Stawka wieksza niz zycie

This is one from the two best Polish series (the second call "Czterej Pancerni i Pies"). I think that J-23 (captain Klos) is good (or maybe better) as James Bond. His dialogs with Herman Bruner are excellent and many of them we used daily. And now Mr. and Mr. Kaczynski would like removed this top series from Polish TV because is to communistic and show not true story. I think that those two guys (President and Prime Minister of Poland) are not serious and recall his man (chief of Polish Television) for improve his decisions and we still can see Klos and Bruner on TV screen and heard: "Bruner nie ze mna te numery" and many others sentences.

Legendary series for people from most of the ex-communist countries. Stanislaw Mikulski is great as Hans Kloss (and looks very good in the German uniform). The story is very good and really captivating. There are some false informations about a war in Poland (eternal friendship with Soviet Union!). But there is not so much communist propaganda as in for instance "Czterej pancerni i pies". It's old, but still good. Watch and enjoy the adventures of the Polish spy in Abwehra!

This serial was so often on the TV screen sin the former Soviet Union that many Russian people know it almost by heart. The brave and valiant Lautenant Kloss, the Polish spy in the German uniform, dissembles so many German plans and tricks in 4 years, that one starts to wonder why all the German police couldn't find him. In fact, there are so many unreal adventures, and Kloss is so invincible that it is next to impossible to believe in this film. But then, it is so funny, and the move-less face of Kloss in all the dangers are so great that you watch it for fun and for relaxation. This is a clever done, brisk and never tedious action serial. The hit of the 70-80's in Russia and Poland. Watch and have fun!

The story is quite interesting. Polish agent as a spy in German army. Thera are some historical facts omitted or not necessary accurate, but generally it is OK. All I dislike is that some parts are quite naive. I understand that this movie is almost 40 years old and the mentality of people was quite a bit different then. There is some propaganda too as minus. This series has been released on DVD.

In conclusion I recommend it as I recommend "Janosik" with Marek Perepeczko. I think these both Polish series are good enough to be world wide known. They are good entertainment in b/w style of an old movie. salute!

More than Life at Stake (Stawka wieksza niz zycie) is a Polish television series about a Polish spy deep in the ranks of Abwehr (German military intelligence) during World War II. The first episode sets the stage for this 18 episode series. After the Russians capture a German spy by the name of Hans Kloss, they spend a great deal of time interrogating him about the smallest details of his life. The German spy is replaced with a Polish look-a-like named Janek (Stanislaw Mikulski), and his "escape" is staged to have several German witnesses that will confirm his identity as a German officer. Hans Kloss provides intelligence and assistance to other spies he is aligned with and, more significantly, creates an environment in which the Germans are all suspecting each other of being a traitor, thus crushing their morale.

Hans Kloss gets himself into countless sticky situations, which nearly take a miracle to untangle from. Each episode has mystery and keeps one guessing how it will turn out until the very end. Although there is no major carryover in the storyline between each episode, there are more than a number of small details that find their way into the next installments.

The entire story takes place from 1943 to 1945, and we see Germany at its height of power to its gradual fall. The part that I found especially interesting are the final days of the war, when the tables were turned and the days of the Germany's power where numbered. The fear they inspired in others is now something they had to deal with themselves. I also found it interesting that it showed some of the German officers were positioning themselves to look favorable with the Americans hoping to find a haven with them (which has been confirmed a number of times with declassified information but isn't widely known).

More than Life at Stake is a classic Polish television show that has remained popular since its creation in 1967-1968 (and probably will for many years in the future). The episodes are alternately directed by Andrzej Konic or Janusz Morgenstern. Hans Kloss is a cultural icon that is probably just as popular as Czterej pancerni i pies, which was also made in the late 1960s. Furthermore, even though Stawka wieksza niz zycie was made during the period of Soviet occupation of Poland, there is less pro-communist sentiment than Czterej pancerni i pies and even portrays the AK favorably. More than Life at Stake is an exceptional WWII serial, particularly for those who like the espionage side to the story.