Eroica (1958 film)

Eroica
Directed by	Andrzej Munk
Written by	Jerzy Stefan Stawiński
Starring	Edward Dziewoński Tadeusz Łomnicki Leon Niemczyk
Cinematography	Jerzy Wójcik
Music by	Jan Krenz
Distributed by	KADR
Release date	1958
Running time	87 minutes
Country	Poland
Language	Polish

Eroica (released in some territories as Heroism) is a 1958 Polish film by Andrzej Munk. It is composed of two separate stories, each featuring the Polish concept of heroism and a role of a hero.

A third segment, Con Bravura, utilizing Polish romantic legend and different in spirit from the first two segments, was meant as the final part of the original film but although completed, was ultimately cut by Munk from the final version. It premiered on Polish Television in 1972 and depicts wartime couriers crossing the Tatra Mountains.^[1][2]

Eroica won the FIPRESCI Award at the 1959 Mar del Plata Film Festival.

Synopsis[]

Scherzo Alla Pollacca[]

The first part is a bitter, tragicomic story of Dzidziuś, a street-wise bon-vivant, drunkard, and coward who unwillingly joins the Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising. Dzidziuś' wife, Zosia, is having an affair with a Hungarian officer and Dzidziuś reluctantly becomes the messenger between the Home Army and the Hungarian unit, which is considering changing sides.

Ostinato Lugubre[]

The second part is set in a POW camp for Polish soldiers. Lt. Zawistowski, one of the internees, decides to attempt to escape. While none of his fellow inmates are sure whether he succeeded, his absence upsets the guards and provides hope and inspiration for the prisoners. Soon his legend grows, making him a hero within the camp and helping to boost the prisoners' morale. However, it turns out that Lt. Zawistowski didn't actually follow through on his escape plans, but is hiding in the attic of one of the barracks. It turns out that he was hiding from his colleagues, whose ostentatious patriotism he simply could not stand.

Cast[]

• Edward Dziewoński as Dzidziuś
• Tadeusz Łomnicki as Lt. Zawistowski
• Barbara Połomska as Zosia
• Ignacy Machowski as the Home Army Major
• Leon Niemczyk as the Hungarian officer
• Kazimierz Opaliński as the Home Army commander of Mokotów
• Kazimierz Rudzki as Lt. Turek
• Henryk Bąk as Lt. Krygier
• Roman Kłosowski as Szpakowski
• Bogumił Kobiela as Lt. Dąbecki
• Stanisław Bareja as a Home Army soldier
• Witold Pyrkosz as Kardas
• Wojciech Siemion as Lt. Marianek

See also[]

• Cinema of Poland
• List of Polish language films

References[]

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External links[]

• Eroica at IMDb