Man of Marble (1977) (2025)

Popular reviews

• Review by St. Sebastian ★★★★½ 2

  The topic of the "forgotten heroes of the socialist youth" may have been perceived differently by the audience of the late 1970s, but it is a reflection of one generation's views on the principles and legacy of the previous one. Agnieszka (Krystyna Janda) stands out for her passion, journalistic skill, and strong sense of justice when it comes to the collective memory of the post-war era.

  Andrzej Wajda may have underestimated the deep symbolism present in "Czlowiek z marmuru". Through the story of the Stakhanovite from Nowa Huta, we witness the portrayal of a modern martyr, shedding light on Polish history from 30 years ago. Agnieszka uncovers a man who has been crucified by his time, not just a forgotten…

• Review by Paul Elliott ★★★★

  Mostly taking advantage of original documentary footage from the construction of Nowa Huta (the easternmost district of Kraków) and other chapters of Poland's early communist era, Man of Marble chronicles the decline from celebrated admiration to the obscurity of a fictitious yet courageous Polish construction worker. History and tradition reverberate throughout with sharp cuts to different times, localities and activities contrasted inside a fixed space and time. Directed by Andrzej Wajda, it's ultimately an indictment of the Stalinist methodology of social-realist filmmaking, which consistently performed deceitful propagandistic objectives.

• Review by Graham Williamson ★★★½ 11

  I have a longstanding problem with social realism, which isn't to say there aren't social realist directors I like. Shane Meadows, at his best, is terrific. The Italian Neorealists and the Iranian New Wave are, at the very least, reflecting a reality so different to mine that I can't be distracted by the central issue I have with the genre; is this actually reflecting reality, or is it just miserable? For all their good liberal intentions, social realist film-makers keep falling back on a portrait of the working classes that would warm a Daily Mail columnist's heart; feckless, criminal, angry, reliant on benefits, identified only with dirt and exploitation even when they're in love (looking at you, Alan Warner, Irvine…

• Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★ 6

  No snarky comments or one-liners for this one.

  *Sigh* Where do I start?

  There's a really good film about socialism and the raise and fall of a men who was used as an instrument by a political movement to gain some popularity and established themselves and control the minds of an entire group of people.

  There's also some nice shots. Great performances and some nice camera work.

  There's also a bunch of crap. Like, I found hilarious how most of the film takes place in an editing room and is mostly through the eyes of this (annoying) filmmaker that seems to not know what she wants to do or have any idea on how to do it. And all of…

• Review by pirateneckbeard ★★★ 2

  Slowly chiseling down the filmography of Andrzej Wajda and I like how he attacks this story from a biographical forum trying to piece together this life of a man who was wiped from a communist histories path with some actual truth to it. Unfortunately I just didn't get the jump spark between what was done to him and why he defended the friend who had caused it all the while the government wanted him not to know. So in essence I couldn't tangibly accept the whole plot but I do agree I am not the most aware of 70's Polish politics. There was a lot of smart humor and insight but not enough to avail a greater truth to me…

• Review by ElizabethMitch

  Birkut mógłby we mnie rzucić tą cegłą

• Review by VagelisVitsikas ★★★★

  The first part of Andrzej Wajda's Trilogy on Poland's contemporary history (continued with "Man of Iron" and concluded with "Walesa: Man of Hope") is a harrowing portrait of the myths a whole country was obliged to live with, and also a comment on cinema's power to transform truth both for propaganda and social change reasons. Beautifully directed by the great Polish auteur and self-referential in more than one occasions, "Man of Marble" is one of the most important works by a true master of cinema.

• Review by Mark Cunliffe 🇵🇸 ★★★★★

  Taking Orson Welles' Citizen Kane as inspiration, Andrzej Wajda managed to produce not only what is arguably his finest film, but also what many believe to be the definitive Polish masterpiece in 1977's Man of Marble. The film has two parallel storylines; the first follows Mateusz Birkut, a bricklayer who rises up from the masses, ascending to the idolatry role of State-promoted 'Worker's Hero' in the Stalinist 1950s when, rebuilding Poland following WWII, he and his team breaks a record for laying 30,000 bricks during an eight-hour shift. Whilst the second, set in the present day of 1976, sees Agnieszka, a young and independent Polish woman, directing a film about Birkut for her diploma, obsessively pursuing every one who knew…

• Review by Laurie Orla ★★★★★ 1

  I could watch Krystyna Janda strut around trying to get a film made forever.

• Review by kosma zakrzewski1 ★★★★ 1

  og polish sigma female

• Review by Kai White ★★★

  ”Besides, this isn’t America, these aren’t the methods to use …”

  So says the head of production (Bogusław Sobczuk) to Agnieszka (Krystyna Janda), not that she’s listening. She’s aggressive because she has to be. It’s relatable, her frustration over not being able to get an answer that should be so easy to find. But answers under Poland’s Stalinism amount to “you can’t do that” and “you’re being ordered not to,” so Agnieszka has to fight and push through, all in an effort to find out about one man.

  Two decades ago, Mateusz Birkut (Jerzy Radziwiłowicz) became something of a socialist celebrity. He was caught on camera laying 30,000 bricks in a single shift! That effort was used to highlight the…

• Review by Claire Richards

  *is assigned a movie to watch for class*
  *immediately logs onto letterboxd.com to see if i can log it*

  Goddamn, that was boring.