question his identity and the cause he has been fighting for. Through Maciek’s narrative arch, Wajda presents Poland’s identity through the symbolism of religion, romanticism, and death. The filmmaker questions what is Poland’s identity by critiquing the past and the present through the political debate between the Nationalists and the Communists. With that being said, Ashes and Diamonds address the idea of Polish identity, through the use of history and symbolism, while presenting an unclear conclusion to the political dispute in Poland.
Before entering the symbolism and political debate in the film, the history of Wajda and Poland leading up the events of the film should be mentioned to put the film’s argument into perspective. For over a century, the nation of Poland struggled to maintain its independence as a free nation. Beginning in the late eighteenth century, Poland, as a sovereign country, was eliminated from existence when it was partitioned into three territorial divisions by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. That was until 1919, after the end of the first World War. Through Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points for peace negotiations, the state of Poland was finally given back its independence again. Though, this newfound period of freedom didn’t last long. In the two years following the Great War, the Polish Republic and the Lenin-led Soviets fought over the territory of Ukraine in the Polish-Soviet War. With the help of the Allied forces, the Poles were able to halt the Soviet invaders and maintain their sovereignty for almost another twenty years.
This period of freedom remained until Hitler led a German invasion of Poland in 1939, thus starting the Second World War. Not long after, Stalin led a Soviet invasion and claimed the eastern territory of Poland as part of the initial agreement with the Nazis. Despite the fact that the Polish government never actually surrendered, the Nazis annexed and occupied the country. While in exile, the Polish government used underground resistance movements to fight their occupiers. The strongest of these resistances was the Home Army. These soldiers fought against the Nazi occupiers alongside the Soviet Red Army, which changed sides when Hitler decided to invade Russia. Though, the Home Army still had hostility for the Soviets for their communist views and the motive to take the Polish land for themselves. In its last hope at liberation, the Home Army attempted to take back the capital in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, which lasted sixty-three days. After being defeated, the Home Army lost most of its soldiers and their chance to re-obtain control of Poland.
Eventually, the Red Army defeated the Nazis in Warsaw, which enabled the Soviet Union to take command of the country. After the war, a provisional pro-Communist government was put in place by the Allied Powers, thus Poland became a Soviet Satellite under Stalin. During the transition period, the remaining Home Army soldiers continued to fight for their cause, despite the new government. Similarly, the majority of the Polish people begrudgingly accepted communism, despite the persecution of the Catholic Church, the addition of the new socialist economy, and the restrictions under political censorship.
Like many Poles, Andrzej Wajda did not accept communism wholeheartedly. The famous filmmaker grew up in a pleasant home that, like many Polish families, was broken up during the Second World War. When the Germans invaded in 1939, Wajda’s father was sent to fight with the Polish army. Within a year, he would die at the hands of the Soviets in the Katyn Massacre. This major lost would inform the young Wajda’s future when he decided to join the Home Army and become an artist. Like his father, Andrzej fought in the war with the Home Army from 1942 to 1945. During this experience, Wajda witnessed the destruction of Warsaw and the cruelty of the Germans up close. After the war, Wajda would go on to study the art forms of painting and film during the most artistically repressed period under Stalin’s regime. After Stalin’s death, political censorship became less strict, which enabled Wajda to incorporate symbols in this film to critique both sides of the political aisle while depicting Polish identity.
The first symbol that is seen in Ashes and Diamonds is the Catholic Church. As mentioned in “The Catholic Nation: Religion, Identity, and the Narratives of Polish History,” the Catholic Church has been “deeply rooted” in Polish culture and life. It became devalued under the communist regime in Poland when it was pushed aside in favor of the belief in atheism. Throughout the film, Wajda interweaves the church in the background as a representation and critique of the old order of Polish culture. In the film, the church and the religious symbols are used in ways that go against what the church used to stand for. For example, the opening ambush by Maciek and his comrades takes place at a peaceful place of worship. Normally, the site is a place for people to come together. However, Wajda uses the chapel as a place for violence, demonstrating how faith can’t prevent the violence in men during these trying times in Poland.
Additionally, the attack on Catholicism is more prevalent in a later scene. After Maciek and Krystyna have their one-night stand, the couple goes out for a stroll around the hotel. During their walk, the couple stumbles into a destroyed church to avoid the rain. As they move along the rubble, the two become engulfed in the frame by a large upside-down crucifix. Wajda purposely put this religious symbol in the foreground to suggest the Catholic Church has lost its power of influence. Later in the scene, Maciek blatantly disrespects the meaning of the church when he tries to fix Krystyna’s heels in the morgue. He shows no respect for the church itself or the dead men that it is holding for burial. Within these scenes, Wajda displays images of the church in violence and destruction to express how the tradition of Catholicism, that used to be so prevalent in Polish culture, has lost importance in relation to the issues that plague Communist Poland.
Within the church symbolism, Maciek is depicted as the Christ-like martyr for the Polish cause. Maciek is shown having one mission: to assassinate the communist official, Szczuka. But his true mission is to save Poland and return it back to the free and independent nation it was before the war. Maciek gives everything for Poland: his youth, his chance at love, and his life. For Maciek, the violence of war is all he knows. However, when he meets Krystyna, Maciek sees a new chance at life and a future that doesn’t involve the violent nature of war. For Maciek, Krystyna is his salvation. For the audience, she is the future of Poland. Krystyna represents the Polish majority, who is just trying to live their lives in peace and move on from the costly war. When Maciek says his final goodbye to Krystyna, she is covered in a bright beam of light. Through this, Wajda is suggesting she is the bright future or the “diamond” that Poland can have within the “ashes” that was the war.
The second symbol of Polish identity that is seen is the classical Polish Romanticism that used to fill the nation's art. In Polish history, art and literature have been a significant part of the nation’s identity, especially when Poland lost its independence during the early partitions in the eighteenth century. For these artists, their poetry was a way for them to express their desire for Polish independence when it seemed lost. These desires come up in the film through the titular poem, written by nineteenth-century poet, Cyprian Norwid, in the worn-down chapel. When Krystyna reads the poem, the message becomes clear to Maciek and the audience: he has to complete his mission. At this moment, Maciek realized that he couldn’t back away from the Nationalists’ cause, thus he gave up his chance at a normal life and went on with the planned assassination. In addition to the poem, the film incorporates more art from the past through the use of the song. Near the end of the film, the Communist party officials are celebrating and dancing to Oginski’s Polonaise called “Farewell to the Homeland”. By using this song, Wajda is able to juxtapose the communist takeover of Poland with the end of the “homeland” that the Polish population knew before 1939. For Wajda, this version of an independent Poland will not happen again under the communist government of the Soviets.
The third symbol of Polish identity is presented through the relation of fire and death in the film. Throughout the narrative, fire and death are the most recurring elements. In Ashes and Diamonds, fire is the symbol of death, hence it always appears on-screen with the occurrence of death. This relation is first seen at the beginning of the film, during the failed assassination attempt. When Maciek slaughters one of the innocent men, fire erupts from the bullets onto the man’s back as he falls into the church doorway. Through this scene, Wajda demonstrates how the violence between the opposing sides has been deadly to those that are not even involved in the fight. Later on, Maciek and Andrzej are at the bar talking about their fallen comrades that had died in their fight for Polish Independence. In the scene, Maciek lights each glass with a flame. Each glass and flame represent their dead friends, as well as the rest of the Polish population that has died during the war. Within this scene, Wajda shows how the war has been so costly and how the fighting between the Nationalists and the Communists will continue to bring more destruction to the nation. Furthermore, the assassination of Szczuka pushes this idea further. When Maciek shoots down Szczuka in the street, fireworks go off in the background, which is typically a form of celebration. But in this case, the meaning is the complete opposite for Maciek and the audience when he catches Szczuka’s dead body. The act of catching him is comforting, though, the action itself exemplifies how the people fighting on both sides are alike and doomed in the end. By using fire in this manner throughout the narrative, Wajda is implying this internal fighting among the Polish is going to “burn” them in the end.
Through the actions of the background characters in the hotel, Wajda makes it clear that the majority of the Poles do not know what should be the next foot forward for the country. This is expressed in the banquet when the generals and politicians yell out “for Poland” without knowing why they are doing it. These leaders are just following what they think they are supposed to say in hopes of getting a high ranking in the government. Ironically, these drunken men dance and celebrate for an unknown future, which doesn't have a clear-cut path. Simultaneously, the rest of the people at the bar do not know either. These people are just drinking and dancing because they know the war is over. They are oblivious to the future of Poland and are just focusing on the present “victory” of the Nazi surrender. Do they care about the next step forward? The way it appears seems to suggest they don’t. With the depiction of this group, Wajda was able to show the nation’s uncertain feelings toward the future.
Comparatively, Wajda portrays the protagonists, Maciek and Szczuka, on the contrasting sides as similar for being haunted by their wartime past and their love for Poland. Prior to being an assassin, Maciek was a soldier fighting the Nazis in the underground tunnels in Warsaw. For Maciek, his love for Poland is expressed through wearing his dark glasses. During Maciek and Krystyna’s love scene, he tells her he wears them as “a souvenir for unrequited love for my homeland,” which he jokes about. As the saying goes, much truth is said in jest. Thus, he’s actually saying he’s willing to do anything for his country, such as damaging his eyes. In addition to his love, Maciek is also haunted by the memories of the war. This can be seen during his discussion with Andrzej about their dead companions. Maciek dramatically lights each glass and laughs while reminiscing about them, thus covering up the pain he still feels over their deaths.
Likewise, Szczuka has a similar experience of war. Prior to being a communist district leader, Szczuka fought in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. This clearly remains with him because he and the secretary, Podgorski, listen to the songs that remind them of this time in Spain. They talk about how they first started with thirty-six men, but they are the only two left. Obviously, this fact haunts them both since they changed the topic to the street crowd quite quickly. Like Maciek, he wants what is best for Poland. When he was at the celebration, Szczuka was clear in his belief that bringing the nation’s people together under communism will be necessary so the country can move forward. He also made this explicit earlier in the film after seeing the result of Maciek’s first assassination attempt. While talking to the crowd of workers, Szczuka states that “The fight for Poland, the fight for what sort of country it’s going to be, has only just started,” thus he knows the split in Poland is going to take time to fix. Despite the divide, the commissar still sees there is the possibility for a brighter future for Poland, once the people come together.
Along with their past, the audience is given insight into their present situations, which involve the love of another person. For Maciek, he has always thought the Nationalists’ fight for an independent Poland was best for his homeland. He thought that if the Home Army can win, then Poland can finally be free. This changes when he finally found someone in Krystyna, which he could see himself with for the rest of his life. Maciek finally sees a future and an escape outside of his violent life. He has discovered he doesn’t need to keep fighting, which produces doubt in him. After meeting Krystyna, he also wonders if the Nationalists’ cause is worth it anymore, due to the incoming communist government. This confusion caused Maciek to make decisions, such as running away from the soldiers, which led to his eventual death.
Similarly, Commissar Szczuka has his son, which he clearly loves despite the fact he fights for the Home Army. When he is provided the message that his son, Marek, has been captured and is in custody, Szczuka gets up from his bed quickly and rushes to see him. While waiting for his car ride, Szczuka displays his nerves as he paces in the lobby. Eventually, his anxiousness gets the best of him and causes him to walk out of the hotel, thus leading to his demise in the street. His anxiousness stems from the fact that he hasn’t seen his son in four years and that he’s going to have to sway him into believing in the Communists’ cause, which will be difficult. In the end, Szczuka dies in hopes of being a better father to his son.
With the similarities between Maciek and Szczuka, Wajda is able to illustrate the fact that the people on the opposing political sides are alike. The two sides, the Nationalists and the Communists want what is best for Poland. However, they both want to go about it differently. The Nationalists want a free and democratic government, while the Communists want a strict socialist government. Despite these differences, Wajda enables the audience to see both points of view by making their representatives, Maciek and Szczuka, likable and relatable. Maciek is seductive and handsome, which draws the audience to him. He has fallen in love, which is something almost every audience member can relate to. Likewise, Szczuka is charismatic and a leader, which also makes him somewhat likable. He is also a father that is trying to mend his broken relationship with his son, which draws sympathy from the audience. Wajda intentionally makes both characters complex and relatable, thus exemplifying that there isn’t a bad guy. Moreover, Wajda establishes there is no “right” side in the political dispute. By having both of these representatives die in sad and pathetic deaths, Wajda is implying that the fight between these opposing sides will be pointless and unbeneficial to the future of Poland.
In summary, Andrzej Wajda’s masterpiece Ashes and Diamonds is a depiction of the violence of war as it is a metaphor for present-day Poland. The problems that affected the politically divided Poland at the time are the same issues that plagued it at the very end of the Second World War. Furthermore, the struggle for independence, from the partitions of the eighteenth century to the end of World War II, has developed a desire for a free Poland even in the communist era. In addition, the Polish population had lost so many lives during the German occupation that they were willing to accept any form of “normalcy.” Though, for the few that continued the fight, their actual cause became less clear like the future of Poland. The identity of Poland, prior to the communist regime, was ingrained in their Catholicism, Romanticism, and in the constant fight for sovereignty. These identifiers reflect Poland’s past, while the future looks to be unclear. Ashes and Diamonds is a reflection of Poland and its ambiguous future as it moves further into the communist era. According to Michnik, “Wajda’s film could not satisfy either side of the political dispute because it was ambiguous and because the evaluation of the sense of the epoch, which Ashes and Diamonds deal with, was still a fundamental and open issue.” Thus leading to this question after the film’s release: Will Poland’s future remains in the “ashes” of its past or will the country rise up from the fire into a “starlike diamond?” For Wajda, this future was still uncertain.
