Film adaptations of Nobel Prize-winning historical novels by Henryk Sienkiewicz.

The trilogy filmed in reverse order: Pan Wołodyjowski (1968), The Deluge (1974, nominated for Oscar), and With Fire and Sword (1999).

Representations of 17th century Poland successfully fighting external enemies.

An epic describing Ukrainian Cossacks’ revolt as a civil war within Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The “Golden Age” of Poland.

Ignites Polish patriotism, but also calls for unity of Slavic nations.

Made into an extended TV version.

Pan Tadeusz (1999), Wajda’s film adaptation of an epic poem by Adam Mickiewicz (written in 1834).

Attempt to reinforce national identity; “a semi-mythical distillation of Poland and Polishness” (Andrzej Werner).

Mixed reception with the public.

(poem) “a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero. The Iliad and the Odyssey are epics.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

(film) A long film depicting large-scale events.

Referential code: the totality of traditions, psychology, politics, morality, etc. of the culture the text (film) refers to.

Intertextuality: interconnections, cross-references, and influences that link different texts. “A text is constructed of a mosaic of quotations; any text is the absorbtion and transformation of another.” (Julia Kristeva)

“Dramatic irony occurs when a character states something that they believe to be true but that the reader/viewer knows is not true. The key to dramatic irony is the reader's/viewer’s foreknowledge of coming events.” http://serc.sogang.ac.kr/erc/Literature/Irony.htm