At first I have to say I watched it in German under the title "Kreuzritter 5", so there was a German dubbing and it was bad, which really destroyed some of it's atmosphere. I know the story and I read the book by Henryk Sienkiewicz and I really enjoyed it but I don't think that the movie could retell that epic story in a good way, especially the atmosphere and historical backgrounds. I think the costumes were really good, besides the beards and hair, they looked so artificial. The acting was partially good especially by Scorupco and Szebrowski but there were a lot of actors who weren't that good at all... There also was a problem of historic introduction, in Germany you don't get to know a little thing about eastern European history so my friend who I watched that movie with me was really confused about cossacks and tartans and all those people whom he never really heard of. And didn't knew anything about their relation to Poland or the rest of Europe - so especially this part gave that movie a big minus. The fighting-scenes were less than mediocre. The music could have been better too, it missed some epicness. It could be really much shorter cause it doesn't tell that much story at all.

This movie has very little to do with actual history and is, as one might expect, since it's a book by Sinkiewicz, ridiculously one-sided. Good Poles, bad Cossacks (Ukrainians). A very much needed fairy tale in the times when Sinkiewicz wrote it, as he intended to rise patriotism in a nation that had to find its identity again. But why would a movie be made now, when what's needed for both countries (Poland and Ukraine) is an attempt to show common history from neutral perspective? Enough lies and tales have been written.P.S. A little piece of interesting info - "Bohdan Khmelnytsky (Chmielnicki)" a.k.a. Bohdan Stupka is a Minister of Culture of Ukraine. Ruslana Pysanka (Horyna the whitch) is a weather reporter on one of Ukraine's channels, Inter. Gained a lot of weight recently, LOL. And a piece of historical info - Ivan Bohun (the evil guy) in reality was a Scottish nobleman turned Cossack...Ihor

I watched this movie after a friend told me that this was the most expensive movie in the Polish history. Probably that is true, but the movie does not look like a piece of art.Although the movie does not specifically targets Polish viewers, others would hardly watch it - I bet few people would spend three hours trying to tie up numerous lines altogether. The movie has two key lines - a war between Polish nobles and Ukrainian Cossacks and a love story between one of the Polish officers and girl, that he met.The movie does not look like an action nor as an entertainment. But for the historical movie, it came out to be very straightforward - the characters are either too good or deadly evil and completely dump. There was too much blood on the screen. Even some of the details are really excessive. There was one guy out there who pledged to remain virgin until he axes three heads at once by his sward. What a hilarious pal! Eventually he somehow managed to do that, but .is that a historical movie or a show from the Worldwide Wrestling Federation all-star cast?Of course I should say that most of the actors were really good. But you can not save a bad plot with even the best actors in the world.

Everyone in Poland have been waiting for this movie for a long, long time. Some of us even twenty years. But these ones who have watched other parts of the Trilogy now are not disappointed (maybe not everyone but the most). Jerzy Hoffman made a really great movie. I agree that not every actress(read: Izabella Skorupka-this is her Polish name) was good in her role but thanks God we wouldn't have to watch many scenes with her. Of course we can forgive this to mister Hoffman. Everyone can make a mistake. But if we look at this work of art from the other side we can see many fantastic Polish actors like: Daniel Olbrychski(who played in every part of the Trilogy), Michal Zebrowski, Krzysztof Kowalewski or Andrzej Seweryn. They are really great in their roles. They are vivid and credible. I have to say that I cried watching this movie. There were two scenes at which my handkerchief was wet. First: when they found Skrzetuski crying in the village and second it was almost the last scene: when Jan finds out that Helena is alive. But one there is one thing which I hate in Hoffman's movies: his no-limits cruelty (for example in the movie "Pan Michael" he had drowned an alive horse in the stream). He loves to watch the viewers human's and animal's pain and suffering. I know this is in every Sienkiewicz's book but I just cannot accept it.I must confess that I haven't read any Sienkiewicz's book. At the cinema I can close my eyes and only listen but if I closed my eyes while reading a book I wouldn't find out what had happen. I know that many of you won't agree with my opinions(for example about Scorupco) but this is my point of view and everyone has free will and everyone can say how he looks on some things. PS. I have been learning English for 1,5 year so there can be a lot of mistakes-forgive me this.