160 The Dancing Hawk

[Finch]

A peasant’s son rises through the ranks of post-war Polish society like none of his ancestors ever could. Moving to the city, he becomes part of a new socialist order. But in leaving his rural roots behind, does he also abandon his soul? Taking inspiration from Orson Welles’ monumental saga Citizen Kane, Grzegorz Królikiewicz (Through and Through) crafts a viscerally affecting portrait of a changing country through the fate of a man ruined by ambition. Strikingly original compositions from cinematographer Zbigniew Rybczyński (Angst) and absorbing sound design capture the psychic toll of capitalism and urbanization.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

4K restoration by Filmoteka Narodowa
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
New interview with critic Carmen Gray (2025)
Two short films by cinematographer Zbigniew Rybczyński: Soup (1974, 9 mins) and Oh! I Can’t Stop! (1975, 10 mins)
Newly improved English subtitle translation
Reversible sleeve featuring original artwork by Jerzy Czerniawski and Andrzej Klimowski
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by scholar Piotr Kletowski
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Released in the UK/US: 23rd/24th March

[MichaelB]

In a wonderfully serendipitous coincidence, I didn't actually know that Radiance was prepping this when I included clips from Soup, Oh! I Can't Stop and The Dancing Hawk in my piece on the Polish Animation disc!

Anyway, this is a truly astonishing film: I assumed it would be a natural for Second Run, but I'm hardly going to complain about it getting the Radiance treatment. Not least among its many startling qualities is the overarching question of how the hell did something quite this provocative get made in 1977, the year when the government seriously proposed banning Man of Marble and then shut down On the Silver Globe 80% of the way into production.

[BoltzmannBrain]

UK release will be cut:

Compulsory cut required to remove a scene of unsimulated animal cruelty (an attempt to decapitate a chicken which does not result in instant death), in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. Further compulsory cut required to remove a sequence containing potentially indecent images of a child (an adult playing with a baby's genitals), in accordance with the Protection of Children Act 1978.

[TMDaines]

[EddieLarkin]

Starting to lose track of all of the Radiance titles that are cut.

This, Serie Noire and Slap the Monster on Page One all relate to children issues so need to be sourced from the US to be uncut.

Through and Through was just animal issues, was it ever confirmed if the UK disc plays uncut in Region A players?

Are there any I've missed?

[foe]

https://blueprintreview.co.uk/2026/03/t ... nce-films/

[MichaelB]

Put simply, The Dancing Hawk is astounding, a work of cinematic innovation that ignores all the rules of narrative filmmaking and formal structure. What could seem like a freewheeling collage of set pieces and unrelated imagery is clearly at the command of a creator using every weapon at his disposal. This is most assuredly a film that demands your full attention. Królikiewicz conveys the turmoil of Poland with a disorienting array of arresting visuals – a soldier’s arm is amputated as if from the hand’s point of view, a village is buffered by a storm, a bar of soap burns next to an oven – and through the use of some of the most daring sound design in any film I’ve ever seen: axes sound like bells, hedgehogs crash like giants, and the sound of scratching and ticking permeate the film, creating a relentless state of unease. Characters and scenes repeat themselves, and there is a torrent of visual imagery that can only be fully absorbed after multiple viewings.

I can't disagree with any of this; it's properly exhilarating stuff. And I've only seen it in standard definition thus far, and pretty mediocre standard definition at that!

Incidentally, the review doesn't make the connection between the Zbigniew Rybczyński shorts and the main feature, but Rybczyński was the cinematographer for the latter—which was actually the job he'd originally been trained to do, before he got sucked into animation, VFX, and cutting-edge video technology. As with Krzysztof Kieślowski's collaborations with the equally distinctive Sławomir Idziak, it's pretty clear that Grzegorz Królikiewicz's attitude was to hire a cinematographer with a very distinctive visual style (see also Bogdan Dziworski on Through and Through) and give him carte blanche to go mental—but Królikiewicz is himself such a distinctive stylist that it never becomes mere look-at-me showing-off.

[MichaelB]

The Dancing Beaver.

[foe]

"The Dancing Hawk" is one of two full features Zbigniew Rybczynski worked on as a DOP. The second one is "Angst" (1983) by Gerald Kargl. Both titles are visually electrifying, I wish he had been involved in some more.

BTW, literally just finished "TDH" on my projector (HD) and - goddammit - what a ride that was!! Brutal, ferocious, grotesque! This kind of formal extravaganza takes no prisoners. In my book: one of the most important films of the 70s, but I'm not sure if the arthouse world is ready for Krolikiewicz yet (50 years later, haha). From the other hand, if Bela Tarr is embraced and cherished now then why not.

It's great that Radiance kept the original, brilliant Polish poster by Jerzy Czerniawski on the cover. Regrettably, the bonus content is a disappointment. I mean Zbigniew Rybczynski and Franciszek Trzeciak are still alive. So is Bogna Janiec, the daughter of the great Grzegorz. She collaborated with her father on some of his works. Thus, while I appreciate Radiance for releasing this masterpiece, I also wish the extras were extended.

"Killing Auntie" is my second favourite Krolikiewicz. Surreal black comedy. Still very much experimental, more accessible though. That DVD version that is part of Telewizja Kino Polska box-set is simply abominable. Three Is a magic number, Radiance!