The Dancing Hawk: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Poland, 1977
Director: Grzegorz Królikiewicz
Writer: Grzegorz Królikiewicz
Cast: Franciszek Trzeciak, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Beata Tumkiewicz, Czeslaw Przybyla, Tadeusz Lomnicki, Józef Fryzlewicz, Irena Orska, Stanislaw Jaskiewicz, Jerzy Zelnik

Release Date: March 23rd, 2026 (UK), March 24th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 17 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Polish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"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?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The Dancing Hawk underwent digitization and digital restoration at the National Film Archive - Audiovisual Institute (FINA). The process included 4K film scanning, conforming digital image and sound restoration, color grading, and mastering. The work was carried out by FINA’s digitization and restoration team under the artistic supervision of Zbigniew Wichłacz and with substantive consultation by Zbigniew Rybczyński. Sound restoration was completed by the Moovi studio. The film was delivered to Radiance Films as a digital master and is presented in its original aspect ratio."

The Dancing Hawk comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.5 GB

Feature: 27 GB

The source looks excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Polish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clear and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with film critic Carmen Gray (16 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), two short films directed by cinematographer Zbigniew Rybczyński: Soup (8 minutes 38 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono with text in Polish and removable English subtitles) and Oh! I Can’t Stop! (10 minutes 10 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono with text in Polish and removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 24-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Dancing Hawk: Grzegorz Królikiewicz’s Plebeian and Multidimensional Citizen Kane written by Piotr Kletowski, and information about the transfer.

Soup: “A colorful experimental portrait of the maddening rituals and hypnotic routines of married life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Oh! I Can’t Stop!: “This surreal and comedic short film is shot from the point of view of an unseen monster/camera who runs through everything and everyone at increased speeds." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Summary:

A poor country boy loses sight of who he was as he climbs the social ladder and is put in charge of a factory.

The Dancing Hawk, like Grzegorz Królikiewicz’s other films, revolves around a marginalized protagonist. Although many of his contemporaries were making adventurous cinema that thinks outside of the box, Grzegorz Królikiewicz’s films never fall into conventional cinema, making his films difficult to digest. His filmmaking style features unconventional framing with odd angles, and his use of sound can be quite jarring.

Although The Dancing Hawk was adapted from Julian Kawalec's novel of the same name, it is also a film that was influenced by Citizen Kane, a film the director greatly admired. A clear nod to Citizen Kane is the use of newsreel footage featuring its protagonist. The narrative follows the life of Michal Toporny, starting at his birth and culminating in his return to his birthplace. By the time he faces his moment of truth, Michal has undergone significant transformation, severing his ties to his humble origins.

Franciszek Trzeciak is cast in the role of Michal Toporny; he’s a frequent collaborator of Grzegorz Królikiewicz, having portrayed the protagonist in Through and Through. His performance bears most of the weight, with the rest of the cast merely being background characters that further Michal Toporny’s story. That said, the performances might put off anyone expecting anything that resembles conventional acting.

Visuals play a significant role in The Dancing Hawk, a film that often goes for long stretches without any spoken dialogue. Throughout, there are many striking moments visually, notably when it comes to violence and carnage. Rather than depicting the events directly, the film relies heavily on sound to convey the impact, only revealing the aftermath of these moments. Ultimately, The Dancing Hawk is a cautionary film about the pursuit of success and the negatives associated with it.

The Dancing Hawk gets an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two short films, and a pair of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer