Przeszłość pod nadzorem. O filmie historycznym w PRL

The article discusses Piotr Kurpiewski’s book Historia na ekranie Polski Ludowej [History on the screenof Polish People’s Republic]. Kurpiewski uses the concept of the politics of history to show the relationship between Polish postwar films and their political context. He examines the production process of individual films from the moment of their making to the moment(s) of their reception. From this point of view the historical film becomes one of the main ideological instruments, serving to legitimize the then sociopolitical regime.