Kanał (1957)

But we will be hailed by the future generations

On the 1^st of September, 1939 the Nazi Germany attacked Poland. Despite the heroic resistance, Poland was overrun. The occupation of Poland meant five years of pain and suffering for the Poles. By the end of 1944, the Nazis were beaten on all fronts and at the same time the Warsaw Uprising took place.

In 1957, Andrzej Wajda got a chance to picture the Warsaw Uprising and he took his chance. The film starts on the last days of the Uprising – the 25^th of September, 1944. Lieutenant Zadra leads a unit of the Home Army, who are trying to escape Warsaw through the sewers.

There are lots of stereotypes about the Poles – that they are slow, that they are don’t love anyone, that they cannot unite, that they are only good as a source of cheap labor. In 1938, Poland annexes Zaolzie and was branded the European Jackal.

In the next year, Poland paid the price, but the war showed the heroic side of the Poles. Andrzej Wajda started the film on purpose at the end of Uprising, when the Home Army was almost wiped out and the remaining soldiers are trying to escape Warsaw.

Andrzej Wajda gives unique traits to all characters, among them there are romantics, cynics, clever, silly, honest and liars, but all of them have one aim – to show their bravery to the world and enemy. The sewers give the only chance to escape.

Andrzej Wajda portrays the sewers as a metaphor for the death, which will soon come to almost all soldiers in the Uprising. The sewers are a labyrinth, equipped by lots of traps and false exits. But, despite that, the group is trying to escape.

Even in the Hell – labyrinth, the people have not lost the ability to love and be loved. Even war-hardened people could lose the will to live because of the unrequited love or will try to carry a heavily-injured lover to the exit.

The Warsaw Uprising is portrayed as disorganized, unnecessary and politically motivated. But for the soldiers, the Uprising was a chance to show the bravery of the Poles and even the Nazis admitted it. Andrzej Wajda made his film about the soldiers, who won by their bravery the place in the History.

Despite the critics opinion the late films of Andrzej Wajda were not so good (I cannot express my opinion, because I haven’t seen them), but only this film is enough to remember the late Director. And you should not forget, that Andrzej Wajda helped a lot young and talented filmmakers, including my favorite Andrzej Zulawski.

During the Second World War, there were not so heroic nations and there were unexpectedly brave nations. Among the last, there are also the Poles and the Greeks. Let’s forget politics and remember the bravery of the Poles.

I recommend to watch it along with Pokolenie and Popiól i diament.