The Call of the Sea
(Zew morza)
Poland 1927, 127'
Director: Henryk Szaro
Screenplay: Stefan Kiedrzyński
Cast: Stanisława Słubicka, Maria Malicka, Mariusz Maszyński, Antoni Różański, Józefa Modzelewska, Jerzy Marr, Antoni Bednarczyk, Nora Ney
Producer: Leo-Film
DCP, 2K
Source: FINA
A twelve-year-old Stach, the miller's son, is an avid reader of sea novels, dreaming of traveling the distant oceans, visiting exotic countries, and taking part in wild adventures. He shares his dreams with Hanka, his friend and the daughter of the estate owners, naming the ship model he made in her honor. One day, he leaves his home to make his dreams come true. Twelve years later, already an officer on a large merchant sailing ship, he enjoys the trust of the ship’s owner, Van Loos. He also wins the heart of his daughter Jola, yet he wants to ask his parents to give their blessing to the wedding, so he goes to the family village, where he meets Hanka. The childhood friendship turns into love, but the girl must choose between her feelings and the call of duty, and, to save the family estate from ruin, she decides to accept a marriage proposal from a wealthy neighbor instead. Stach leaves to focus now on work on his invention, yet he doesn't know that Rudolf, the boatswain who had been rejected by Jola, wants to take revenge on him.
The film was one of the precursors of the maritime theme in Polish cinema. Based on a script by the popular novelist Stefan Kiedrzyński, the film combines melodrama with adventure, intertwining a romantic plot with gripping action, which – for the first time in Polish cinema – takes place at sea. The Baltic Sea is the film's equally important character, and the numerous outdoor scenes shot in places like Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Puck are an additional highlight of the production. Other highlights include the appearance of the torpedo boat ORO Kujawiak, one of the first ships of the Polish Navy, or the hydroplane Leo H-13, which also has its propagandistic function. The film also has a great cast made up of many well-known and beloved actors, such as Maria Malicka, Nora Ney, and Mariusz Maszyński. Jerzy Marr (soon to become a popular heartthrob) and 15-year-old Tadeusz Fijewski made their debut in the dual role of Stach, with Fijewski first dubbed “the blond bad-boy of the Polish screen" and later one of the most outstanding theater and film actors.
The Call of the Sea is also the earliest surviving film by Henryk Szaro, one of the most important directors of the pre-war Polish cinema. Just like the lost Red Clown (1926), it was produced by Maria Hirszbein, the owner of the Leo-Film studio and one of the few female film producers of that time, who had done extreme service for the whole industry. The movie received favorable reviews and was a box office success.
By Katarzyna Wajda
In 2013, The Call of the Sea was digitally restored by the National Film Archive as part of the Nitrofilm project and celebrated its re-premiere with original music for the occasion composed by Krzesimir Dębski.
music: DCP
