The Deluge (film)

The Deluge (Potop) is a 1974 Polish historical drama film directed by Jerzy Hoffman, based on the 1886 novel of the same name by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 47th Academy Awards, but lost to Amarcord. It is the third-most popular film in the history of Polish cinema, with more than 27.6 million tickets sold in its native country by 1987, and 30.5 million sold in the Soviet Union. It is considered to be one of the best ever Polish films, and of having the best depiction of sword fights in history of cinema.

Plot
The film is set in the 17th century during the Swedish invasion of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the years 1655 to 1658, known as The Deluge, which was eventually thwarted by Polish-Lithuanian forces. However, a quarter of the Polish-Lithuanian population died from the war and plague, and the country's economy was devastated.

Versions
The original film was digitally restored and shown on Polish TV in December 2013. For its 40th anniversary, a new cut, Potop Redivivus, two hours shorter than the original, was released in the fall of 2014.