The Linnet

1982 [POLISH]

Action / Comedy / Drama

4
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 78%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 78%
IMDb Rating 7.5/10 10 998 998

village

Plot summary

Kaziuk, a stubborn peasant and his pregnant wife live in a backwood village, unaffected by the civilization. The village is once visited by a couple of wanderers, and strange things start to happen afterward. A new schoolteacher is sent to the area. She stirs erotic fantasies in Kaziuk. In a stir of frustration Kaziuk cuts down a family tree - a sacrilegious act in the eyes of his family. Going a step further and using a scythe for cutting the rye instead of a sickle brings the whole village against him.

Director

Witold Leszczynski Photo
Witold Leszczynski

Top cast

Jacek Kalucki Photo
Jacek Kalucki as Zbyszek
Jerzy Block Photo
Jerzy Block as Józef Bartoszewicz
Sylwester Maciejewski Photo
Sylwester Maciejewski as Soldier on a Motorboat
Anna Milewska Photo
Anna Milewska as Holy Mother in Kaziuk's Dream
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
823.43 MB
1280*936
Polish 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  pl  
25 fps
1 hr 29 min
Seeds 1
1.49 GB
1476*1080
Polish 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  pl  
25 fps
1 hr 29 min
Seeds 7

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by mpadjasek 9 / 10

A visually stunning parable of progress in a backward village

I am giving this film such a high rating because it is very original and unique, and I remember it well years after watching it. It is a co-production of two personalities: Witold Leszczynski and Edward Redlinski who both specialized in rural subjects. For me, watching this movie was like a sentimental journey to my childhood in the Polish village in the 1960s. The film takes the viewer to the landscapes of a secluded village. The name "Konopielka" in some ways hints folk tales about a nymph who shows herself to some simple peasant who dreams of higher things. So the plot has both realistic and symbolic meaning. Kaziuk (Krzysztof Majchrzak) is more realistic, but the Teacher Jola (Joanna Sienkiewicz) has some strong symbolic undertones, meaning the progress. What is also realistic in "Konopielka" is that the years after World War II were a period of rapid modernization of the Polish countryside. The film is visually stunning, and I felt transported to my childhood in the 1960s: snowy forests or sweltering summers. To me, the plot was lively, entertaining, and sometimes very funny. For example, when the supposedly wise old man (played by great Franciszek Pieczka) says to Kaziuk "don't cut the corn with a scythe, use a sicle" it may have some more meaning, like ridiculing the rural tradition or the teachings of the catholic church. I also think that the acting of Krzysztof Majchrzak and Anna Seniuk (playing Handzia, Kaziuk's wife) was simply great. So "Konopielka" is great fun, but it also provides a basis for deeper reflection.
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Reviewed by Piotrus 10 / 10

Best European movie ever.

I like European cinema, I watch a lot of movies. This one is pure gold. You can watch this movie in several ways. Watch as an sociopsychological story about after war modernization in rural "forgotten" village in Europe. You can also watch in in several other ways, but I will not mention it not to spoil your discovery.

The director Witold Leszczynski (1933 -2007) was not famous, but he was in my opinion a genius.

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