A remarkable war epic film which, next to Andrzej Wajda’s “Pokolenie”, is seen as a forerunner of the Polish Film School.
The film is an adaptation of Jerzy Pomianowski’s novel “Koniec i początek” which was published in episodes in the newspaper “Expres Wieczorny”. The novel was inspired by the memories of the film’s director Jan Rybkowski who was a forced worker in Germany during the Second World War.
The film’s powerful neo-realist authenticity helps to expose the truth about the last days of the war. Equally noteworthy as the main storyline are the subplots as they involve a number of small yet striking episodes and memorable performances by dozens of extras and drama students, hired by Rybkowski. The film’s rather strong overtones of propaganda seem to be the only serious jarring note.
Last days of the WW2. Located on a narrow patch of land between two lakes, a small town of Lyx is crowded with former prisoners of camps, POWs and forced workers from various countries. There is an overwhelming sense of joy and hope. Keeping things in order, the unit of the Polish People’s Army (LWP) is quartered in the town. The unit is under the command of captain Walek who also works as a doctor in the field hospital. The peace is destroyed by the news of a German armoured unit hiding in the nearby woods. The Nazis intend to break through to Berlin, but to do that they must pass through Lyx… Walek decides to order the evacuation of civilians and prepare the town’s defence. Shortly afterwards, Germans start the attack.
The fictional town of Lyx is in fact Łagów Lubuski.
