Warsaw, September 1944. On the eastern bank of the Vistula, a group of civilians live in a house cut off from the fighting across the river. Tadeusz, a young poet who has lost both legs, struggles with his helplessness as the Warsaw Uprising continues. His younger brother Witek dreams of crossing the river to join the fight, while Tadeusz grows closer to Katarzyna. As soldiers, refugees and resistance fighters pass through the house, its inhabitants confront the devastation of war and the uncertain future of a country caught between two worlds.
Tadeusz
Katarzyna
Professor
Major "Kazimierz"
Lieutenant "Florian"
Tadeusz and Witek's Mother
Szulc
Witek
Samuel Blum
Soldier
Resistance fighter
Fugitive
Polish Army Lieutenant
Szulc's translator
Soldier
German Soldier
German Soldier
Resistance fighter giving out clothes
Escapist
Escapist
German Soldier
German soldier
Sick Man (uncredited)
Resistance Fighter (uncredited)
Resistance Fighter (uncredited)
Man attempting to cross the Vistula (uncredited)