Thank you for the review, I'm from Poland and it's interesting how people from other countries receive this film. Reymont wrote the book in 1904. In literature, peasants have often been portrayed as passive and "cattle-like," or their life close to nature was idealized. So Reymont, who himself had a peasant background and spent part of his life in the countryside, wanted to show the true character of the villagers. Everyone is dependent on other people, subjected to tradition, but also has their own desires. Land is not only a material good. It is sacred, given from God, gives life and a sense of identity. "Love comes and goes, but the land stays." "You are like this sacred land to me, you have awakened me to life." People who owned it and managed it well were respected and had a higher position over others (like Boryna/Father). People who lost their land had to beg and live by the grace of other people. I interpret the ending this way: At the end Antek gives up his own desires by submitting to the will of the group. He returns to his father's land and takes his place as a community leader. Jagna was the loneliest person in the village despite the attention she received. She could not reconcile her own desires with the conditions of village life, where land and work are the most important things. She was too sensitive, detached from hard reality, and passively followed her feelings. She was too different from the rest for which she she exiled. Thanks again for your review and promotion of the film :)
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind comments and meaningful insights! I didn't know anything about this book or story before I saw the movie. Visually, I thought the movie was stunning! It also does a very good job painting a realistic picture of difficult peasant life. Even though we live in a modern world now, some of those traditions and cultural tropes still exist. Is there a Polish film you would like to recommend to Americans to watch? Thank you!
@@MovieReviewMom jest kilka takich filmów ale dla mnie najlepszy jest z 1992 roku nosi tytuł Psy uważam go za kultowy ale czy Amerykanie go zrozumieją? nie wiem
I went to the cinema to watched this movie ,i feel so passionate about the dancing parts and the polish culture,i would love to have a different end but unfortunately it was a sad end .
I watched this movie in theatres while I lived in Poland last year, it was incredible! I am by no means fluent in Polish, so it was so interesting to watch it first in Polish (without subtitles), and then again with English subtitles. I watched the film with a Polish graduate student who was earning her masters degree in Polish Studies and literature, and she also read the book in their equivalent of high school. She said it was amazing but had a creative twist from the book. We both interpreted the ending as Jagna rising from the attempted shame and moving on to continue living her life in an independent and renewed manner. My friend did find it funny how "cabbage party" was translated, so there's that.
@@MovieReviewMom oh sorry- 'cabbage party' was the translation to describe the harvest gathering, which must have some word in Polish that is less silly 😅
I think you might've mistaken "At eternity gate" with "Loving Vincent". Loving ZVincent and Peasants are actually made by the same people very good review though!
Yes! They're both about Vincent Van Gogh. "Loving Vincent" is the world's first fully painted feature film. That's the one I meant! "At Eternity's Gate" is simply a well-acted movie about Vincent Van Gogh. Thanks for the correction! I watch so many movies that it's hard for me to keep them all straight! Thanks for your comments!
Btw the ending in the book is different, in the movie we see less than it is in the book. After her exile, Jagna did not die, but settled in Podlesie near Lipce at her brother Szymek's house, but she no longer had contact with anyone. At the end we learn that she lies in bed all day and has already lost her mind. So it’s better ending than in the movie, but it’s still not happy ending.
I thought the look on her face at the very end was one of determination, which meant she wasn't going to give up, but create a new life for herself. The book ending sounds super sad!
The film is based on a 19th century novel, Poland joined the 21st century a while ago. Anyone who's seen A Short Film About Killing has seen at least one of tse actors before. Perhaps rather than needing to join Hollywood a greater appreciation of non American films is required. Visually, the film is magnificent & is based on Polish art of time, with some 80+ famous paintings recreated in the film. Overall, the film includes nothing which isn't in the book, but at 1000 pages long the film has to tell a more concise tale. The ambiguity of the ending is by design as is the implied defience. Not having a clear redemptive ark is a positive because not everything has to have a nice clear cut conclusion.
It's interesting how You as an American woman see it. Im Polish and I can say, that even today in very rural villages we have echoes of that thinking when people, especially older people say that it's not as important for woman to be independent as it is to get rich husband. But this thinking is actively dying. This film is often shown to highschoolers. Peasants were for a long time on their obligatory reading list. That's how they had a glimpse of how the reality was for people, especially for woman, decades ago.
@@MovieReviewMom books also have a lot of strong moments, but when I was in high school only the first part ("Fall") was obligatory reading. This part has kinda less unapropriate things. Btw, it is obligatory for high schoolers, so, I don't remember exactly in wchich grade it is read, but high schools in Poland lasts three years, so there are people between around 16 and 19 years old. I guess they can manage this topic on theoretical level, especially when taking about historical practices.
You mentioned that there are still people living like this in certain parts of Europe. Please take into account that it was a portail of the early 20th century Poland, and I highly doubt there are any villages like this one anywhere in the post communist block. Peasents were forced to adapt into the industrial way of life under the communist rule and the villages were transformed into government-owned farms (they were called PGRs in Poland (PGR, Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne - Government-owned Farm).
Good to know! I've been to several villages like this in other countries recently in Europe. I don't mean that they brutalize women like in this movie, but just that they are small, farming towns. Do you live in Poland now? It's on my Bucket List to go there someday! Some of my husband's ancestors are Polish! Thanks for your comments!
@@MovieReviewMom Thank you for creating a video about a Polish movie! And yes, I'm Polish and living in Dolnośląskie voivodeship in Poland. Greetings! 🇵🇱❤️
tak jak myślałem ......Amerykanie nie zrozumieli tej historii która nie jest wierną adaptacją książki Władysława Reymonta w oryginale Jagna jest kobietą która uprawia sex z wieloma mężczyznami jest osobą niemoralną co w tamtych czasach było surowo karane film wybiela postać Jagny robi z niej niewinną ofiarę mimo że nie jest ani niewinna ani ofiarą....
I've never read the book, so thank you for sharing some information about it. My review was based on the film itself. You're right: she created a lot of her own problems by sleeping around!
Jest produktem swoich czasów i sytuacji. Była nauczona że jest wyjątkowa, ale nie nauczono jej odmawiać. Jej matka przedstawiała ją społeczeństwu jako największą nagrodę, więc ludzie atakowali. Czy Jagna mogła zrobić coś lepiej? Być bardziej powściągliwa i wierna? Jasne. Ale miała w tym temacie bardzo ograniczone umiejętności, a z drugiej strony wielkie pokusy.
@@Trutka91 to prawda ale przedstawianie jej jako ofiary nie ma sensu mając 20 lat i żyjąc na wsi w małej społeczności tamtych czasów musiała mieć świadomość co z nią będzie jeśli tak się będzie zachowywać jej postaci nie da się obronić nawet w wersji pani DK bo scena w której ratuje bociana ma wzruszać ale potem podczas kłótni z Hanką rzuca jej w twarz że jak zechce to jej Antka odbierze pokazuje jaka jest naprawdę czyli bez skrupułów , nie rozumiem czemu pani DK tak na siłę chce ją przedstawić jako ofiarę gdy naprawdę to Hanka doznała od niej krzywdy i żona wójta upokorzyła je więc one upokorzyły Jagnę w mojej ocenie sprawiedliwie
Gorgeous to look at, this film looks like a moving piece of art in a museum.
Thank you for the review, I'm from Poland and it's interesting how people from other countries receive this film.
Reymont wrote the book in 1904. In literature, peasants have often been portrayed as passive and "cattle-like," or their life close to nature was idealized. So Reymont, who himself had a peasant background and spent part of his life in the countryside, wanted to show the true character of the villagers. Everyone is dependent on other people, subjected to tradition, but also has their own desires.
Land is not only a material good. It is sacred, given from God, gives life and a sense of identity. "Love comes and goes, but the land stays." "You are like this sacred land to me, you have awakened me to life." People who owned it and managed it well were respected and had a higher position over others (like Boryna/Father). People who lost their land had to beg and live by the grace of other people.
I interpret the ending this way: At the end Antek gives up his own desires by submitting to the will of the group. He returns to his father's land and takes his place as a community leader. Jagna was the loneliest person in the village despite the attention she received. She could not reconcile her own desires with the conditions of village life, where land and work are the most important things. She was too sensitive, detached from hard reality, and passively followed her feelings. She was too different from the rest for which she she exiled.
Thanks again for your review and promotion of the film :)
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind comments and meaningful insights! I didn't know anything about this book or story before I saw the movie. Visually, I thought the movie was stunning! It also does a very good job painting a realistic picture of difficult peasant life. Even though we live in a modern world now, some of those traditions and cultural tropes still exist. Is there a Polish film you would like to recommend to Americans to watch? Thank you!
@@MovieReviewMom jest kilka takich filmów ale dla mnie najlepszy jest z 1992 roku nosi tytuł Psy uważam go za kultowy ale czy Amerykanie go zrozumieją? nie wiem
@@krzysztofszkup7584 Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to check it out!
I went to the cinema to watched this movie ,i feel so passionate about the dancing parts and the polish culture,i would love to have a different end but unfortunately it was a sad end .
It was sad, but the look on her face tells us she's going to keep moving forward.
I watched this movie in theatres while I lived in Poland last year, it was incredible! I am by no means fluent in Polish, so it was so interesting to watch it first in Polish (without subtitles), and then again with English subtitles. I watched the film with a Polish graduate student who was earning her masters degree in Polish Studies and literature, and she also read the book in their equivalent of high school. She said it was amazing but had a creative twist from the book. We both interpreted the ending as Jagna rising from the attempted shame and moving on to continue living her life in an independent and renewed manner. My friend did find it funny how "cabbage party" was translated, so there's that.
That's so great! I interpreted the ending that way too. I don't remember how "cabbage party" was translated. What did your friend say?
@@MovieReviewMom oh sorry- 'cabbage party' was the translation to describe the harvest gathering, which must have some word in Polish that is less silly 😅
@@annameehan9833 The title "Cabbage Party" sounds funny in English. It made me laugh out loud!
Thanks for letting us know about this one!
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!
Wow, this looks very interesting. Thanks for reviewing movies like this. If it weren't for you, I'd probable never get to know this.
This is one that has definitely slipped under the radar of most people.
I think you might've mistaken "At eternity gate" with "Loving Vincent".
Loving ZVincent and Peasants are actually made by the same people
very good review though!
Yes! They're both about Vincent Van Gogh. "Loving Vincent" is the world's first fully painted feature film. That's the one I meant! "At Eternity's Gate" is simply a well-acted movie about Vincent Van Gogh. Thanks for the correction! I watch so many movies that it's hard for me to keep them all straight! Thanks for your comments!
Btw the ending in the book is different, in the movie we see less than it is in the book. After her exile, Jagna did not die, but settled in Podlesie near Lipce at her brother Szymek's house, but she no longer had contact with anyone. At the end we learn that she lies in bed all day and has already lost her mind.
So it’s better ending than in the movie, but it’s still not happy ending.
I thought the look on her face at the very end was one of determination, which meant she wasn't going to give up, but create a new life for herself. The book ending sounds super sad!
@@MovieReviewMom yes, unfortunately it’s quite sad 😞
The story itself is often hard to watch but the visual effect is stunning.
The film is based on a 19th century novel, Poland joined the 21st century a while ago.
Anyone who's seen A Short Film About Killing has seen at least one of tse actors before. Perhaps rather than needing to join Hollywood a greater appreciation of non American films is required.
Visually, the film is magnificent & is based on Polish art of time, with some 80+ famous paintings recreated in the film.
Overall, the film includes nothing which isn't in the book, but at 1000 pages long the film has to tell a more concise tale. The ambiguity of the ending is by design as is the implied defience. Not having a clear redemptive ark is a positive because not everything has to have a nice clear cut conclusion.
I'm always happy to discover "foreign" films.. Thanks for sharing your comments!
It's interesting how You as an American woman see it. Im Polish and I can say, that even today in very rural villages we have echoes of that thinking when people, especially older people say that it's not as important for woman to be independent as it is to get rich husband. But this thinking is actively dying. This film is often shown to highschoolers. Peasants were for a long time on their obligatory reading list. That's how they had a glimpse of how the reality was for people, especially for woman, decades ago.
Wow. Interesting! American women are extremely independent nowadays, often to the detriment of the family. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
The first part - Fall is still an obligatory book in 3rd grade of High School 😉
@@bossratgames The movie shows so much sexuality, which is inappropriate for 3rd graders. Is the book like that too?
@@MovieReviewMom books also have a lot of strong moments, but when I was in high school only the first part ("Fall") was obligatory reading. This part has kinda less unapropriate things. Btw, it is obligatory for high schoolers, so, I don't remember exactly in wchich grade it is read, but high schools in Poland lasts three years, so there are people between around 16 and 19 years old. I guess they can manage this topic on theoretical level, especially when taking about historical practices.
@@Trutka91 I truly appreciate your insights, especially from a European perspective. Thanks for sharing!
God job pronouncing the author's name! Very close to the original pronounciation, almost perfect. :)
Wow! Thanks! That was pure luck. :)
You mentioned that there are still people living like this in certain parts of Europe. Please take into account that it was a portail of the early 20th century Poland, and I highly doubt there are any villages like this one anywhere in the post communist block. Peasents were forced to adapt into the industrial way of life under the communist rule and the villages were transformed into government-owned farms (they were called PGRs in Poland (PGR, Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne - Government-owned Farm).
Good to know! I've been to several villages like this in other countries recently in Europe. I don't mean that they brutalize women like in this movie, but just that they are small, farming towns. Do you live in Poland now? It's on my Bucket List to go there someday! Some of my husband's ancestors are Polish! Thanks for your comments!
@@MovieReviewMom Thank you for creating a video about a Polish movie! And yes, I'm Polish and living in Dolnośląskie voivodeship in Poland. Greetings! 🇵🇱❤️
you don't need to interpret the ending if you read the novel; she gets depressed and dies, typical Polish ending.
Oh no! That's so sad! In the film, she has a resolute look on her face that she'll go on. Would you say most Polish literature is depressing that way?
@@MovieReviewMom no, just kidding, she starts training kung fu, comes back and kill all of them.
@@jankowalski6338 Sequel!
tak jak myślałem ......Amerykanie nie zrozumieli tej historii która nie jest wierną adaptacją książki Władysława Reymonta w oryginale Jagna jest kobietą która uprawia sex z wieloma mężczyznami jest osobą niemoralną co w tamtych czasach było surowo karane film wybiela postać Jagny robi z niej niewinną ofiarę mimo że nie jest ani niewinna ani ofiarą....
I've never read the book, so thank you for sharing some information about it. My review was based on the film itself. You're right: she created a lot of her own problems by sleeping around!
Jest produktem swoich czasów i sytuacji. Była nauczona że jest wyjątkowa, ale nie nauczono jej odmawiać. Jej matka przedstawiała ją społeczeństwu jako największą nagrodę, więc ludzie atakowali. Czy Jagna mogła zrobić coś lepiej? Być bardziej powściągliwa i wierna? Jasne. Ale miała w tym temacie bardzo ograniczone umiejętności, a z drugiej strony wielkie pokusy.
@@Trutka91 to prawda ale przedstawianie jej jako ofiary nie ma sensu mając 20 lat i żyjąc na wsi w małej społeczności tamtych czasów musiała mieć świadomość co z nią będzie jeśli tak się będzie zachowywać jej postaci nie da się obronić nawet w wersji pani DK bo scena w której ratuje bociana ma wzruszać ale potem podczas kłótni z Hanką rzuca jej w twarz że jak zechce to jej Antka odbierze pokazuje jaka jest naprawdę czyli bez skrupułów , nie rozumiem czemu pani DK tak na siłę chce ją przedstawić jako ofiarę gdy naprawdę to Hanka doznała od niej krzywdy i żona wójta upokorzyła je więc one upokorzyły Jagnę w mojej ocenie sprawiedliwie
@@Trutka91 Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights for all of us to learn from!