Pierscionek z Orlem w Koronie (The Ring with a Crowned Eagle) (1993)

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World War II buffs may know of the rebellion against the Nazi occupiers of Poland in 1944, but the story may be less familiar elsewhere. It is called "The Warsaw Uprising." In addition, though the Polish communist authorities allowed certain films to be made about that brave (but futile)… More World War II buffs may know of the rebellion against the Nazi occupiers of Poland in 1944, but the story may be less familiar elsewhere. It is called "The Warsaw Uprising." In addition, though the Polish communist authorities allowed certain films to be made about that brave (but futile) effort, the participation of non-communists was very much downplayed. Director Andrzej Wajda made several films dealing with this subject in those years, but was forced to make the facts fit the political wishes of the government. Finally, in 1992, he was able to take the novel by Aleksander Scibor-Rylski and make the movie he really wanted to make. In this story, Marcin (Rafal Krolikowski) is a member of the Home Army, a non-communist army of resistance. In alliance with every conceivable anti-Nazi faction, the group struggles for a little over two months to oust the German army from Poland, but in the end is unable to accomplish this and are forced to go on the run. Perhaps they would have been able to keep the fight going longer if there hadn't been so many internal rivalries among the resistance fighters. Marcin tries to steer a moderate course between the royalist right-wingers and the communist factions, but is unable to accomplish anything before the Russians come. In a parallel story, as he is just going off to participate the uprising, Marcin has a love-interest (Agnieska Wagner) who gives him a ring engraved with the symbol of a free Poland (the crowned eagle), but loses track of her in the chaos of the rebellion and its aftermath. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi