Dorota Masłowska's novel "Polish-Ruthenian War Under the White and Red Flag" has become a real literary bestseller. Based on the book of the year 2009 a film of the same title directed by Xawery Żuławski was shot. The screening turned out to be very successful, it fully reflected the specificity and characteristic atmosphere of the novel. And that turned out to be the strength of this film, which was quite warmly received by fans of Masłowska's prose.
The "Polish-Ruthenian War" was attended by about 85.070 viewers. The film enjoyed great interest. They came to him willingly, who had a book in their hands, to confront the sensations, but also people, who decided to get to know only the film version of the story. Opinions varied, both in the audience, as well as criticism, sometimes even extreme. The book itself caused quite a stir, had its staunch supporters who admired the author's style and linguistic artistry, as well as opponents - accusing her of kitsch, profanity and profanity. And perhaps this extreme served to promote the film the most, which also did not go unnoticed.
Both the novel and the film can be called highly experimental, therefore, not everyone can appreciate this type of artistic "frank".. The film was made with extraordinary dynamics, preserved in the comic convention, it smuggles numerous elements of the grotesque and the absurd. In addition, it has been enriched with numerous special effects. And all this, to express an unbridled and limitless imagination. That's what viewers loved about this movie the most: that he is brave, uncompromising, "cool" and highly stylized.
The most common epithets, which the "Polish-Ruthenian War" was called: funky, mental, abstract, idt. It was appreciated for its undoubted originality, as well as authenticity. The characters created in the film are carriers of certain personality traits, they are preoccupied with very potential problems and doubts and - despite, that's funny, and sometimes even a bit clumsy - it's close and uncomplicated. The language was also appreciated, in which the realities of Polish blocks of flats are reflected. The audience appreciated the humor, unpretentiousness in depicting the tracksuit community and unbridled abstraction in some scenes. Interestingly, maybe many of them, who liked the movie, they will also get the book, if so far they have not been on their way to the bookstore.
On the other hand, there were also voices of skeptics, who treat the whole story as "kitsch for chavs". An interesting observation, however, is the fact, that elements, praised by some, for others, they are a cause for criticism. And this dichotomy of opinion probably lies in the strength of this adaptation and the main reason for its great popularity. However, it is certain, that people who are not endowed with an appropriate dose of distance to the world and themselves should refrain from watching. Everyone else should watch it though, but also try to find a hidden plane under the layer of absurdity and film hyperbolization, where the main meaning and problems lie, to which the heroes of the "Polish-Ruthenian War under the white and red flag" are exposed.
