Samson
Synopsis
A young Jewish man from Warsaw is imprisoned after an antisemitic incident at his university. He is released when the Second World War breaks out and manages to escape from the ghetto. However, he chooses to leave his hiding place and fight, determined to share the fate of those threatened by the Holocaust. The protagonist is compared to the biblical Samson, who sacrificed his own life.
Top Cast
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Serge Merlin
Jakub Gold
Alina Janowska
Lucyna
Elżbieta Kępińska
Kazia, Malina's Niece
Jan Ciecierski
Józef Malina
Tadeusz Bartosik
"Professor" Pankrat
Władysław Kowalski
Fiałka / Jakub Gold (voice)
Irena Netto
Jakub's Mother
Beata Tyszkiewicz
Stasia
Jan Ibel
Genio
Bogumił Antczak
Prisoner (uncredited)
Wiesława Chojkowska
Wiśka (uncredited)
Edmund Fetting
Zygmunt, Guest at Lucyna's Party (uncredited)
Roland Głowacki
Guest at Lucyna's Party (uncredited)
Andrzej Herder
Gestapo Officer (uncredited)
Zygmunt Hübner
Gestapo Officer (uncredited)
Zofia Jamry
Woman Blackmailing Malina (uncredited)
Stanisław Jaśkiewicz
Professor at a Lecture (uncredited)
Zbigniew Józefowicz
Guest at Lucyna's Party (uncredited)
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Andrzej Wajda
- Screenplay & Story
- Kazimierz Brandys, Andrzej Wajda
- Original Score
- Tadeusz Baird
- Original Title
- Samson
- Country of Origin
- Poland
- Spoken Languages
- Polish, German
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Production Studios
- Zespół Filmowy "Droga", Zespół Filmowy Kadr
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Andrzej Wajda
Kazimierz Brandys, Andrzej Wajda
Tadeusz Baird
Jerzy Wójcik
Janina Niedźwiecka
Department Leadership Roster
Andrzej Wajda
Director
Leszek Wajda
Production Design
Janina Niedźwiecka
Editor
Tadeusz Baird
Original Music Composer
Wiesława Chojkowska
Costume Design
Jan Banucha
Costume Design
Jerzy Wójcik
Director of Photography
Kazimierz Brandys
Screenplay
Andrzej Wajda
Screenplay
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Samson.
Featured In Curated Collections
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War: World War II
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Polish Films
Polish cinema: Wikidata country-of-origin Poland, merged with the canon (Polish Film School, Moral Anxiety, Has, Zulawski, Kieslowski, Wajda, contemporary).
Greatest Directors Ever Part 10
Neil Burger, Étienne Chatiliez, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Jacques Tati, Philippe de Chauveron, Atom Egoyan, Andrzej Wajda, Gérard Oury, Gilles Grangier, Bertrand Blier, Alan J. Pakula, Danny Boyle, John Sturges, Peter Yates
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Frequently Asked Questions About Samson
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Samson about?
A young Jewish man from Warsaw is imprisoned after an antisemitic incident at his university. He is released when the Second World War breaks out and manages to escape from the ghetto. However, he chooses to leave his hiding place and fight, determined to share the fate of those threatened by the Holocaust. The protagonist is compared to the biblical Samson, who sacrificed his own life.
Who directed Samson?
Samson was directed by Andrzej Wajda.
Who stars in Samson?
The principal cast of Samson includes Serge Merlin, Alina Janowska, Elżbieta Kępińska, Jan Ciecierski, Tadeusz Bartosik.
When was Samson released and how long is it?
Samson was released in 1961 with a total runtime of 1h 57m.
Who composed the musical score for Samson?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Samson was composed by Tadeusz Baird.
Is Samson based on a book or true story?
Samson is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Kazimierz Brandys".