Released Date:
1966-02-01
Languages:
Polish, German
Countries:
Poland
Runtime:
87 min
IMDB Ratings:
7.6 (525 Reviews)
Director:
Andrzej MunkJerzy Stefan Stawinski (screenplay)
Jerzy Stefan Stawinski (story)
Two sketches covering episodes from the World War II. In the first novel, "Scherzo alla polacca", a shrewd son, trying to preserve his skin, ultimately becomes a hero and finds a reason for fighting. He initially tries to avoid underground training to avoid the Warsaw uprising. His drunkenness, disregard for safety and cowardice when sober stated with humorous effect come out as something sane in the world gone mad. His will to survive is more acceptable than any desire for heroic death. The second novel, "Ostinato lugubre", details a hopeless attempt at escape from a prison camp by a man who can no longer stand the confinement and idiocy of the professional soldiers trying to keep up the military preneses in prison. Nevertheless, his escape boosts the morale of his fellow prisoners, while the "escapee" lies hidden from Germans and comrades alike."
Released Date:
1959-09-06
Languages:
Polish
Countries:
Poland
Runtime:
99 min
IMDB Ratings:
7.9 (1380 Reviews)
Director:
Jerzy KawalerowiczJerzy Kawalerowicz
Jerzy Lutowski
A man, Jerzy, enters a train set for the Baltic coast. He seems to be on the run from something--and so does the strange woman with whom he must share a sleeping compartment.
Released Date:
1963-10-28
Languages:
Polish
Countries:
Poland
Runtime:
94 min
Rated:
NOT RATED
IMDB Ratings:
7.6 (13874 Reviews)
Director:
Roman PolanskiGenres:
DramaJakub Goldberg
Roman Polanski
Jerzy Skolimowski (dialogue)
Jerzy Skolimowski (screenplay)
Well off Andrzej and Krystyna's marriage is at a stage where familiarity breeds contempt, that contempt which is outwardly shown only behind closed doors and only when an incident of some sort sets off one or the other. While driving through the countryside on a Sunday on their way to the lake to embark on an overnight sailing excursion, they almost run over a young male hitchhiker. Despite the antagonism between Andrzej and the hitchhiker, Andrzej offers him a ride as far as the marina. By the time they reach the lake, their antagonism has dissipated enough that Andrzej asks if he would like to join them on their sailing trip. The hitchhiker accepts despite knowing nothing about sailing. As the sailing trip progresses, the antagonism between the two men begins to increase again, fueled on both sides as each strives to be the alpha male. Andrzej needs to show his superiority, while the hitchhiker needs to show that his young age and inexperience, not only with sailing but with life in general, do not make him any less of a man in comparison. Later incidents demonstrate that their relationship may have been different if Krystyna was not in the picture. The hitchhiker's pocket knife, seemingly his most prized possession on his person, becomes a symbol of that power struggle between the two men. If the three emerge from their sailing trip alive, they may be forever changed by their encounter.
Languages:
Polish
Countries:
Poland, Soviet Union
Runtime:
166 min
IMDB Ratings:
(450 Reviews)
Director:
Krzysztof GradowskiJan Brzechwa (book)
Krzysztof Gradowski
Join our mailing list and get access to expert analysis, trivia, and recommendations that will elevate your movie-watching experience.