Clouds of War - Czarne Chmury: Part 1 DVD

Clouds of War is a Polish TV series that ran in Poland during the 1970's. Set in the 17th century, this 10 episode TV series is an action-packed adventure full of love, sword fights, and cloak & dagger deception. When two Prussian army officers object to the treatment of an aristocrat, they are branded enemies of Prussia and sentenced to prison. Their escape is just the beginning of this epic adventure. Each episode runs approx. 47-55 minutes.

VOLUME 1
1. SCAFFOLD
    During the second half of the 17th century, Jan Stolpecki is sentenced to death for treason. Colonel Krzysztof Dowgird, a Prussian officer and Polish Noble, protests the verdict. When the deputy sticks by the verdict, Dowgird resigns from the army and prepares to rescue Stolpecki.

2. BLOODY MATCHMAKERS
    Captain Knothe, the commander of the Rajtars, finds out about Dowgird's escape and informs the deputy. Dowgird and Kacper take advantage of all the confusion to escape from the city. Zaremba's Dragoons and Knothe's Rajtars take off in pursuit of the fugitives.

3. ENVY
    Dowgird and Kacper fight off the Rajtars, but not without some outside help. Along the road, near the border, they accidentally come across a village celebrating a wedding.

VOLUME 2
4. ALTERCATION
    Knothe arrives at Magda's Manor with his Rajtars, and tells her that harboring the fugitives carries a death sentence. She shrugs off his threat, and tells him to go to the nearby monastery. At the same time, a group of Elektor soldiers unexpectedly arrives at the monastery.

5. THE BLACK BAG
    After a few days, the Colonel and Kacper leave the monastery. They come across a carriage being chased by robbers. Together, they overcome the robbers, and realize that the carriage is carrying Margrave Ansbach and Von Roede, as well as two noble ladies, Agata Ostrowska and the beautiful Anna. Together, they set off for Warsaw.

VOLUME 3
6. INTRIGUE
    The fugitives stop at an inn. Someone tries to steal the black bag, but the Colonel catches them in the act, accidentally discovering that the bag contains a hidden list with the names of magnates loyal to the Elektor. They go and inform Hetman Sobieski of everything they've discovered.

7. PANTOMIME
    The Marshall's guards release Dowgird into Prussian custody, while some Polish nobles, under Kacper's command, gather at the gate. Sobieski arrives and immediately orders the release of the Colonel. Von Hollstein, unable to accept Dowgird's release, plots against him.

8. WOLF's LAIR
    During a feast, a travelling group of actors introduce a pantomime, who reveals the plot against Dowgird. To save his honor, Von Hollstein is forced into a duel with Dowgird.

VOLUME 4
9. ENGAGEMENTS
    Dowgird and Andrzej break into the dungeon and free the delegates, but the kidnappers block their escape. A chase ensues. Anna and Magda bring some help. On the way back, the Colonel proposes to Anna.

10. THE CHASE
    News of the kidnapping reaches the Hetman. Kacper and his men go after the Elektor's carriage, but the kidnappers have decieved the nobles. Meanwhile at a monastery near the border, Knothe's Rajtars lie in wait for Dowgird. Dowgird goes back to Warsaw for his wedding with Anna, as well as Kacper's wedding with Magda.

PO POLSKU
Polski Fanfan, pierwszy polski serial spod znaku "plaszcza i szpady" - pisano o "Czarnych chmurach" w prasie z lat 70. Osia fabuly staly sie dramatyczne epizody z walk o utrzymanie przy Polsce Prus Ksiazecych. Pozostawaly one w lennej zaleznosci od Rzeczypospolitej od 1525 r., kiedy Albrecht Hohenzollern sekularyzowal panstwo zakonne i zlozyl w Krakowie hold krolowi polskiemu.

W XVII wieku na mocy traktatow welawsko-bydgoskich ziemie te przypadly elektorowi brandenburskiemu. Polska byla wowczas krajem wolnolci szlacheckich, w Prusach szlachcie wiodlo sie znacznie gorzej. Na czele opozycji przeciwko elektorowi Fryderykowi Wilhelmowi stanal pulkownik Krystian Ludwik Kalkstein-Stolinski.

W 1670 r. musial uciekac z Prus do Polski. Podstepnie zwabiony do rezydencji ambasadora Brandta w Warszawie, na rozkaz elektora zostal porwany, mimo protestow polskiej szlachty i osobistego stawiennictwa krola Michala Korybuta Wisniowieckiego - skazany na kare smierci i stracony w Klajpedzie w 1672 r. Burzliwe dzieje Kalksteina-Stolinskiego staly sie osnowa scenariusza serialu telewizyjnego.

Oczywiscie, jak wielokrotnie podkreslal rezyser Andrzej Konic, w "Czarnych chmurach" nie mozna doszukiwac sie zbyt doslownych analogii do glosnej w Rzeczypospolitej "sprawy Kalksteina" ani bohaterowi serialu, pulkownikowi Krzysztofowi Dowgirdowi, przypisywac cech historycznego pierwowzoru.

Jest to przede wszystkim film akcji, awanturniczo-przygodowy, a wiec na pierwszy plan wysuwaja sie ucieczki, pogonie, pojedynki, intrygi i oczywiscie milosc. Calosc skontruowana na zasadzie powiesci-rzeki, sklada sie z dziesieciu godzinnych odcinkow. Realizacja trwala przeszlo rok, poza lodzkim atelier zdjecia krecono w pieknych wnetrzach w Baranowie, w Palacu Biskupim w Kielcach i w Rytwianach pod Kielcami, w Laczynku, Krakowie, a malownicze plenery - m.in. pod Augustowem.

W glownych rolach upamietnili sie Leonard Pietraszak jako pulkownik Dowgird i Ryszard Pietruski jako jego wachmistrz i przyjaciel, kuty na cztery nogi sluga Kacper. Sercami nieustraszonych zabijakow zawladnely piekna staroscianka Anna (Elzbieta Starostecka), wychowanica hetmana Sobieskiego (Mariusz Dmochowski) oraz szlachcianka Magda (Anna Seniuk).

Cast: Leonard Pietraszak, Elzbieta Starostecka, Edmund Fetting, Ryszard Pietruski, Anna Seniuk, Janusz Zakrzenski, Mariusz Dmochowski
Directed by Andrzej Konic
Screenplay: Antoni Gruzinski, Ryszard Pietruski
Photography: Antoni Wojtowicz
Music: Waldemar Kazanecki
1973, Color, 4:3 Screen
Total run time 500 minutes.
Format: NTSC, Region 1 (USA & Canada)
Language: Polish
Non-optional Subtitles: English
Genre: Historical, TV Program, Drama