Eroica (1958): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1958, Eroica is a comedy and drama film directed by Andrzej Munk, running about 87 minutes.

What it’s about. Two sketches covering episodes from the World War II. In the first novel, "Scherzo alla polacca", a shrewd son, trying to preserve his skin, ultimately becomes a hero and finds a reason for fighting. He initially tries to avoid underground training to avoid the Warsaw uprising. His drunkenness, disregard for safety and cowardice when sober stated with humorous effect come out as something sane in the world gone mad. His will to survive is more acceptable than any desire for heroic death. The second novel, "Ostinato lugubre", details a hopeless attempt at escape from a prison camp by a man who can no longer stand the confinement and idiocy of the professional soldiers trying to keep up the military preneses in prison. Nevertheless, his escape boosts the morale of his fellow prisoners, while the "escapee" lies hidden from Germans and comrades alike." From Polish Cinema Database

Who’s in it. Eroica stars Edward Dziewoński as Dzidziuś Górkiewicz, Barbara Połomska as Zosia, Leon Niemczyk as Istvan Kolya and Kazimierz Opaliński as Polish Commandant, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Eroica has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Klassiki. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Eroica page.

If you liked it. Fans of Eroica tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.