The Deluge (film)


The Deluge is a 1974 Polish historical drama film directed by Jerzy Hoffman. The film is based on the 1886 novel of the same name by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 47th Academy Awards, but lost to Amarcord. The film is the third most popular in the history of Polish cinema, with more than 27.6 million tickets sold in its native country by 1987. Further 30.5 million were sold in the Soviet Union.

Plot

The film is set in the 17th century during the Swedish invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the years 1655 to 1658, known as The Deluge, which was eventually thwarted by the Polish-Lithuanian forces. However, a quarter of the Polish-Lithuanian population died through war and plague, and the country's economy was devastated.

Versions

The original film was digitally restored and shown on Polish TV in December, 2013. For the film's 40th anniversary, a new cut named Potop Redivivus was released in the Fall of 2014. It is two hours shorter than the original, to make it more accessible to present day moviegoers.

Cast