director Juliusz Machulski
screenplay Juliusz Machulski
director of photography Jerzy Łukaszewicz
music Henryk Kuźniak
with Jan Machulski, Leonard Pietraszak, Witold Pyrkosz, Ewa Szykulska, Krzysztof Kiersznowski, Jacek Chmielnik, Elżbieta Zającówna
awards
Jury Diploma at the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, 1982
Jury Special Prize at the International Film Festival in Manilla, 1982
award at the International Film Festival in Cattolica, 1982
Golden Cane, award for The Best Comedy at the International Comedy Film Festival in Vevey, 1982
Gdańsk Bronze Lions, individual award for The Best Debut at the 8th Polish Film Festival in Gdansk, 1981
Jury’s Special Commendation for Feature Film Debut at ‘Youth and Film’, the Koszalin Film Meetings, 1981
[SONG FROM THE FILM]
if you gamble for fortune, play for the highest stake
those who don’t risk a loss never scoop the pool
if you gamble with life, play for high stakes
life mocks at cautious players
there is no other way
ZYGMUNT KAŁUŻYŃSKI, A POLISH DETECTIVE FILM NOT SO NOIR [POLSKI BIAŁY KRYMINAŁ], ‘POLITYKA’, 1982, NO. 6
‘Va Banque’ is probably the only Polish film over the recent stormy years which has been accepted without reservation by the authorities, the critics and the audience alike. It is a sellout to the extent that touts are back that have not been seen for quite some time. (…) It is indeed the first Polish police comedy that keeps you interested throughout, in which every detail serves its purpose, where scenes interlock smoothly and the story unfolds like a logical mechanism, observation of which yields aesthetic satisfaction.
history periods
