1920: BATTLE FOR WARSAW is the first ever Polish 3D movie, dramatising their heroic struggle to save themselves (and Europe) from the first attempt by the Soviets to conquer the continent. Being 3D means some wild camera shots and some weird colours but after the initial shock it becomes (relatively) normal as the film settles down into the sort of old fashioned narrative which director Jerzy Hoffman is so good at. It basically ping-pongs between the various heads of state with the 'big picture' to the dramas of our hero - a modern artist turned cavalryman, who learns to hate the Reds - and heroine - a pretty cabaret dancer who sees off the unwanted affections of a creepy officer and joins up herself - living through these events. Although a sensible decision, the writing never quite brings the two plots together as seamlessly as it ought to, with the climax so poorly signposted that it was almost a shock when the film ended. Being Polish there's a lot of classic war action, plenty of Catholic piety and an understandable pride about the achievements of the Poles. It's an under-explored time period in the West so enthusiasts can also admire the Tachankas (horse drawn carts with machine guns), crude tanks and the use of the Polish Boy Scouts in combat. That said, for all its charm, it was never quite as good a film as I'd like it to be.
Review of Battle of Warsaw 1920
