Pilatus und andere - Ein Film für Karfreitag

Given that Wajda is a great director we can just as well omit the superlatives that would go with just about every his movie. What makes this one different from much of the rest of Wajda's movies is that it the action happens not in Poland. At the first glance at least. The movie itself is very tightly based on the story of Jesus (Jeshua Ga-Nozri) taken from M. Bulgakov novel "Master & Margarita" (just the master's manuscript so there are no Devil, Margarita, Behemoth or others). Those of you who read at least 5 books should have read this novel and thus by now have a pretty good idea what this movie is about. Those who did not would delight at a very unorthodox look at the transformation of Pilate when he meets Jeshua two days before crucifixion. It is not an exactly Biblical story but not an anti-religious either. In making of the movie Wajda departed from Bulgakov's strict historicism and used the insertions of attributes of modern history to take a political jab or two. The camera work is done very nicely and thanks to Bulgakov's script the movie has a great dialog. Check if you've got some brains and if you do go see the movie.