In 1944, during the Warsaw uprising against the Nazis, Polish Lieutenant Zadra and his resistance fighters use Warsaw's sewer system to escape the German encirclement.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.
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Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Teresa Izewska | ... |
'Stokrotka'
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| Tadeusz Janczar | ... |
Ens. Jacek 'Korab'
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| Wienczyslaw Glinski | ... |
Lt. 'Zadra'
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| Tadeusz Gwiazdowski | ... |
Sgt. 'Kula'
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| Stanislaw Mikulski | ... |
'Smukly'
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| Emil Karewicz | ... |
Lt. 'Madry'
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| Vladek Sheybal | ... |
Composer Michal
(as Wladyslaw Sheybal)
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Teresa Berezowska | ... |
Halinka
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Zofia Lindorf | ... |
Old woman looking for her daughter
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Janina Jablonowska | ... |
Screaming Woman in the Sewer
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Maria Kretz | ... |
Wounded Woman
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| Jan Englert | ... |
Zefir
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| Kazimierz Dejunowicz | ... |
Capt. 'Zabawa'
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Zdzislaw Lesniak | ... |
'Maly'
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| Maciej Maciejewski | ... |
Lt. 'Gustaw'
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| Adam Pawlikowski | ... |
SS Man
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Wlodzimierz Bednarski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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Zenon Dadajewski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Ryszard Filipski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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Witold Grabowski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Kazimierz Kutz | ... |
Insurgent Escaping from the Sewer (uncredited)
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| Tadeusz Lomnicki | ... |
Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
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Andrzej Mirecki | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Jerzy Molga | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Roman Polanski | ... |
Crawling Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Ryszard Ronczewski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Tadeusz Ross | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Ewa Wisniewska | ... |
Girl Carrying Water (uncredited)
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| Lech Wojciechowski | ... |
Insurgent Next to Sewer Exit (uncredited)
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| Roman Zaluski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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| Edward Zebrowski | ... |
Insurgent (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Andrzej Wajda | ||
Written by
| Jerzy Stefan Stawinski | ... | (written by) & |
| Jerzy Stefan Stawinski | ... | (story) |
Music by
| Jan Krenz | ||
Cinematography by
| Jerzy Lipman | ||
Editing by
| Halina Nawrocka | ||
Editorial Department
| Aurelia Rut | ... | assistant editor (as A. Rut) |
Production Design by
| Roman Mann | ||
Set Decoration by
| Leonard Mokicz | ... | (as L. Mokicz) |
Costume Design by
| Jerzy Szeski | ... | (as J. Szeski) |
Makeup Department
| Halina Ber | ... | assistant makeup artist (as H. Turant) |
| Halina Sienska | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Stanislaw Adler | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Anita Janeczkowa | ... | assistant director (as A. Janeczkowa) |
| Kazimierz Kutz | ... | first assistant director (as Kazimierz Kuc) |
| Janusz Morgenstern | ... | assistant director |
| Maria Starzenska | ... | assistant director (as M. Starzenska) |
Art Department
| Halina Dobrowolska | ... | assistant production designer (as Halina Krzyzanowska) |
| Ignacy Gaworkiewicz | ... | construction coordinator (as I. Gaworkiewicz) |
| Roman Wolyniec | ... | assistant production designer |
Sound Department
| Józef Bartczak | ... | sound |
| Roman Branski | ... | sound assistant (as R. Branski) |
| Józef Dabrowski | ... | sound assistant (as J. Dabrowski) |
| Adam Okapiec | ... | sound assistant (as A. Okapiec) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Czeslaw Grabowski | ... | assistant camera (as Cz. Grabowski) |
| Andrzej Gronau | ... | assistant camera |
| Antoni Tabak | ... | lighting technician (as A. Tabak) |
| Jerzy Wójcik | ... | camera operator |
Music Department
| Adam Pawlikowski | ... | musician: ocarina |
Additional Crew
| Tadeusz Bierczynski | ... | production assistant (as T. Bierczynski) |
| Zbigniew Brejtkopf | ... | production assistant (as Z. Brejtkopf) |
| Arkadiusz Orlowski | ... | production assistant (as A. Orlowski) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Centrala Wynajmu Filmów (1957) (Poland) (theatrical)
- Kingsley-International Pictures (1961) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1977) (United States) (tv) (network premiere)
- Contemporary Films (1959) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Film Costellazione Produzione (1958) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Orbe Films (1958) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Tellus Film (1958) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Contemporary Films (2006) (United Kingdom)
- Force Entertainment (Australia) (VHS)
- The Criterion Collection (2005) (United States) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
A symbolic depiction of hell on Earth, set in the last days of the Warsaw uprising in 1944. Lieutenant Zadra is commanding a company of 43 men in a desperate battle amidst the ruins. Facing German offense and cut off from their comrades, Zadra is commanded to retreat his men through the sewer system ('kanal'). Zadra and his men are reluctant to do so, as it would indicate that they have lost the battle, but decide to obey the orders. However, as the men (and women) retreat, it becomes clear that their desperate attempt to flee from the hell of battle will result only in more death and suffering... Written by Heka A. |
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| Taglines | A story of the heroic Warsaw Rising. See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Director Andrzej Wajda was himself a fighter in the Polish resistance movement against the Nazis in World War II and several scenes in the film were based on his experiences. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Vieras (1984). See more » |
| Quotes |
Narrator:
These are the tragic heroes: watch them closely in the remaining hours of their lives. See more » |