AllMovie

The Polish The Peasants is a long, sprawling adaptation of Wladyslaw Reymont's Nobel Prize-winning novel. Krzystof Chamiec and Wladyslaw Hancza play father-and-son farmers in turn-of-the-century Poland. Their already touchy relationship is strained to the breaking point when both father and son fall in love with the same woman. Their prides and passions are played out against a richly detailed period backdrop, courtesy of director Jan Rybkowski. At 184 minutes, The Peasants may require some patience from non-Polish viewers, but those willing to stay with it will truly be rewarded.