Władysław Hańcza

The hetman on screen

Władysław Hańcza played Janusz Radziwiłł, the Lithuanian hetman whom Andrzej Kmicic initially trusts. In the film, Radziwiłł's agreement with Sweden at Kėdainiai forces his officers to choose between loyalty to their commander and loyalty to King John II Casimir. Kmicic's earlier oath makes that choice especially painful when others turn away from the hetman¹².

History and Sienkiewicz's character

Janusz Radziwiłł really did conclude an agreement with Sweden in 1655. The historical setting was more complex than a personal drama of betrayal: Lithuania was already suffering from war with Muscovy, some nobles accepted Swedish protection and others resisted it. The film makes these events central to Kmicic's personal story; its dialogue and scenes with fictional characters remain an adaptation of Sienkiewicz³².

An actor of contrasting roles

Hańcza worked in theatre and film. The Polish Filmmakers Association lists both Radziwiłł and Kargul from the comedy Sami swoi among his screen roles⁴. In an account preserved by the National Film Archive, he said he read historical studies of the period and the prince before filming. He did not want to play Janusz as a man who had coldly planned treason from the outset; he tried to show the character's own understanding of loyalty to Lithuania⁵. The exhibition also includes a photograph of Hoffman and Hańcza working together on set.

A portrait prepared before filming

The 1975 report describes Hańcza and the make-up artists working with reproductions of portraits: preparation before going on set took between one and two hours. The actor compared Radziwiłł with his own Boryna in The Peasants, identifying shared pride and dignity⁶.