Review of Wałesa: Man of Hope (2013) by Stephen C — 14 Jun 2015

When I was growing up one of the tings I clearly remember was the Polish dock strike in Gdansk and its moustachioed leader Lech Walesa.

Now legendary director Andrzej Wajda gives us the story behind the headlines .

Walesa was always a troublemaker but when the communist dream begins to turn sour he begins to question the rising prices and poverty most of his friends and co workers find themselves in.

The films follows Walesa as he is pursued and persecuted by the authorities for speaking out leading to him being arrested numerous times and at one point being held against his will while events unfolded in the shipyards and the creation of the Solidarity union movement of which Walesa became the figurehead.

Wajda combines actual footage with his actors and the film shows just how tough the communists were when it came to the to the subject of civil rights for all.

Some may find this all a bit worthy and earnest but I have to say I was gripped from the very start and the film covers a vital part in the eventual downfall of the Iron Curtain government's.