''Man of Iron'' () is a 1981 film directed by

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...

. It depicts the

Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize workers' right to an independent union. The film continues the story of Maciej Tomczyk, the son of Mateusz Birkut, the protagonist of Wajda's earlier film, '' Man of Marble''. Here, Maciej is a young worker involved in the anti-Communist labour movement, described as "the man who started the

Gdańsk Shipyard The Gdańsk Shipyard (, formerly Lenin Shipyard) is a large Polish shipyard, located in the city of Gdańsk, northern Poland. The yard gained international fame when Polish trade union Solidarity () was founded there in September 1980. It is sit ...

strike", and a journalist working for the Communist regime's radio station, who is given the task of slandering Maciej. The young man is clearly intended as a parallel to

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...

(who appears as himself in the movie). ''Man of Iron'' clarifies the ending of ''Man of Marble'', which left the death of Mateusz Birkut ambiguous. ''Man of Iron'' explicitly states that Mateusz was killed in clashes at the shipyards in 1970. The film was made during the brief thaw in Communist censorship that appeared between the formation of Solidarity in August 1980 and its suppression in December 1981, and as such it is remarkably critical of the Communist regime. Because of this it was banned in 1981 by the Polish government. The film won the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

. American filmmaker

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

recognized the film as one of the masterpieces of Polish cinema and in 2013 he selected it for screening alongside films such as '' Ashes and Diamonds'', '' Innocent Sorcerers'', '' Knife in the Water'' and '' The Promised Land'' in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

as part of the '' Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema'' festival of Polish films.

Plot

Activist Maciek Tomczyk, the son of ''Man of Marble'''s hero Mateusz Birkut, is leading a shipyard strike in Gdańsk against the Communist authorities. A radio journalist named Winkel is ordered by the deputy chairman of the Radio Committee to investigate Tomczyk and find compromising information about him. Winkel is sent to Gdańsk, where he is monitored by the authorities. The strikers refuse to give Winkel access to the shipyard, but he meets a friend, Dzidek. Dzidek knew Tomczyk in college and later recounts how Tomczyk's father, Mateusz Birkut, would not allow his son to take part in the student protests in March 1968. From another source, Tomczyk learns that Birkut himself died during protests in December 1970. Winkel becomes increasingly sympathetic to the strikers' cause but continues his investigation under pressure from the authorities. After his father's death, Tomczyk married Agnieszka, whom he had met when making a documentary about Birkut's career as a well-publicized

Stakhanovite The Stakhanovite movement was a Mass movement (politics), mass cultural movement for Workforce, workers established by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Communist Party in the 1930s Soviet Union. Its promoters encouraged Rationalization (e ...

worker hero. Winkel visits Agnes, who is now in police custody for her support of the strike. Agnes describes her romance and marriage with Tomczyk and their fight for workers' rights. Despite being blackmailed by the secret police for a drunk driving crash in his past, Winkel ultimately refuses to complete his assignment and resigns from his job. He is admitted to the shipyard, where he joins the strikers. A government delegation reaches an agreement with Lech Wałęsa and the other strikers, and Agnes tearfully reunites with Tomczyk during the announcement. A government official warns that the agreement is "only a piece of paper," but Tomczyk tells his father's memorial that the strikers have "made it through the worst."

Cast

* Jerzy Radziwiłowicz - Maciej Tomczyk / Mateusz Birkut * Krystyna Janda - Agnieszka * Marian Opania - Winkel * Irena Byrska - Mother Hulewicz * Wiesława Kosmalska - Wiesława Hulewicz *

Bogusław Linda Bogusław Linda (; born 27 June 1952) is a Polish actor known from films such as ''Pigs (1992 film), Psy'' and ''Tato''. He appeared in Andrzej Wajda's ''Man of Iron'' and ''Danton (1983 film), Danton'' and in Krzysztof Kieślowski's ''Blind Chan ...

- Dzidek * Franciszek Trzeciak - Badecki *

Janusz Gajos Janusz Gajos (; born 23 September 1939) is a Polish film, television and theatre actor as well as pedagogue and photographer. Professor of Theatre Arts and an Honorary Doctor of the National Film School in Łódź, he is considered one of the ...

- deputy chairman of Radio Committee *

Andrzej Seweryn Andrzej Teodor Seweryn (Polish pronunciation: ; born 25 April 1946) is a Polish actor and Theatre director, director. Regarded as one of the most successful Polish theatre actors, he starred in over 50 films, mostly in Poland, France, and Germa ...

- Capt. Wirski * Marek Kondrat - Grzenda * Jan Tesarz - Szef * Jerzy Trela - Antoniak * Krzysztof Janczar - Kryska * Krystyna Zachwatowicz - Hanka Tomczyk * Bogusław Sobczuk - Redaktor TVP *

- Himself *

Anna Walentynowicz Anna Walentynowicz (; ; 15 August 1929 – 10 April 2010) was a Polish trade union, trade unionist and co-founder of Solidarity (Polish trade union), Solidarity, the first recognised independent trade union in the Eastern Bloc. Her firing from he ...

- HerselfAnna Walentynowicz, whose sacking led to the rise of Solidarity
''The Guardian''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Man Of Iron 1981 films Films directed by Andrzej Wajda Palme d'Or winners 1980s Polish-language films Films about the labor movement 1981 drama films Films set in Poland Films about Soviet repression Lech Wałęsa Cultural depictions of Lech Wałęsa Films critical of communism Films set in 1980 Polish drama films Films set in Gdańsk Polish political drama films Polish-language drama films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links