1670 is the latest Polish satirical comedy series released on Netflix on December 13, 2023. It is directed by Maciej Buchwald and Kordian Kądziela, while the screenplay is written by Jakub Rużyłło. There are 8 episodes in the series with a runtime of about 30-36 minutes.
The ensemble cast of the series includes Bartłomiej Topa as Jan Paweł, Katarzyna Herman as Zofia, Martyna Byczkowska as Aniela, Michał Sikorski as Jakub, Michał Balicki as Stanisław, Andrzej Kłak as Andrzej, Dobromir Dymecki as Bogdan, Kirył Pietruczuk as Maciej and others.
This series chronicles the pursuits of Jan Paweł, the head of a noble family in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 17th century. Paweł aspires to achieve fame and recognition within Poland, however, he is confronted with family feuds and conflicts with peasants.
1670 Review
To put it briefly, the series is a parody of the Polish society in the 17th century, seen through the eyes of a zany nobleman, who wishes to climb the ladder to the throne. It’s almost like a documentary, as Jan and almost all the characters break the fourth wall and communicate directly to the viewers/camera. It might also remind many of the Norwegian comedy series Norsemen, which follows a similar style of telling a story.
It might be set in the year 1670 but Jan faces similar problems of the modern world. His wealth comes from inheriting half of the lands in his village of Adamczycha. Yet his Russian neighbour and the owner of the other (bigger) half of the village, Andrzej, is his nemesis. In order to become the most popular man in the whole of Poland, he has to outwit Andrzej but encounters numerous hurdles in his path.
His eldest son Stanisław has no interest in his business and rather dreams of becoming a musician or marrying. His second son Jakub has chosen the path of god by becoming a priest but also eyes his inheritance quite keenly. Aniela is his adored feminist daughter, who tries to change the ways of the unequal society by going after Jan’s conservative ideology. He wishes to marry her off to a magnate’s son for personal benefits but she finds herself falling for a just Lithuanian peasant.
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Be it 2023 or 1670, the issues prevalent in society remain the same. Disregarding or hating other religions, immigrants, rich/noblemen exploiting the peasants/poor for their own benefit or trying to find ways to make more money. The generational gap between the parents and the children, expectations from women and how they should conduct themselves, climate change, homosexuality etc are highlighted in the show. However, being set in the 17th century, they become comedic elements that bring humour to the story. And definitely not in a bad or derogatory way.
If we were to find an equivalent in the contemporary world, then Jan is like a CEO of a company, who keeps on changing and bringing new wacky policies for his employees – to yield more profit. Still, he isn’t able to beat his competitors. On the personal front, his wife is least interested in him but keeping up with her wife/motherly responsibilities.
His children have their own aspirations that don’t align with his vision but he still loves them the same and tries to indulge them in his ideal world. The more he tries to climb the social ladder, the worse his situation becomes but everything turns out for the best by the end. Ideally, his character’s actions are more like an antagonist but the way he is presented makes it hilarious.
Overall, it’s a hilarious series that one could casually binge-watch. Also, they don’t try to explain the jokes after telling them, which happens many times in parodies – making it a seamless comedy show to watch.
Rating – 4/5
1670 is available to watch on Netflix.
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