this movie be a shame especially consider andrzej wajda be not an amateur and but professional director . however this movie fail to deliver anything you could expect . first of all i be polish and so i can tell all the background story and because i read book . but how can you tell there be even a war from this movie bunch of people be go back and forth and some soldier be shout . this be really the second world war or soldier be on vacation . act and dialog poor and miserably poor . a. żmijewski and d. stenka and m. komorowska and w. kowalski and a. chyra fit in their role and the rest of ( polish ) cast be out of the place ( most notably m. ostaszewska and one of the lead character and what an unfortunate choice ) . 99 % of the dialog be not speak and they be just put there and actor have difficulty to perform and it be no surprise consider what odd thing they have to say . and this lead u to the most disappointing issue you can not feel it . everything be so theatrical and artificial . there be no real life and there be no feeling in it . there be a lot of original footage from the wwii and and guess what and the material be much more powerful and dramatic and than what a. wajda do . i can see only one positive despite historical mistake ( like acronym zsrr while it be make for post 1945 propaganda purpose and to please polish that zsrs be go and and now there be zsrr and but in 1940 there be no zsrr . ) and luckily it be undoubtedly show kill in katyn be do by soviet ( yes and it be a fact and not some controversial gossip ) . great and two hour for 5 10 minute scene . anyway time and potential waste . this be tragedy of epic proportion and will to fight in 1939 ( barely show ) and not declare war against soviet union by polish authority ( sic . not show here ) and imprisonment of soldier shortly after and live in the outrageous condition ( not show here ) and hope and fear what will come next ( barely show ) and and then . extermination . hand to hand with german soviet be exterminate polish nation and aim at people who constitute the backbone of poland . unfortunately they succeed and and the result be still visible to this very day .