Krzesimir Dębski: With Fire and Sword (pol. Ogniem i Mieczem)

With Fire and Sword (Polish: Ogniem i Mieczem) is a 1999 Polish historical drama film directed by Jerzy Hoffman. The film is based on the novel With Fire and Sword, the first part in The Trilogy of Henryk Sienkiewicz. At the time of its filming it was the most expensive Polish film ever made. The story is set in Ukrainian lands of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland of the 17th century during the Khmelnytsky Uprising 1648-51. A Polish knight Skrzetuski and a Cossack otaman Bohun 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 the 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, conversely to the book, does not finish with the great face-off in the form of the Battle of Beresteczko. Tracklist: 1. Prolog 2. Pieśń Jana 3. Pieśń Heleny 4. Dumka Bohuna 5. Husaria ginie 6. Bitwa 7. Żegnaj milaposel to święta rzecz 8. Helena w kąpieli 9. Na zielonej Ukrainie