Vabank

Vabank
Directed by Juliusz Machulski
Written by Juliusz Machulski
Starring Jan Machulski
Witold Pyrkosz
Leonard Pietraszak
Jacek Chmielnik
Krzysztof Kiersznowski
Music by Henryk Kuźniak
Release date
  • 1981 (1981)
Running time
 108 minutes
Country Poland
Language Polish

Vabank (going nap) is a Polish film from 1981, the first film directed by Juliusz Machulski and a popular criminal comedy, set in 1934 Warsaw (although filmed actually in Łódź and Piotrków Trybunalski).[1]

The film received several awards and nominations, among them:

The film's name is Polish for Va banque, a gambling term when one is betting all to win or loose big.

Plot

In Warsaw in October of 1934, a famous in criminal circles safe cracker and at the same time a jazz trumpet player Henryk Kwinto is released from a prison, in which he spent six years. After arriving home, Kwinto discovers that his wife has already found a substitute for him in the face of a police officer commissar Karelicki. He, Kwinto, takes out of a safekeeping in the leg of a chair money hidden some time ago, leaves key to the apartment and leaves.

Near gates he is met by two younger adventurists, brother Moks and Nuta who has successfully debuted by robbing a jewel store and wishing now to get the legendary safe-cracker in accomplice. Kwinto by taking out of his pocket a mouthpiece of trumpet asserts that they had mistaken him for someone else and he is a musician. Although seemed to be stumbled, the brother nonetheless tell him the address of their automobile shop in case if "Mister Musician would be willing to play together with them".

Kwinto rents a hotel room. Soon he is visited by his former accomplice and now a successful banker Gustaw Kramer who informs him that six years ago Kwinto was arrested not by chance. Kramer who was caught in the act, agreed to lure the elusive safe-cracker in the set up by police a trap. And now as a compensation for moral damages he brought Kwinto 45,000 zloty considering that his committed betrayal is redeemed. In response Kwinto advises not to tell him the address of his bank, to which Kramer confident in invulnerability of own safes reacts with a sneer "ear from a herring" (Polish: ucho od śledzia) hinting at impossibility to rob his bank.

Kwinto goes to visit a musician Tadeusz Richlinski together with whom he performed in one orchestra earlier. But from a wife of Tadeusz Marta, he learns about the death of his friend. Shortly before his death, Tadeusz deposited all his savings, 19,000 zloty, in the bank to the bearer, but on the way home he was robbed, the raiders took away the receipt and the bank deposit became unavailable. The next day Tadeusz allegedly threw himself out of the window. According to the widow, the police arrived to conclusion that there was a suicide.

In the memory of a perished friend Marta gives Kwinto the Tadeusz's trumpet. In its mouthpiece Kwinto discovers a note of Rychlinski where it says "I know how Kramer became an owner of the bank". Kwinto arrives to conclusion that robbery and staging of the suicide were committed at the Kramer's request.

In the light of the discovered circumstances Kwinto starts to act. He finds Moks and Nuta in their automobile shop and instructs them to find the last address of his old friend Duńczyk. Kramer receives back his 45,000 zloty in mail along with a newspaper cut out where placed the Tadeusz's obituary and understands that a war is declared on him. He sends to Kwinto someone Krempitsch, a hired killer, who sometime ago killed Tadeusz by pushing him out of a window. But Kwinto who foresaw the action of the banker takes care of Krempitsch by himself.

The brothers have not found Dunczyk. The search has been taken over by Kwinto himself and, remembering his old habits, finds his pal at a football game. However Dunczyk has finished with his criminal past and more than anything he values a peace. At first he refuses, but Henryk convinces Dunczyk that for him taking vengeance on Kramer is a matter of principle. They witnessed that Krempitsch by trying to kill Kwinto on accident kills a complete stranger. Taking the advantage of a muss, heroes leave the stadium. After all Dunczyk agrees to participate in his friend's daring plan.

Kwinto presents his plan to rob the Kramer's bank and that under suspicion turned to be the banker himself. Dunczyk heads on reconnaissance to the bank and opens to be obvious an account there. With experience eye, he assesses all alarm features of the bank's building and in his home workshop by method of trial and error selects the shape of the plate capable of blocking the alarm.

The companions begin to implement the plan. Kramer on accident as he thinks meets with a charming Natalia whom he helps to start the stalled car. A week later with bouquet of flowers and champagne Kramer comes to visit her. On one of stair landings he runs into a black man who exists a neighboring apartment with a Dalmatian on the leash. Natalia asks Kramer to help her unfasten the necklace and insensibly throws the adornment into the window where it is picked by Moks.

At the same time Kwinto under suspicion of robbing the lawyer Walenta's villa is detained by police and brought to the precinct. However soon the real robbers are arrested and Kwinto is getting released.

Downing gas masks and gloves, Kwinto and his companions infiltrate into the bank through a ventilation shaft of the restaurant located over it. There they stun security guards, block the alarm with a plate that served as the necklace clasp, and take out of the safe all money and valued papers. With a thermal lance Nuta cuts through a side wall of the safe an opening, and the group goes away leaving at the crime scene a plate of the necklace. Taking advantage of the owner's absence, the accomplices transport the main portion of the valuables to the Kramer's house.

In the evening celebrating the successfully turned trick the group to which belongs Natalia as well being a fiancée of Moks divides the remaining money. His share Kwinto sends to Marta ostensibly as compensation to the family of the victim of bank's machinations.

In the morning the bank was filled with police. Head of the investigation commissar Przygoda determines that the safe was cut only to stage hacking, and rather was opened in the usual way. In addition on the found plate were discovered fingerprints of Kramer. It gave the commissar a reason to conduct the search in the Kramer's house where in basket with dirty laundry were found the stolen valuables.

Kramer attempts to prove that at the time of robbery he has an alibi. At first he takes police to the Natalia's apartment, but she is not there and living in the apartment people argue that never saw Kramer. Then the banker remembers about another witness, a black man who had exited out of the neighboring apartment. But the owner of the apartment claims that never saw them.

Kramer gets arrested. Near the court's building he sees Kwinto who reads a newspaper and understands the robbery of his bank is the handiwork of a former accomplice. Kwinto catching the Kramer's glance touches his ear reminding Kramer about his words "ear from a herring" (Polish: ucho od śledzia).

A sequel, Vabank II, was made in 1984.

Cast

References

  1. ↑ "Vabank". Internetowa Baza Filmu Polskiego (in Polish). Łódź: National Film, Television and Theatre School.
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