Ashes and Diamonds (1958) is a black and white Polish film about a Resistance fighter who is ordered to kill a Communist leader on the last day of World War II. Maciek, portrayed by Zbigniew Cybulski (the "Polish James Dean") is a casual assassin who makes the mistake of meeting a woman and falling in love. He has to choose between abandoning his assignment and possibly living a happy life with the woman, or fulfilling his "duty" whatever the cost. He chooses to kill his target and ends up dying in hail of bullets in a garbage dump.
There are numerous religious images in the film, the most prominent is a damaged statue of Christ hanging upside down in a destroyed chapel. The film itself is more political than religious.
The entire film seems to point to the fact of Maciek's impending self-destruction, as if he has no choice. Many people think they have no choice, that "this is just the way I am." They place their lives and their souls on the garbage dump and, yet, they could have made other choices.
Maciek would have been scorned as a traitor had he failed to carry out his mission but he could have chosen no to do it. Unbelievers who make a choice for Christ may find that their lives are greatly complicated by their decision. God never promised anyone an uncomplicated life, but He did say that He would provide strength so that the believer could bear it.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
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