Polish Film School
"Ashes and Diamonds" was an international success. According to Janina Falkowska, this is Wajda's most recognizable film, and–in the opinion of Marek Hendrykowski–the most important achievement of the Polish Film School, which highlights the director's characteristic style, while dealing with the Second World War. Despite the condemnation of the film by some Communist critics, many supporters of independent Poland identified themselves with the role of Maciek. Cybulski has been compared to James Dean in his performance, which was complemented by the fact that with his appearance, Polish actor personified the contemporary generation of the 1950s. In total, around 1,722,000 spectators watched "Ashes and Diamonds" during the opening year.