Sometimes a powerful and thought-provoking foreign language film comes along and The Champion of Auschwitz (Mistrz) is one of those films much like the superb King of Devil’s Island back in 2021.
The Champion of Auschwitz tells the fascinating and unknown story of one of the first inmates of camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, prisoner number #77. During his 3-year imprisonment in the camp, Tadeusz “Teddy” Pietrzykowski fought over 40 victorious duels and he became a symbol of hope for victory over Nazi terror. His on-screen history has been documented in detail based on archival statements of former prisoners of Auschwitz and the memories of the boxer himself.
It is 1940. The first transport of prisoners arrives at the newly created concentration camp Auschwitz. One of them is Tadeusz “Teddy” Pietrzykowski, pre-war boxing champion of Warsaw. The camp officers force him to fight in the ring for his and other prisoners’ lives. However, his every win strengthens the hope that Nazis are not invincible. Auschwitz officers notice the growing resistance. The confrontation with the authorities of the camp becomes inevitable.
The Horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau
We know from the history books of the horrors of Auschwitz the atrocities that were performed on fellow human beings and The Champion on Auschwitz doesn’t hold back on those awful things that Nazi did to the Jewish people, the emotions you get from this film will be put to the test, one scene sees a group of families being lead into the chambers followed by the screams of the old and of children screaming in pain and of fear as they are slaughtered!
The sheer power of this movie comes from the rising of Tadeusz “Teddy” Pietrzykowski as he fights his way to survive and to give hope to his fellow prisoners in a chance to survive the horror that they must endure during their imprisonment at the camp.
The Champion of Auschwitz has Great Cinematography
I have to say that one of the things that stood out for me while watching The Champion of Aushwitch is how beautifully it is shot, the lighting, colouring and overall feel of the cinematography by Witold Plociennik are stunning.
Director/writer Maciej Barczewski has brought us a powerful and very watchable movie that brings us the story of one man’s fight to survive during one of the most horrific times in history, Barczewski’s directing of scenes in the boxing ring are nicely shot and work brilliantly as do the scenes outside of the ring that shows life in the concentration camp.
The movie is certainly shot with some passion and that shows in the overall production values. From the look of the movie to the emotional and delightful soundtrack that accompanies it throughout. Piotr Glowacki puts on a stunning performance as Pietrzykowski and brings us a performance that is fantastic to watch.
The film’s director, Maciej Barczewski who is the grandson of Holocaust survivors said this of the film; “The Champion of Auschwitz is a story about an extraordinary man who, thanks to his skills, not only fought for his life in the place of extermination but also gave others hope that their tormentors were not invincible.“
Lead actor, Piotr Glowacki added; “Tadeusz “Teddy” Pietrzykowski was a man who, thanks to a strong will to survive and a passion for boxing, has shown that even the greatest, unimaginable evil can be defeated.“
I know there are many people out there that do have trouble watching films in subtitles, but I would recommend giving The Champion of Auschwitz a try, it is certainly a film that is a very moving and emotional movie that certainly brings to our attention one man’s story of a fight for survival.
The Champion of Auschwitz is out now on DVD, Digital and On Demand.
A powerful performance from Piotr Glowacki
Movie title: The Champion of Auschwitz
Movie description: The story of the pre-war boxing champion Tadeusz "Teddy" Pietrzykowski, who in 1940 arrives with the first transport of prisoners to the newly created Auschwitz concentration camp.
Date published: August 17, 2021
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 31min
Director(s): Maciej Barczewski
Actor(s): Piotr Glowacki, Jan Szydlowski, Grzegorz Malecki
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Summary
The Champion of Auschwitz is a powerful and thought-provoking drama based on a true story that is visually stunning to watch with its superb cinematography.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
