Wojciech Jerzy Has’s 1968 film adaptation of Bolesław Prus’s classic novel Lalka (The Doll) is now available to stream on the Canal+ online platform as part of a subscription, according to Interia – Film.
The lavish production, which became a landmark in Polish cinema despite initially mixed reviews at home, tells the story of Stanisław Wokulski, a self-made merchant who returns to Warsaw in 1878 after amassing a fortune supplying the Russian army. Played by Mariusz Dmochowski, Wokulski hopes his newfound wealth will open the doors of aristocratic society and win him the affections of the beautiful but aloof Countess Izabela Łęcka, portrayed by Beata Tyszkiewicz.
A story of social barriers and ambition
The plot follows Wokulski’s attempts to navigate the rigid class structures of late nineteenth-century Warsaw. He inherited a haberdashery from his late wife, which was managed in his absence by his loyal friend Ignacy Rzecki, played by Tadeusz Fijewski. For Countess Łęcka’s father, Tomasz Łęcki (Jan Kreczmar), marriage to a wealthy man represents the only escape from bankruptcy. The calculating young countess, who secretly flirts with her handsome cousin Kazimierz Starski (Andrzej Łapicki), keeps the smitten merchant at arm’s length, subjecting him to repeated humiliations and treating him with disdain.
Blinded by love, Wokulski enters into disadvantageous business dealings in a misguided attempt to help his beloved and her family, ignoring warnings from the faithful Rzecki. Has’s film, though necessarily trimmed of several subplots from Prus’s expansive novel, is not simply a salon romance. It examines the rise of a man from the lower ranks of society who, near the peak of his climb, encounters an insurmountable obstacle in the form of convention, snobbery and prejudice.
International success despite domestic criticism
When Lalka premiered in 1968, it was considered a major artistic event. The production was mounted on a grand scale with meticulous attention to historical detail. However, Polish critics responded with lukewarm reviews. While some praised the “painterly quality of the adaptation, the faithful rendering of the period’s atmosphere, its genre qualities, human types, specific colour and charm,” dissenting voices were also heard.
The film found greater appreciation abroad. At the Panama film festival, Has received the Grand Prize for directing, cinematographer Stefan Matyjaszkiewicz was honoured for his camera work, and acting awards went to both Mariusz Dmochowski and Tadeusz Fijewski.
What this means for Poles abroad
For Poles living in the UK and the USA, the availability of Lalka on Canal+ online offers an opportunity to reconnect with one of the most important works of Polish literature and cinema. Bolesław Prus’s 1890 novel is considered one of the greatest achievements of Polish realism and remains required reading in Polish schools. Has’s adaptation, despite its initial reception, is now recognised as a significant work of Polish cinema from the 1960s.
Those with access to Canal+ online can watch the film as part of their subscription. For Poles raising children abroad or teaching Polish language and culture, the film provides a window into nineteenth-century Warsaw society and the themes of social mobility, unrequited love and the clash between commerce and aristocracy that defined the era. The production’s lavish sets and costumes offer a vivid recreation of the period, making it both an educational resource and a piece of cultural heritage.