''The Doll'' ( pl, Lalka) is a 1968 Polish film directed by Wojciech Jerzy Has. The film is an adaptation of the novel '' The Doll'' by

Bolesław Prus Aleksander Głowacki (20 August 1847 – 19 May 1912), better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus (), was a Polish novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, as well as a distinctive voice in world li ...

, which is regarded by many as one of the finest Polish novels ever written. The influence of

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

is evident, and some have compared the novel to ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emp ...

'' by

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

; both were Prus's contemporaries. The movie, however, may be more compared to Stendhal's ''

The Red and the Black ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' (; meaning ''The Red and the Black'') is a historical psychological novel in two volumes by Stendhal, published in 1830. It chronicles the attempts of a provincial young man to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing ...

''. ''The Doll'' constitutes a panorama of life in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

between 1878 and 1879, and at the same time is a subtle story of three generations of Polish idealists, their psychological complications, their involvement in the history of the nineteenth century, social dramas, moral problems and the experience of tragic existence. At the same time this story describes the disintegration of social relationships and the growing separation of a society whose aristocratic elite spreads the models of vanity and idleness. In the bad air of a backward country, anti-Semitic ideas are born, valuable individuals meet obstacles on their way, and scoundrels are successful. This poetic love story follows a nouveau riche merchant, Stanislaw Wokulski, through a series of trials and tribulations occasioned by his obsessive passion for an aristocratic beauty, Izabela Lecka (played by Beata Tyszkiewicz).

Plot

As a descendant of an impoverished Polish noble family, young Wokulski is forced to work as a waiter at Hopfer's, a

restaurant, while dreaming of a life in science. After taking part in the failed 1863 Uprising against

Tsarist Tsarist autocracy (russian: царское самодержавие, transcr. ''tsarskoye samoderzhaviye''), also called Tsarism, was a form of autocracy (later absolute monarchy) specific to the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, he is sentenced to exile in

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

. On eventual return to

, he becomes a salesman at Mincel's haberdashery. Marrying the late owner's widow (who eventually dies), he comes into money and uses it to set up a partnership with a Russian merchant he had met while in exile. The two merchants go to

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

during the

Russo-Turkish War The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...

, and Wokulski makes a fortune supplying the Russian Army. The enterprising Wokulski now proves a romantic at heart, falling in love with Izabela, daughter of the vacuous, bankrupt aristocrat, Tomasz Łęcki. In his quest to win Izabela, Wokulski begins frequenting theatres and aristocratic salons; and to help her financially distressed father, founds a company and sets the aristocrats up as shareholders in his business. The indolence of these aristocrats, who secure with their pensions, are too lazy to undertake new business risks, frustrates Wokulski. His ability to make money is respected but his lack of family and social rank is condescended to. Because of his "help" (in secret) to Izabela's impecunious but influential father, the girl becomes aware of his affection. In the end she consents to accept him, but without true devotion or love.

Cast

Mariusz Dmochowski Mariusz Dmochowski (29 October 1930 – 7 August 1992) was a Polish actor. He appeared in more than 45 films and television shows between 1958 and 1992. Partial filmography * '' Eroica'' (1958) - Lt. Korwin Makowski (segment "Ostinato Lugu ...

- Stanislaw Wokulski * Beata Tyszkiewicz - Izabela Lecka *

Tadeusz Fijewski Tadeusz Fijewski (14 July 1911 – 12 November 1978) was a Polish stage and film actor.Tadeusz Fijewski
at ...

- Ignacy Rzecki * - Zaslawska * Wiesław Gołas - Krzeszowski *

Kalina Jędrusik Kalina Jędrusik (5 February 1930 in Częstochowa – 7 August 1991 in Warsaw) was a Polish singer and actress. She performed in more than thirty films from 1953 to 1991. Jędrusik was married to writer Stanisław Dygat. Biography Kalina ...

- Wasowska * Jan Koecher - Prince * Jan Kreczmar - Tomasz Lecki * Tadeusz Kondrat - Szlangbaum * Halina Kwiatkowska - Krzeszowska *

Andrzej Łapicki Andrzej Łapicki (11 November 1924 – 21 July 2012) was a Polish film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1947 and 1999. He was married twice. His first marriage to Zofia Chrząszczewska lasted from 1947 to her death in 2005. He then mar ...

- Kazimierz Starski * Jan Machulski - Julian Ochocki *

Józef Pieracki Józef Pieracki (10 September 1909 - 5 August 1988) was a Polish actor. He appeared in more than seventy films from 1953 to 1986. Selected filmography References External links * 1909 births 1988 deaths Polish male film actors Rec ...

- Doctor Szuman * - Countess Joanna

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Doll 1968 films Films directed by Wojciech Has Films scored by Wojciech Kilar Films based on Polish novels Films set in Bulgaria Films set in Warsaw Films set in the 1870s Films set in the Russian Empire 1960s Polish-language films Polish romantic drama films