Rukopis nájdený v Zaragoze
fiction / 1964 / Poland / bw / 177 min.
Director: Wojciech Jerzy Has
Screenplay: Tadeusz Kwiatkowski
Photography: Mieczysław Jahoda
Editor: Krystyna Komosińska
Music: Krzysztof Penderecki
Cast: Zbigniew Cybulski, Iga Cembrzyńska, Elżbieta Czyżewska, Gustaw Holoubek, Joanna Jędryka, Janusz Kłosiński, Bogumił Kobiela, Barbara Krafftówna, Krzysztof Litwin, Mirosława Lombardo, Leon Niemczyk, Franciszek Pieczka, Beata Tyszkiewicz
The Saragossa Manuscript, a historical film with a touch of humor, combines elements of stylish costume comedies, adventure knighthood films and fantastic myths with ghosts, hangmen, lunatics and mysterious princesses. It is based on the unconventional novel written by a man of great adventure, Prince Jan Potocki, in 1815. The novel is a vivid tale and simultaneously a satire on human folly and superstitiousness. Its main character, Alfonso van Worden, discovers that he is the only heir to a famed lineage and that he was selected to fulfill a great mission. This film on the randomness of human fate employs an episodic style of narration and smoothly flows from the tragic to sarcasm and comedy; from reality to fantasy.