Tells two tales set during WWII: A seemingly feckless and selfish finally takes up arms in the national struggle against the Nazis. Set in a POW camp, Polish inmates cling to their hopes for an eventual escape, encouraged by the legendary escape of one of their own.

A highly subversive critique of the romantic concept of heroism, this sophomore feature from Andrzej Munk (Man on the Tracks) is a provocative and perceptive classic of postwar Polish cinema. A surprising dark comedy that boldly strays from social realism, at times even verging on the screwball.