Kanal

"The Claustrophobic Nightmare of War"

1957 1h 36m PL

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7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 169

WarDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the last few days of the Warsaw Uprising during World War II, a modest group of Resistance members remains. The band must take refuge in the sewers under the orders of leader Zadra, but it's only a matter of time before they will have to emerge. However, when they try, they are met only with intense hostility from the Nazis. Despite their attempts stay resolute through immense mental strain, it becomes increasingly apparent that they may be doomed.

“The Claustrophobic Nightmare of War”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Teresa Iżewska
"Daisy"
Tadeusz Janczar
Ensign "Korab"
Wieńczysław Gliński
Lieutenant "Zadra"
Tadeusz Gwiazdowski
Sergeant "Kula"
Stanisław Mikulski
"Smukły"
Emil Karewicz
Lieutenant "Mądry"
Vladek Sheybal
Michał
Teresa Berezowska
Halinka

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Andrzej Wajda
Writers: Jerzy Stefan Stawiński, Jerzy Stefan Stawiński
Languages: German, Polish
Countries: Poland

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Polish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Andrzej Wajda, shot by Jerzy Lipman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jan Krenz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Halina Nawrocka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Teresa Iżewska and Tadeusz Janczar and Wieńczysław Gliński carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Claustrophobic Nightmare of War".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0050585 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Andrzej Wajda directs. Jerzy Lipman behind the camera. Jan Krenz scores. Halina Nawrocka cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Poland. Dialogue in German, Polish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

169 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, Polish.
3Directed by Andrzej Wajda, shot by Jerzy Lipman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jan Krenz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Halina Nawrocka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Teresa Iżewska and Tadeusz Janczar and Wieńczysław Gliński carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The Claustrophobic Nightmare of War".
8IMDB entry: tt0050585 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "nazi", "underground", "polish resistance", "world war ii".
10Released under 40 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jerzy Lipman
Original score: Jan Krenz
Editing: Halina Nawrocka
Production design: Roman Mann
Costume design: Jerzy Szeski
Makeup / hair: Halina Sieńska
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: PL
IMDB: Kanal (1957)

Also by

Andrzej Wajda

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-08-23
★ 7/10
This has got to be one of the most claustrophobic war films I've ever seen. It's almost entirely set in the sewers beneath the streets of Warsaw as the Nazis close in on the city at the start of WWII. "Zadra" (Wienczyslaw Glinski) is charged by his colonel with getting what's left of his unit - now more a platoon than a company - to some sort of safety where they can hopefully regroup and continue the fight against some fairly overwhelming odds. With the savvy "Stokrotka" (Teresa Izewska) and his trusted deputy "Korab" (Tadeusz Janczar) to help, he must try to lead his reluctant fighters on a crawl through the tunnels that are regularly filled with poisoned gas and corpses by their conquerors. There's quite a revealing piece of narration at the start as we see these soldiers walk along amidst the destruction. It describes just what they really wanted from life - and it's that very ordinariness that sums up their courage as they attempt to take on their heavily armed foes. Notable amongst them is "Michal" (Vladsek Sheybal) who is a composer by trade and just wants to play the piano, but each of his comrades has a similarly simple aspiration - taking a bath, or eating some hot soup, that is now in as much ruins as the city overhead. It's tautly directed by Andrzel Wajda, with the closely confined environment through which they travel, the constant sound of running, filthy, water and the sounds of gunfire and explosions contributing hugely to a sense of peril as the group gradually dwindle heading for what they hope with be safety - and daylight. It ought to have an inevitability to it, and thankfully Wajda and writer Jerzy Stawinski don't shy away from that, nor do they make any attempt to sanitise it. It's a powerfully performed, grim, story from start to finish, indeed, but it's also one of hope and humanity, there's a little very dark humour and a genuine sense of disgust as they struggle on through the detritus and the bodies to fight another day.

Production companies