User reviews

Andrzej Wajda is a real genius of Polish cinema, he made many great and really huge films, which will stay forever in the annals of Polish history. He made several films about Warsaw Uprising of 1944, and this one is the 1992 work. The Cygnet With Eagle Crowned is a somber, sad, slow and very tragic story of a young Polish man, Resistance fighter, who survived the Nazi terror of 1944, but could not accept new Communist power and became a pawn in a terrible game of pro-Soviet secret police officers who thus arrested all pro-Western Uprising leaders. This is a very realistic, chilling and sad film. The bravery of fallen heroes seem to be in vain, as new tyrants came and took all the reins to rule poor Poland. Nice camera work, long shots and aggressive dialogs do build a real suspense, and the ending is really cathartic, tragic and heart-breaking. Real heroes will stay for ever, they will not be neglected. This is the message. Great, but very dark film

Wajda's most underrated film ever. Made in sombre manner displays the fragment of the history of Poland when Soviets and their local adherents overtook the reign in country.

Betrayal, infiltration, invigilation, deception wins. Heroes are now villains and villains are heroes. Best role of Cezary Pazura as a delirious scoundrel from UB /polish equivalent of NKWD/.