Legendary Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda (INNOCENT SORCERERS) directed this controversial war drama inspired by his father, who had been an officer in the Polish cavalry during World War II. An underrated gem, LOTNA was the director’s first effort in color. In 1939 in war-torn Poland, a beautiful Arabian mare falls into the possession of a cavalry captain. Called Lotna ("Swift One"), the horse inspires jealousy among the other officers who all want to ride her into battle. After the captain is killed, Lotna is passed down through the ranks of younger officers until the campaign collapses when the outdated squadron is forced to stand up to German tanks. A watershed moment in Polish history, the 1939 campaign was a clear dividing line between old and new Poland. LOTNA, the magnificent white horse—a mythic image of nobility and victory—becomes a symbol for a Poland lost to the ages.
|
