Netflix's 1670 Review. Polish Answer to The Office Set in Baroque Just Works

I was delighted by the teaser of 1670. At last, someone has decided to use the Polish historical background to create a comedy that resembles The Office in its form. And so, the nobleman John Paul (Jan Pawel portrayed by Bartlomiej Topa), who aspires to become the most famous Pole with these names, takes us around his village. The production's styling looks amazing, and the content is sometimes on point, but I am left unsatisfied as the plot seems a bit rough-edged. Maybe the show will receive the appropriate improvements in the next season? Let's not get ahead of ourselves and focus on the piece of Baroque that Netflix has already served us.

Shooting among the nobility and peasants

The technical execution was greatly done. Of course, this isn't a dirty version of Commonwealth; discard any notions of adhering to historical facts. The setting is very attractive and deliberately theatrical, with the peasants and dirt appearing relatively clean (I know, it sounds like an oxymoron). On one hand, it may seem like someone has transported us onto a theater stage, while on the other hand, the decorations, costumes, and lighting have been meticulously crafted for the audience to enjoy very harmonious scenes.

Let's also include regular direct addressing to the audience. The events are interrupted by shots, as characters explain their actions, plans, and motivations to the viewers. They even introduce themselves to us, and at other times they simply gaze meaningfully into the camera, providing a silent comment on the current situation.

The sound is also clean. This is a rare topic, but Polish productions often have issues with understandable dialogue. Luckily, the lines are expressed with a lot of natural care, and there are no background noises to overshadow the words of the characters. The music is surprisingly sophisticated - from the songs that make you want to dance just slightly less than in The Peasants (Polish: Chlopi), to the instrumental, elegant background that says "It's baroque!", to the arrangement of a Western composition when the story utilizes this kind of convention.

Satire about Sarmatians reflects Polish reality

Stylistically, I have no objections and I fully appreciate the concept, which involves making fun of various Polish issues and flaws while incorporating many pop culture references. They have the ability to pleasantly surprise, cleverly hidden within the 17th-century setting of the series. The subtle references to current events in the show are intended to resonate with orientated viewers, but they may only be clear to us with an explanation.

1670, Maciej Buchwald and Kordian Kadziela, Netflix, 2023.

Not everyone will like this, but I suggest not getting worked up right away. Themes such as global warming and the pride parades are well-chosen elements, given the intention of the producers of 1670. Since it is supposed to be a satire on modern times, but in historical costume, let's assess it from that perspective. In the noble realities, modern movements frequently emerge, with John Paul's daughter, Angela (Aniela played by Martyna Byczkowska), striving to make independent decisions about her fate and advocating feminist beliefs.

The language is contemporary, and profanity is rare. This further disrupts the distance between the audience and the characters, who not only grapple with similar issues as us, but also talk like us. Furthermore, each character has been comically exaggerated to highlight their strengths - for instance, John Paul is depicted as incredibly egocentric and boastful, while one of his sons, the clergyman Jacob (Jakub portrayed by Michal Sikorski), is shrouded in an aura of humorous, religious darkness. So, when the latter confronts a particular supernatural challenge, the audience experiences not fear, but rather delight in playing with the next convention.

However, 1670 isn't one of those series that would have been sufficient for the above-described advantages to fully succeed. This show doesn't aim to be funny every minute in order to keep the audience engaged. What is needed here is something extra, which involves utilizing the best ideas to their fullest potential. For instance, being under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms just begs for more screen time. Not every element of this satirical stew is so tasty that I'd want to ask for seconds - some aspects seem excessively drawn out or too roughly delivered as a joke. On the other hand, the love themes follow such a predictable course that they might as well not be there. Despite everything, I look at 1670 with fondness - I have developed an affection for this production and I would like more of it, as it is unique enough to be worth watching.

OUR SCORE: 6/10

Krzysztof Lewandowski

Krzysztof Lewandowski

He studied journalism, Polish philology, and psychology at UKSW, UW, and SWPS. There he wrote, among other things, a diploma thesis dedicated to the contemporary role of black-and-white cinema. Has been working at GRYOnline.pl since August 2021. Writes articles and reviews of games, movies, and series, and since July 2023, he is a content creator specialist in the Paid Products department. He is the author of the scientific article "Dynamika internetu a zachowania jezykowe" published in the book "Relacje w cyberprzestrzeni". He co-created a dictionary of local names of the Wawer district of Warsaw. Tried his hand at poetry, but in the future he would prefer to write a novel. Started writing online on the GameExe.pl portal at the age of 14. First, he reviewed books, but he didn't stop there and on various Internet portals he reviewed games, movies, series, and comics. He likes surrealist motifs and RPGs the most.