''Eroica'' (released in some territories as ''Heroism'') is a 1958 Polish film by Andrzej Munk, and his second feature film after

Man on the Tracks ''Man on the Tracks'' ( pl, Człowiek na torze) is a 1956 film by Andrzej Munk. ''Man on the Tracks'' was one of the first films of the Polish Film School and as such influenced the whole generation of young directors who participated in the mo ...

(1956). ''Eroica'' is composed of two separate stories, presenting satirical critiques of two aspects of the Polish character: acquisitive opportunism, and a romantic fascination for heroic martyrs. The film’s title is an ironic reference to

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

”s Third Symphony, which the composer initially dedicated to then French head Consulate

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. When Napoleon declared himself Emperor, Beethoven, a devout

republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, withdrew the dedication in disgust and titled the work simply “Eroica.” ''Eroica'' premiered on Polish Television in 1972 and depicts wartime couriers crossing the

Tatra Mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak language, Slovak () or in Polish language, Polish () - ''plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovak ...

. Eroica won the

FIPRESCI The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...

Award at the 1959

Mar del Plata Film Festival The Mar del Plata International Film Festival ( es, Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata) is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It is the only competitive feature fest ...

Synopsis

''Scherzo Alla Pollacca''

The first part is a bitter,

tragicomic Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms. Most often seen in dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the overall mood or a serious ...

story of Dzidziuś ("Babyface"), a street-wise bon-vivant, drunkard, and coward who unwillingly joins the

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...

during the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occ ...

. 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 A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

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.Niemitz, 2014: “The pride and honor of the movie’s heroes are contrasted with the submissiveness of the majority of the prisoners, who, protected by the Geneva Convention, manage to “normalize” life in the camp through food-eating contests and festivals.”

Cast

Edward Dziewoński Edward Dziewoński (16 December 1916 in Moscow, Russian Empire – 17 August 2002 in Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish stage and film actor, and theatre director. He studied acting at Państwowy Instytut Sztuki Teatralnej and debuted at the Sy ...

as Dzidziuś *

Tadeusz Łomnicki Tadeusz Łomnicki (; 18 July 1927 – 22 February 1992) was a Polish actor, one of the most notable stage and film artists of his time in Poland. He is remembered mostly for his roles in comedies and dramas, as well as for the role of Kordian in ...

as Lt. Zawistowski *

Barbara Połomska Barbara Połomska (9 January 1934 – 28 July 2021) was a Polish actress. She appeared in more than twenty films since 1955. Selected filmography References External links * 1934 births 2021 deaths Polish film actresses Actors fr ...

as Zosia *

Ignacy Machowski Ignacy Machowski (5 July 1920 – 11 January 2001) was a Polish actor. He appeared in more than fifty films from 1954 to 1999. Selected filmography References External links * 1920 births 2001 deaths Burials at Powązki Cemetery P ...

as the Home Army Major *

Leon Niemczyk Leon Stanisław Niemczyk (15 December 1923 – 29 November 2006) was a Polish actor. Niemczyk developed into a leading box-office star throughout the 1960s, known for serious dramas, including historical dramas and war films. He appeared in over ...

as the Hungarian officer *

Kazimierz Opaliński Kazimierz Opaliński (22 February 1890 – 6 June 1979) was a Polish stage and film actor. He appeared in more than forty films between 1936 and 1975. Selected filmography References External links * 1890 births 1979 deaths Polis ...

as the Home Army commander of

Mokotów Mokotów , is a ''dzielnica'' (borough, district) of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Mokotów is densely populated, and is a seat to many foreign embassies and companies. Only a small part of the district is lightly industrialised (''Służewiec ...

Kazimierz Rudzki Kazimierz Rudzki (6 January 1911, in Warsaw, Poland – 2 February 1976, in Warsaw) was a Polish stage and film actor, theatre director. Studied directing at Państwowy Instytut Sztuki Teatralnej. Actor of Syrena Theatre (also director), Nat ...

as Lt. Turek *

Henryk Bąk Henryk Bąk (2 January 1923 – 29 August 1987) was a Polish actor. He appeared in more than 50 films and television shows between 1952 and 1980. Selected filmography * '' Eroica'' (1958) * '' Bad Luck'' (1960) * '' Milczące ślady'' (1961 ...

as Lt. Krygier *

Roman Kłosowski Roman Kłosowski (14 February 1929 – 11 June 2018) was a Polish character actor and stage director. Biography He was born on February 14, 1929, in Biała Podlaska. Graduate of the Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art's Facu ...

as Szpakowski *

Bogumił Kobiela Bogumił Kobiela (31 May 1931 – 10 July 1969) was a Polish stage and film actor. He was an actor of , Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw, Komedia Theatre in Warsaw, Bim-Bom student theatre, Kabaret Wagabunda and Kabaret Dudek. He suffered serious i ...

as Lt. Dąbecki *

Stanisław Bareja Stanisław Sylwester Bareja (5 December 1929 – 14 June 1987) was a Polish filmmaker. Some of his films (mostly comedies) have reached cult status in Poland. His most famous film is ''Teddy Bear'' (''Miś''), filmed in 1980. His last work was ...

as a Home Army soldier *

Witold Pyrkosz Witold Pyrkosz (24 December 1926 – 22 April 2017) was a Polish actor. He was best known as Lucjan Mostowiak in Polish TV series " M jak miłość", as Pyzdra in " Janosik", as Wichura in "Czterej pancerni i pies", as Balcerek in "Alternaty ...

as Kardas *

Wojciech Siemion Wojciech Juliusz Siemion (30 July 1928 – 24 April 2010) was a Polish stage and film actor. He studied law at the Catholic University in Lublin from 1947 to 1950. At the same time, he attended acting classes at a local theatre. He enrolle ...

as Lt. Marianek

Critical Assessment

Historian Dorota Niemitz offers this on the cinematography of ''Eroica'':

Footnotes

Sources

*Niemitz, Dorota. 2014. ''The legacy of postwar Polish filmmaker Andrzej Munk.'' World Socialist Web Site. 13 October, 2014. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/10/13/munk-o13.html Retrieved 08 July, 2022.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eroica 1958 films Films set in Poland Films set in Warsaw 1950s Polish-language films World War II prisoner of war films 1950s war drama films Films directed by Andrzej Munk Polish war drama films 1958 drama films Polish World War II films