POLISH FILM ACADEMY

The outbreak of the First World War marked the end of an era based on traditional values. It was also a shock to the Jewish community. The dramatic escape of frightened Galician Jews from the war allows the director to show a panorama of the dying world. The film was made with the awareness of the tragedy of the Holocaust. The massacre of the Hasidim during the ritual bath is a prelude to the future destruction of the Jewish nation.

It is the year 1914, the first day of the war. A group of Jewish refugees from a Galician town take shelter at Tag’s inn, including Asia, a young girl, and Bum, who is in love with her. The Jews discuss the likely development of the war.

A beautiful baroness arrives. She is a Jewess who used to move in the highest spheres of Vienna. A flashback from the past. The Baroness’s pearls, scattered during a ball at the court, are collected by Emperor Franz Joseph himself. This refined lady now unsuccessfully urges Tag to escape. The innkeeper’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter are afraid of a pogrom by Cossacks. The Ukrainian Yevdocha, a maid and Tag’s mistress, informs them of the approach of Cossacks. A Hungarian hussar, Istvan, who has apparently lost his regiment, stops at the inn. Evening comes. Bum returns, carrying in his arms the body of a dead Asia, who was killed during the shooting. Soon after, the father and stepmother of Asia arrive in the inn, along with Bum’s parents. Tag decides to organize a funeral rite for the dead girl. At night, the inn is filled with more refugees. Among the newly arrived is the tzaddik of Zhydachiv, surrounded by Hasidim, who start their evening prayers and loud singing. In the barn, Blanka, Asia’s stepmother, makes love to Istvan. She is seen by both Tag and her husband. They do nothing about the incident. Tag protests about the loud singing of the Hasidim, since there is a dead girl in the house. The tzaddik, however, overrules him and gives them permission to sing so they can connect with God at a difficult moment. At dawn, the local parish priest, a friend of Tag’s, comes to the inn. He wants to take both him and his family to his home, but the old innkeeper feels responsible for his guests. The priest takes Asia’s dead body to the cemetery. He is accompanied by Bum. On the way there, they meet a Cossack patrol. Bum offends the Cossacks and they arrest him. At the same time, the sleeping Tag is haunted by a terrible dream. He sees Bum on the gallows and the beautiful baroness as she offers a string of pearls, in vain, for the life of the convict. The priest wakes him and tells him that the Russians really want to hang Bum. Tag decides to go to town to intervene and talk to the commander. At sunrise, the Hasidim raise the tzaddik and say their morning prayers. Elated, they decide to take a ritual bath in the river. We hear shots. The Hasidim are drowned and the water becomes red with blood.

Joanna Piątek, Leksykon polskich filmów fabularnych, Warszawa 1996