City of Warsaw, Poland, August 1st, 1944. Citizens have experienced inhuman acts of terror and violence during five long years of Nazi occupation. As the Soviet Army relentlessly approaches, the youngest and bravest among them rise up as one and face tyranny fighting street by street, but the price to pay will be high and hard the way to freedom…
Józef Pawłowski
Stefan Zawadzki
Zofia Wichłacz
Alicja 'Biedronka'
Anna Próchniak
Kama
Antoni Królikowski
Władek 'Beksa'
Maurycy Popiel
'Góral'
Filip Gurłacz
'Rogal'
Michał Mikołajczak
Aleksander
Karolina Staniec
Beata
Jaśmina Polak
Ewa
Tomasz Schuchardt
Lieutenant Franciszek 'Kobra'
Michał Żurawski
'Czarny'
Michał Meyer
'Pająk'
Grzegorz Daukszewicz
'Miki'
Piotr Biedroń
'Joe'
Jan Kowalewski
Adam
Monika Kwiatkowska
Hanna Zawadzka
Filip Szczepkowski
Jaś
Max Riemelt
Johann Krauss
Mads Hjulmand
Officer in Wedel
Enno Kalisch
Dirlewanger's Soldier at Hospital
Aleksandra Adamska
German's Soldier Fiancée
Szymon Bekier
Janitor
Jacek Beler
Baby's Father
Stanisław Biczysko
Priest
Wojciech Błach
Physician
Lidia Bogaczówna
Nurse Ania
Marek Bogucki
Dirlewanger's Soldier
Łucja Burzyńska
Old Lady in Czerniaków
Ewa Bzdęga
Liaison in the Bank
Tadeusz Chudecki
Chief of Wedel
Szymon Czacki
AK's Second Lieutenant
Michał Czadera
Porter in Wedel
Krzysztof Czeczot
Man in the Monastery
Michał Czernecki
AK's Captain
Natan Czyżewski
Michaś
Michał Dudziński
Jan Dravnel
Sebastian Fabijański
'Sagan'
Aleksandra Górska
Old Lady
Marzena Czura
Woman in the Sewer
Sebastian Hamera
Zawiszak
Marianna Januszewicz
Nurse Lusia
Alina Kamińska
Alicja's Mother
Nikodem Kasprowicz
Insurgent in the City Center
Magdalena Koleśnik
Paramedic Klara
Julia Konarska
Girl at the Street
Marcin Korcz
Karol from the 'Barry''s Group
Konrad Korkosiński
Boy in the City Center
Filip Kowalczyk
Buddy
Maciej Kowalczyk
AK's Non-commissioned Officer
Tomasz Kubiatowicz
Wiktor, Physician in the Bank
Barbara Jonak
Baby's Mother
Marcin Łuczak
Gambler
Maciej Maciejewski
Insurgent in Czerniaków
Maria Maj
Konrad Marszałek
Gabriela Mazurek
Jakub Mazurek
(voice)
Józef Mika
(voice)
Jacek Mikołajczak
Major Kamiński
Igor Obłoza
Dirlewanger's Soldier in Czerniaków
Michalina Olszańska
Dancing Girl
Kamil Pardo
German Captive
Matylda Paszczenko
Girl in the Bank
Stanisław Penksyk
Anita Poddębniak
Woman at Krasińskis' Square
Bartosz Porczyk
'Kędzior'
Albert Pyśk
German Suicide
Waldemar Ratuszniak
Civilian in Czerniaków
Maciej Robakiewicz
AK's Colonel
Robert Rogalski
Man in the Monastery
Piotr Rogucki
Wedel's Worker
Katarzyna Sawczuk
Raped Girl
Ewa Serwa
Nurse
Dariusz Siastacz
Man in the Hospital
Jakub Snochowiak
Civilian in the Basement
Wojciech Solarz
Girl's Father
Krzysztof Stelmaszyk
Alicja's Father
Stanisław Strawa
Boy from the Escort
Bogusław Suszka
Man in the Bank
Agnieszka Sztuk
Chief of Wedel's Wife
Marta Ścisłowicz
Woman from the Civil Services
Paweł Tomaszewski
Insurgent in the Monastery
Michał Wanio
Zygmunt
Tomasz Wesołowski
Murdered Captive
Jakub Wieczorek
Sewer Worker
Stanisław Wielanek
Musician
Marcel Wiercichowski
Piotr Witkowski
Boy with a Bucket
Maciej Wizner
Insurgent at the Barricade
Rafał Zawierucha
Adam Zduńczyk
Wojciech Ziemiański
Furious Civilian
Grzegorz Artman
Zofia Domalik
Dawid Dopierała
Witold Dróżdź
Karolina Hildbrandt
Halina Jędrzejewska
Łukasz Kielin
Paulina Komenda
Dorota Liliental
Jew
Stanisława Łopuszańska
Maja Małachowska
Katarzyna Z. Michalska
Julia Najmark
Mirosława Niemczyk
Dawid Nowak
Daniela Ogińska
Krystian Ostrowski
Maria Pawłowska
Krzysztof Rogucki
Mateusz Rzeźniczak
Mariusz Słupiński
Milena Staszuk
Oskar Stoczyński
Sławomir Sulej
Stanisław Sygitowicz
Aleksander Talkowski
Eliasz Waszczuk
Piotr Żurawski
Jew
Maciej Witucki
Director, Screenplay
Jan Komasa
December 5, 2021
8
_**Hell on Earth in a crumbling city during WW2**_
After five years of German occupation, youths in Warsaw in 1944 rise up to resist at great cost. Józef Pawlowski, Zofia Wichlacz and Anna Próchniak play the main protagonists.
“Warsaw ’44” (2014) combines the setting of “The Pianist” (2002) with the basic situation of “Enemy at the Gates” (2001) and the brutal action of “Saving Private Ryan” (1998). Like “Pearl Harbor” (2001), it establishes a youthful romance and then follows the players through the carnage. In its own unique way it’s pretty much on par with any of these earlier movies.
Once the uprising starts the storytelling becomes pretty chaotic due to the frenzied state of affairs, which might turn off some viewers. There are also 2-3 artistic flourishes, which struck me as curious, but I just rolled with them and enjoyed the cinematic art thereof. In other words, don’t let these eccentric embellishments ruin the experience but rather the opposite. The close that creatively showcases the burning, collapsing city juxtaposed with modern Warsaw is excellently done.
At the end of the day, “Warsaw ’44” is enlightening, shocking and… unforgettable.
I should add that this is a Polish production with the characters speaking mostly Polish. Needless to say, if you don’t speak Polish you’ll have to utilize the subtitles.
The film runs 2 hours, 5 minutes (minus the opening 2.5 minutes of tedious studio credits), and was shot in Warsaw, Poland.
GRADE: A-/B+