Poster of Katyn

Katyn

Drama, History, War

Director: Andrzej Wajda

Release Date: September 21, 2007

Where to Watch

The brutal murders of Polish officers & citizens are manipulated by Nazis & Soviets, but there is no real concern for the victims as each word, thought & expression of victims’ families is censored. Such a dark cloud lasted in Poland for decades, but in the end, the truth has finally been told. Just the fact that a Polish director could make Katyn is a triumph against this historical oppression! Whenever Americans complain that something is socialist or anti-Christian, I think that the person wouldn’t last 2 seconds in Eastern Europe after 1939. WWII started because of the German invasion of Poland, but in the end, Poland remained occupied even after the end of the war so the end of WWII was unfortunately not a triumph over evil, but another compromise to avoid further losses by war-fatigued nations & people. This movie beautifully touches on the subtle suppression of Christianity & the final scene with the succeeding recital of the Lord’s Prayer, though stylized, is evocative of what was lost but the remaining faith that though they may not survive, neither would this evil. The director’s father was killed in this massacre. How is God able to stand the screams of those He loves? How does He love all people even those who hold the guns & hope that they repent? I could not be so patient. Only criticism of the film: after Soviets begin to occupy Poland, the tone of the movie becomes a more sprawling Altmanesque movie where random characters who are unwittingly linked to each other through Katyn take over the narrative in quick & frequent succession. Initially I had a problem following the pattern since it so diverges from the expected narrative, but I think that it was done purposely & reflects the fragmented delivery of news & efforts to keep a story alive as long as you can before you are oppressed & silenced so it reflects how impossible it is to tell the story in a straight line. Each fragment holds a piece of the story until it becomes whole at the end.

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