In the late 1960s, Andrzej Wajda made a film that surprised many viewers. The director of “Generation”, “Kanał” and “Ashes and Diamonds” spoke about young people searching for themselves and their language.
“Innocent Wizards” was filmed in Warsawin the then popular Stodoła club, but also in the Hybrydy club, or in the Gwardia sports hall, where boxing matches were held, and in Torwar.
In Wajda’s film, an attentive viewer will notice the courtyard at ul. Chmielna 10, Miodowa Street, the crew also worked on the Old Town Square, on Constitution Square, on Górskiego ul., Hala Mirowska Wschodnia or the Śródmieście railway station. The station appears several times in the film, with covered stairs leading to the entrance.
The premiere of “Innocent Wizards” took place on December 17, 1960 at the Stolica cinema.. The Iluzjon cinema now operates in this building.
The film tells the story of sports doctor Bazyli, who in his spare time enjoys playing drums in a jazz band and dating women. He builds his image by riding a motorcycle and dyeing his hair. One day, Basilio meets the beautiful Pelagia in a bar.. The two go out for a walk around the city at night.
They played the roles of Basil and Pelagia Tadeusz Łomnicki and Krystyna Stypułkowska. The film also featured a number of stars: jazz musicians Krzysztof Komeda and Andrzej Trzaskowski, directors Roman Polański and Jerzy Skolimowski, singer Sława Przybylska and actors Kalina Jędrusik or Zbyszek Cybulski. The character Basil was apparently inspired by Krzysztof Komeda.
Today, “Innocent Wizards” is probably one of the most politically neutral films I have ever made. The innocent subject of a young doctor who likes compression stockings and good cigarettes, has a tape recorder and records his conversations with girls on it, and whose only passion is playing drums in Krzysztof Komeda’s jazz band – proved to be more sensitive to the ideologues-educators than the Home Army and the Warsaw Uprising. he mentioned Andrzej Wajda on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the premiere.
The film’s script was written by Jerzy Andrzejewski author of the novel “Ashes and Diamonds” adapted into a film by Wajda in 1958. The title “Innocent Wizards” was taken by the writer from the first part of “Forefathers’ Eve” Adam Mickiewicz. He also became a co-author of the dialogues Jerzy Skolimowski.
Years later, a famous American director Martin Scorsese recognized the film “Innocent Sorcerers” by Andrzej Wajda as one of the masterpieces of Polish cinematography.
