Wyrok zycia

With it's high seriousness aimed at exposing the Single Standard and male hypocrisy,in the manner of of the then contemporary John Galsworthy tracts, this one is a striking contrast to that other sub-titled You Tube Polish thirties drama TAJEMNICA PANNY BRINX.

Seeing young Andrzejewska facing the death sentence for infanticide, sophisticated advocate Eichlerówna takes on her defense.

The two women do nicely contrasting character studies and the film making is polished, trying for a few largely ineffectual moments of style. We get the strong, appealing central performances and an effective depiction of a cruel legal system to go with a countryside where the people (the women in particular) are as vicious as those in the city.

The settings - bank note printery, glamorous city flat and harsh rural environment are good. A long grim flashback with it's doomed moment of happiness works nicely but finally the the writing is simple minded. The "She was condemned to death because of you" climax is predictable and dumb.