Adrianna Biedrzynska Movies

World War II buffs may know of the rebellion against the Nazi occupiers of Poland in 1944, but the story may be less familiar elsewhere. It is called "The Warsaw Uprising." In addition, though the Polish communist authorities allowed certain films to be made about that brave (but futile) effort, the participation of non-communists was very much downplayed. Director Andrzej Wajda made several films dealing with this subject in those years, but was forced to make the facts fit the political wishes of the government. Finally, in 1992, he was able to take the novel by Aleksander Scibor-Rylski and make the movie he really wanted to make. In this story, Marcin (Rafal Krolikowski) is a member of the Home Army, a non-communist army of resistance. In alliance with every conceivable anti-Nazi faction, the group struggles for a little over two months to oust the German army from Poland, but in the end is unable to accomplish this and are forced to go on the run. Perhaps they would have been able to keep the fight going longer if there hadn't been so many internal rivalries among the resistance fighters. Marcin tries to steer a moderate course between the royalist right-wingers and the communist factions, but is unable to accomplish anything before the Russians come. In a parallel story, as he is just going off to participate the uprising, Marcin has a love-interest (Agnieska Wagner) who gives him a ring engraved with the symbol of a free Poland (the crowned eagle), but loses track of her in the chaos of the rebellion and its aftermath. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Living during the bleakest period of Communist rule in Poland, the two young brothers have seen their parents suffer badly at the hands of local officials. One day, while they are out playing, they whimsically decide to hide underneath a passing freight truck and see where it will take them. In their journey, they pass from the gloom of Poland into the bright lights of Denmark, and are greeted by the rigidly stern Danish authorities, who put them in a refugee camp and are apparently trying to decide whether to grant the demands of Polish officials that they be returned. Nonetheless, they get a chance to explore Copenhagen at Christmastime. They also get to talk with their parents back in Poland, who tearfully urge the boys to do their best to stay in Denmark, knowing that the authorities (who are surely listening to the call) will punish them for this. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Based on a true story, Istvan Szabo's Hanussen centers on an Austrian soldier (Klaus Maria Brandauer) who becomes clairvoyant after he is shot in the head during World War I. He is able to read minds and predict the future. Before long, he has foreseen Hitler and the Nazis' rise to power, and he soon finds himself in danger. Hanussen is the third of Szabo and Brandauer's collaborations, following Mephisto and Colonel Redl. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

This thriller looks at the defection of a terrorist and focuses on frequent violence and repetitive sex scenes with full frontal nudity. Henri (Hubert Lucot) belongs to a terrorist gang that orders him to kill the sister of one of their members. The member himself died when he single-handedly carried out an attack on a carload of American military advisors in Paris. Henri balks at this assignment, since the gang only wants the sister assassinated because they believe that she would name them to the authorities. Instead of following through, Henri runs away, and the others soon follow in hot pursuit. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Praised for its fine photography and production design if not its narrative, Sergei Bondarchuk directed this adaptation of the tale by Alexander Pushkin. Boris Godunov came to the Czarist throne at the end of the 16th century, after the original heir to Ivan the Terrible had died. At first, things went well for Godunov (played by Bondarchuk), but when the Russian people began to believe he had killed Ivan the Terrible's son in order to gain the throne, an alliance sprang up against the new Czar. Events continued to spin out of control as a young monk was presented as the son Godunov had supposedly killed. Now he was openly accused of failing an assassination attempt, which seems to be even worse than succeeding. In addition to these woes, Boris Godunov began to suffer serious health problems. So much for the joys of kingship. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi