Wierna rzeka (1936) *

Hard to believe that Leonard Buczkowski, who later, after the war, directed some of Poland's best comedies ("Skarb", "Marysia i Napoleon") and musicals ("Zakazane piosenki", "Przygoda na Mariensztacie") has earlier directed such a lifeless, boring and depressing adaptation of Stefan Zeromski's famous novel. It's a patriotic melodrama of the worst kind, as bad as "Pod Twoja obrone" (1933) and "Plomienne serca" (1937). It's very dated, unlike some other similar films from the same period, such as "Tajemnica starego rodu" (1928), which has aged far more gracefully (even though it's a silent movie).