The 2022 Polish biographical film The Prophet, directed by Michal Kondrat, tells the story of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and his resistance to the communist regime in Poland.

The film focuses on the period following Wyszyński’s three-year imprisonment, when he returns as a spiritual leader and negotiates with communist authorities to defend the rights of the Polish Church and nation.

The story portrays an uncompromising primate who sees further than his opponents. The film effectively captures the atmosphere of communist Poland in the 1960s and 1970s, with details of persecution and the early strikes.

A key moment is Wyszyński’s role in mentoring Karol Wojtyła, whom he nominates as Bishop of Kraków, thereby paving the way for his eventual papacy. The plot weaves together the various fates of other characters, including their persecution, torture, poverty, and clashes with the police.

Despite the intrigues of the secret police and the atheization of Poland, Wyszyński remains an unyielding opponent of communism.

Drama / Biographical

Poland, 2022, 126 min

Cast: Michał Kondrat;

Crew: Sławomir Grzymkowski, Tomasz Sapryk, Adam Ferency, Marcin Troński, Katarzyna Zawadzka, Michał Meyer, Karolina Bruchnicka, Fabrizio Pugliese;

Parents’ Guide:

A naked bishop lying on the ground, followed by a shot from behind as his tormentors drag him away. One woman in a short skirt and one in a strapless dress or a dress with a low neckline. Several violent scenes in which people—including women—are beaten, sometimes brutally. One scene of a woman walking by the pool in a swimsuit. One scene of a man lying in bed wearing only pants. Shots from a communist masquerade with women in swimsuits. The bishop’s torture. Bombing. About one instance of the phrase “Jesus-Mary.” A few instances of “damn” or “fuck”—typical of Polish—or one instance of the curse “son of a bitch.” The bishop smoking cigarettes, as do others. The bishop, who survived abuse at the hands of the communists, sipping cognac. Cutting one’s hand with a knife. A woman leaves her husband because of his duplicity and collaboration with the communists. A young woman reproaching the bishop, “Where was God?”

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