The talent of one of Poland's better directors, Wojciech Has shows through in this simple, slice-of-life, literary drama set in Warsaw in the late 1930s. The focus of attention is a rundown boarding house and its residents -- students, poets, and others living in what is euphemistically termed "genteel poverty." Everyone seems to be adrift, looking for something meaningful to anchor their lives on, a sorry state that leads to a general hopelessness and chronic ennui. A young communist seems to hold out some inspiration for awhile, but then he is arrested as the growing Nazi menace looms closer on the horizon. Director Wojciech Has was particularly interested at this time in following a character through his or her life. The impressive film The Noose, 1958, was his first feature-length effort.