Underplayed Gems

Eroica (1958)

Eroica poster
Original title
Eroica. Symfonia bohaterska w dwóch częściach
Directed by
Andrzej Munk
Genre
drama film, war film
Country
Poland
Runtime
1h 18m
Rating
6.9 of 10 from 29 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like this

How it feels

Two stories critique Polish attitudes toward heroism and self-interest. The first follows a man who exploits a wartime situation for personal gain. The second shows a prisoner of war who becomes trapped by his own romantic ideas of martyrdom.

satiricalironicbittersweetwrythoughtfulwryly humorouscontemplativeprovocative

What happens

Eroica (released in some territories as Heroism) is a 1958 Polish film by Andrzej Munk, and his second feature film after Man on the Tracks (1956). Eroica is composed of two separate stories, presenting satirical critiques of two aspects of the Polish character: acquisitive opportunism, and a romantic fascination for heroic martyrs. The film’s title is an ironic reference to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony, which the composer initially dedicated to then French head Consulate Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon declared himself Emperor, Beethoven, a devout republican, withdrew the dedication in disgust and titled the work simply “Eroica.” Eroica premiered on Polish Television in 1972 and depicts wartime couriers crossing the Tatra Mountains. Eroica won the FIPRESCI Award at the 1959 Mar del Plata Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.