This film is part of Free

Scottish Mazurka
Discover what set the Poles apart in WWII through this colourful medley of manoeuvres, dance and song set in the Highlands.
Overview
Few WWII films are as filled with action, colour, dance and song as this delightful portrait of Polish soldiers in the Highlands of Scotland. As tanks and grenades tear up the countryside code in the first part of the film it’s clear that this is no scenic holiday. Legendary cinematographers Jack Cardiff and Geoffrey Unsworth use Technicolor to capture dramatic action, landscapes and close-up faces full of character.
Then after the theatre of war, and dramatic studies of soldiers posed on rocks beneath the brooding skies, comes dance theatre with the Anglo-Polish ballet bringing the mazurka to life. Through it all the film eschews a narrative voiceover in favour of snippets of dialogue and patriotic song. All in all it’s a heady and generous mix of pleasures ably brought to the screen by Hans Nieter O’Leary – an American-born director of German-Irish heritage – and Polish producer and director Eugene Cekalski.
Related

Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass) Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2011 33 mins
Over 30 years and 150 projects, the composer shares, with humour and passion, the intricacies of making film music.

Ian Neil (Masterclass) Ian Neil (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2012 74 mins
Neil selected soundtracks for 127 Hours, Shame, Kick Ass, Control and many more. He discusses the job and its complexities, referencing his own work.

Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan
Inside Film 2012 mins
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's adapter reveals his quest for "the poem of the book" and the importance of simplicity: 'Drain the pond to find the fish'.

Gabriel Yared on composing for film Gabriel Yared on composing for film
Inside Film 2013 11 mins
Composer of The Lives of Others, The English Patient and Betty Blue on intimacy and experimentation.

Lois Burwell on movie makeup Lois Burwell on movie makeup
Inside Film 2013 17 mins
Lincoln, Braveheart and Magnolia make-up artist Lois Burwell explains how she created some of her most iconic looks, as part of a BAFTA Masterclass.

Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass) Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass)
2013 61 mins
British cinematographer of The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, Hillsborough and Riff Raff reviews the art of the moving image.