A film review: "Onirica" [2014 Poland, Italy, Sweden]

Perhaps, one could've introduced director Lech Majewski here through one of his better known works, but his latest film, "Onirica" [Eng. Title: Field of Dogs] is nevertheless every bit as sumptuous as his renowned works, showcasing all the traits that make him an art film circle favourite, and should therefore be as good an introduction as any.










Majewski has clearly been influenced by past Italian masters such as Antonioni and Pasolini, and also his other contemporaries such as Greenaway and Angelopoulos. His films often delve into the esoteric and mystical, and some of his visuals can be unapologetically self-indulgent, drawing liberally from the high point of Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Like many of the names mentioned above, Majewski is a full-fledged filmmaker who can not only direct, but also write his own material, compose music, and handle cinematography.

Majewski considers his "Onirica" to be an inspired interpretation of Dante's "The Divine Comedy". Set against the backdrop of a series of unfortunate events that befell Poland in 2010, including the tragic plane crash that killed the country's President along with most of its political and defence elite, and the spate of natural disasters it had to endure that year, we observe Adam (Michal Tatarek) - a young poet, trying to deal with his own personal loss and ensuing psychological trauma following a car crash that killed the two people closest to him - his girlfriend and his best friend.

Adam had survived the crash, but carries permanent scars that are both physical and within. After giving up his career job as an academic, he had started working as a supermarket attendant. Often listening to an audio book of Dante's Divine Comedy, Adam experiences a series of surreal visions and hallucinations concerning religion and spirituality, that will bring disparate characters to life from his past and present.

Like his long dead father who appears at his supermarket and sets to plough the 'fallow' earth underneath its floor tiles, and the bikini-clad hostess from a TV game show who steps out of the box to offer him some 'hope'. His (living) philosopher-aunt (Elzbieta Okupska) comes the closest to consoling and forcefully explaining to Adam the relative nature of life and death within our own lives, by borrowing quotes of thinkers from Classical Rome.

As with most of his work, Majewski presents some strikingly memorable images as he takes us through Adam's soul-searching exercise, much like Dante's own journey through Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise - and Adam's deceased girlfriend, like Dante's Beatrice,  is similarly resurrected to accompany him in the later part of his 'journey', eventually ending up in a cathedral altar that becomes flooded by a sudden deluge. Spectacular stuff indeed, and if you're in a contemplative mood, you might even enjoy the ride that Majewski gives us. Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon.it DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Ewa Matula and Anna Mielczarek
As part of one of his visions, we see Adam dream about a young mother (Ewa Matula) feeding a baby in a river island. Anna Mielczarek plays Adam's deceased girlfriend, brought back to life through a kiss while an angel watches, and they levitate while making love. A dove fluttering across the room to perch on a window as this happens completes this rather surreal scene, me thinks..!




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Lifting spirits shatteringly: "The Mighty Angel" [2014 Poland]

Wojciech Smarzowski is one of the important directors working in Poland today, and his latest feature, "Pod Mocnym Aniolem" [Eng. Title: The Mighty Angel] is also among the grittiest and bleakest that he's ever made. The film tackles the subject of alcoholism by approaching it as more than merely a social ill. I'd seen the film a few months earlier and never intended to write about it for reasons too close to home in many respects, but have nevertheless felt compelled to do so following Robin Williams' recent passing.












Jerzy (Robert Wieckiewicz) has everything going for him - he's a successful writer whose most recent novel is a best seller. His opinions and views are much sought after by academia and he is often appearing in various TV channels doing interviews. He is a respected and valued member of society. And he is also engaged to marry his beautiful and much younger publisher (Julia Kijowska).

But Jerzy has a problem - one that will lead to his repeated stints in rehab. He'll leave the clinic when he feels that he has everything under control, but his feet will irresistibly drag him to a liquor store ironically named The Mighty Angel the moment he steps off his taxi.

Jerzy will end up spending most of his time and money cleaning or getting rid of clothes soiled through drunken stupors, and replacing empty bottles at home with new ones - he's a person who truly did sound like a wind chime walking down the street when stumbling home. Before long, he'd be back in rehab once again.

Through all his frequent transgressions, he never realises that he's destroying himself; in fact he doesn't want to die - at least not just yet. He wants to drink himself to death only after he'd lived a long and happy life (better than living through dementia, in his opinion). It is small wonder that Jerzy's relationship with his fiancée, despite her tenacious love, patience, and understanding, will reach a breaking point.

It is their relationship's inevitable demise that'll lead him to hitherto uncharted territory, such as his wholesale loss of dignity, appalling injuries, and even police confinement - essentially like that of any other old bum on the street. The film ends with his subsequent release from rehab, and yet again standing at the crossroads, in more ways than one - and hoping, like most of us, to live that elusive long and happy life.

 

The central question that the film poses is none other than the age old one about the purpose of living itself. "Generally, the sense of human existence is reduced to strenuous efforts to lift one's spirits. Ideology, for example, may serve this purpose, the same with religion, technical progress, and material goods." Jerzy then goes on to wonder if alcohol may serve the same purpose too. It brings us to a subject that inevitably involves the often misleading term named 'depression'. The film makes a claim that one doesn't necessarily need to suffer from personal or societal problems in order to descend into a spiral of despair, and that it could be a philosophical issue too.

Jerzy isn't exactly going through a writer's block. He isn't traumatised by the past even considering his late father's own alcoholism, nor does he have any financial or social worries. He is successful and well loved. And yet he suffers, from problems arising from issues that are not only spiritual, but existential too. Using experiences of other alcoholics at the clinic as supporting case studies, the film is as much a comparative study about sadness as the suffering itself, associated with a habit which often begins benignly as a reward-seeking mechanism. Convincingly portrayed by Robert Wieckiewicz and unflinchingly captured by director Smarzowski, it is an unrelentingly brutal, solemn, and honest attempt to present the often-ignored other side of conventional narrative - that of the 'bum'. It might be difficult to watch, but it's Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL] | Amazon Blu-ray Link

 

The Nudity: Julia Kijowska and Monika Dorota
There is brief nudity shown during a couple of scenes - the first is of Jerzy and his girlfriend discussing alcoholism and expressing their mutual love for each other, and the second instance is of Jerzy having sex with a big-bosomed nurse at the rehab clinic.





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Being second is no fun: "Nic smiesznego" [1995 Poland]

Marek Koterski's drama "Nic smiesznego" [Eng. Title: Nothing Funny] is a droll observation of an unhappy film director's life and fortunes. His professional and personal failure - largely of his own making, is illustrated through various comedic episodes with a touch of irony and barely concealed bitterness.

"I've always come 2nd", bemoans Adam Miauczynski (a recurring character in Koterski's films, played here by Cezary Pazura), from a mortuary trolley - our hero is already dead before he takes us on a walk through his memory lane. Whether being subservient to his elder brother since childhood, putting up with a rotten marriage, or struggling to make it in his chosen profession, Adam's life has been replete with disappointments despite all his efforts to overcome them.

His hilariously unsuccessful attempts to change his fortunes are tinged with melancholy - of a person desperately seeking love and recognition, but hopelessly out of depth in a post-feminist and post-communist Poland. He spends all his life searching for his 'Malgorzata' - his ideal woman, but in his pursuit, he'll loose sight of wood from the trees, and will ironically fail to recognise his 'Malgorzata' even after bumping into one.

Outwardly, the film is a comedy of manners and bumbling goofs with its fair share of slapstick moments - not always well-executed, but it works because it's more than just a comedy. Cezary Pazura's characterisation of Adam isn't that different from Selton Mello's Lourenço (from the Brazilian drama O Cheiro do Ralo), in the way they grapple with their existential ennui. In addition, there are nuances in the film that foreign viewers may fail to pick up on - particularly relating to its history, but will nevertheless find resonance in a Polish audience. A worthwhile film that's Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL] | Amazon DVD Link [NTSC]

 

The Nudity: Agnieszka Buczek, Katarzyna Gajdarska, Ewa Grabarczyk, Malgorzata Werner, and Joanna Jedrejek
Female characters are entirely incidental in a film's plot mainly focusing on the protagonist. Five of them appear in the nude during their respective encounters with Adam - all of them comedic.



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A review: Nieulotne [2013 Poland, Spain]

Jacek Borcuch's spaced out romantic drama, "Nieulotne" [Eng. Title: Lasting], a Polish-Spanish co-production, is about two young people meeting and falling in love, and having their relationship tested during a crisis.

Michal (Jakub Gierszal) and Karina (Magdalena Berus), two Polish students working in Spain during their summer break, meet and fall in love. Michal also enjoys diving, and spends some of his spare time in lakes around the farm. During a visit, he has an altercation with a local guy and in a fit of rage, kills him. Repenting immediately afterwards, he tries to revive him, but to no avail. A distraught Michal doesn't tell this to anyone, and returns to Poland. After Karina also returns from Spain, they'll both have something important to tell when they see each other. But after listening to Michal's incident, Karina runs away in shock, never wanting to speak to him again. Both struggle to come to terms with the tragedy and the loss of innocence, but they nevertheless need to confront issues and get their priorities straight in order to move on...

The film boasts some appealing outdoor cinematography, particularly in the scenes set in Spain, and also has a decent sound design with a catchy soundtrack. The direction is pretty good, even if the pace would have probably suited a story involving a slightly older couple. The lead actors have chemistry and perform well, and are helped along with some thoughtful editing. Recommended Viewing..!

eBay DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Magdalena Berus and Jakub Gierszal
There are two sex scenes involving nudity, mostly of Magdalena Berus, while Jakub Gierszal also briefly appears nude in a separate scene. They're both beautiful but I couldn't help feeling that together, they resemble siblings rather than lovers, and that's despite the obvious chemistry.



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A review: “W sypialni” [2012 Poland]

Tomasz Wasilewski's directorial début, "W sypialni" [Eng. Title: In the Bedroom] is a minimalist drama about a middle aged woman in crisis.

Edyta (Katarzyna Herman) has left home, and upon arriving in Warsaw, spends most of her time in her car - driving around the city, and sometimes sleeping in it. With little or no means, she feeds clandestinely off supermarket shelves, and meets up with men through the internet in order to take advantage of their unsuspecting hospitality, by helping herself after drugging them, to food, shower, and whatever there is, but making sure to leave before they wake up. She meets Patryk (Tomasz Tyndyk) on one such 'date', but leaves in hurry after an argument, forgetting her handbag in the process. She returns reluctantly the following day to ask for it. Patryk not only returns the bag, but also invites her to join him for breakfast, and a tentative relationship - platonic at first, develops between the two. However Edyta could not, or would not want to take things to the next level for reasons that'll initially baffle Patryk. He'll learn to accept her decision nevertheless, but not before letting her know of his feelings for her...

For a feature film with a runtime of 72 minutes, it is a bit short and I fear, perhaps too short for its own good. There is no questioning the film's technical and artistic merits - impressive as it is for someone making their début. But the austere tone and narrative requires more fleshing out of the protagonist's character in order to resonate with the general audience - it is perhaps a bit too subtle for its own good, even if I personally didn't have a problem understanding Edyta's motivations or state of mind.

There are two scenes that strenuously draw attention to her disposition. In the first, she calls home but doesn't utter a word, but the person at the other end - her husband, recognises who it is, and begs her to return. The second is when she's in a young woman's house, enquiring about her child's father, to which the woman replies that he's already married to another woman. We know that Edyta hasn't left home to fulfil a hedonistic impulse, nor is she in a desperate need to seek comfort in someone else's arms - she has traditional morals, and even with the man she gets close to - Patrick, her reactions are mostly maternal. But a little more detail would have enhanced the film further. My main concern is the English title, which is not really what the film is about. But it is a promising début by the Polish film maker, and Recommended Viewing..!

DVD Purchase Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Katarzyna Herman and Tomasz Tyndyk
The film opens with Edyta undressing in front of the mirror to have a bath - and I dare say Katarzyna Herman sure does have an impressive pair of legs for someone in her forties. There is also nudity from Tomasz Tyndyk emerging from water, even if an excited Edyta is too embarrassed to be seen admiring him. :)



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About chance and destiny: "Przypadek" [1987 Poland]

Krzysztof Kieslowski's masterful "Przypadek" [Eng. Title: Blind Chance] makes a philosophical and metaphysical argument for the part random chance can play in shaping a man's destiny. It adds an additional layer to the commonly used expression "if only..." by showing the viewer three versions of a person's life, after altering the outcome of one event he's involved in. You may have come across a similar premise in another film, but Blind Chance is not only one of the earliest such examples, it is also one of the most eloquent, well-crafted, and thought provoking discourses articulated on the theme using the language of cinema - one that truly pushes the boundaries and enhances the scope of what talking pictures can achieve.

We see central character Witek's life and fortunes drastically change, based on three different scenarios arising out of his attempt to catch a train - when he succeeds to board the train after giving it a chase, when he doesn't succeed despite the chase and gets into a fight with the station guard instead, and finally when he misses the train again, but bumps into a female friend from his medical college. Witek, with the same morals, idealism, and sensitivity, becomes a different person in each scenario - he joins the system and the communist party in the first, he turns to religion and underground politics in the second, and he leads a comfortable and conventional family life after eschewing politics altogether in the third scenario.

The events can either be interpreted as Witek's flashbacks, imagined events that are yet to take place, or vignettes of premonitions even, but all three scenarios will lead him to fly to Paris, in which he will never succeed due to different factors. Kieslowski, while not readily drawing conclusions on the idea of fate, clearly ponders à la Buñuel in Le fantôme de la liberté, whether we are truly at liberty to chart our own destiny. He wills his protagonist to believe in his choice, and is ultimately as disappointed as Witek to learn otherwise. I suspect that it is this explosive - disillusioned message, that forced Polish censors to prevent its release. Made in 1981, it didn't see the light of day until 1987.



But the film also delves into metaphysical elements of life and death. Events come full-circle after each scenario, through the airport (presumably the final destination), only to start again from where it began. Chance and destiny will become a recurring theme in Kieslowski's work from here on, reverberating in future films such as Krótki film o zabijaniu, and La Double Vie de Véronique. Boguslaw Linda gives an excellent interpretation of the anguished Witek, and his engaging presence contributes in no small measure to the film's accessibility. The masterpiece from Kieslowski is a must-see for any fan of pure cinema, and Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL] | Amazon DVD Link [NTSC] - Recommended

 

The Nudity: Boguslawa Pawelec and Monika Gozdzik
There are five scenes containing nudity - the first two are from the first scenario during which Witek has a relationship with underground political activist Czuszka - played by Boguslawa Pawelec. The rest are from the third scenario, when Witek falls in love and marries fellow student Olga - played by Monika Gozdzik.



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Never too late to rebuild a family - "Pogoda na jutro" [2003 Poland]

Jerzy Stuhr directs and also plays the lead in the mainstream Polish comedy, "Pogoda na jutro" [Eng. Title: Tomorrow's Weather].

Storyline:
Peace and happiness as Jozef has known for seventeen years comes to an end when he's chucked out of the seminary he'd been interned in. He's found to still have a wife and children - and must now re-enter society to fulfil his familial duties. He is collected by wife Renata (Malgorzata Zajaczkowska), whose initial confrontation with the head priest had led to the discovery of Jozef's 'secret' family. She offers to house him for a while out of pity rather than love - she's after all living with a rich boyfriend now. Jozef understands that it would have been unreasonable to expect Renata to keep waiting for him while there were mouths to be fed. The three children have grown into young adults now - son Marcin (Maciej Stuhr) is the cynical campaign manager for a crooked politician, Kinga (Roma Gasiorowska) is rudderless - hanging around with a drug-pushing boyfriend, and Ola (Barbara Kaluzna) - the only one who truly missed dad after he left home, is now starring in a reality show where she lives and does everything else, including having sex with a lucky suitor from a transparent room and in public view, which is also telecast live on television. This is as dysfunctional as families could get, and Jozef finds it hard to stand by and let the family go potty...

It is an entertaining, adequately performed, and well produced comedy that will please most audiences. It is a mild mannered satire on the changing face of Poland since the fall of communism - while many things may have changed, some attitudes apparently remain the same, and the film is Jerzy Stuhr's way of gently poking fun at his fellow countrymen. Recommended Viewing..!

ebay DVD Link [PAL]



 

The Nudity: Barbara Kaluzna
There are two scenes where Barbara Kaluzna appears nude, and in public too - playing Ola aka 'Klaudia' who performs in a reality show. Jozef had been advised not to go and see her at work, but he couldn't ignore what his daughter does, and gets into the set along with the ogling audience. His discomfort is understandable, as he could do nothing while the crowd cast aspersions on Ola's character...



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Grazyna Szapolowska in "Bez Konca" [1985 Poland]

By the time Krzysztof Kieslowski completed "Bez Konca" [Eng. Title: No End], he was already highly respected among arthouse circles, but his first overtly political film wasn't particularly well received back home. Understandable - considering that Poland was under martial law at the time, busy trying to put down a pesky trade union movement called Solidarity [Solidarnosc].

The storyline isn't quite as important to the film, because its message is clearly what it shows without any comments - namely the quest for love and freedom. It is however conveyed through two parallel story structures - one concerns Urszula, the bereaving widow of a young lawyer. The second, the trial of a Solidarity activist, who was supposed to be defended by Urszula's husband, but whose case Urszula refers to her husband's mentor Labrador, an ageing lawyer who will take it up as his last case before retirement. Urszula's grief for her deceased husband Antek intensifies by the day as she realises she loves him more than she even thought she did, and tries various methods to overcome her loss through work, casual sex, and even hypnosis. Antek's ghost lingers in the forefront of all events happening in the film - it is from his viewpoint that we will see events unfold, bleakly, darkly...

If only Kieslowski had anticipated the part Solidarity will play in the dismantling of the Eastern Bloc, including the Soviet Union, perhaps he might have penned a slightly different script. But as it stands, this unforgiving film will remain one of his bleakest. Masterfully shot and with a haunting signature track, the angst-filled atmosphere is palpable even during its most tender moments, particularly in scenes between Urszula and her young son - it is editing at its superlative best. There is something achingly beautiful about the film despite it requiring more than one viewing for me to tie in some loose ends, especially the trial's outcome which is greeted with a sense of shame by the defendant and family despite his discharge. I shall no doubt be picking up hitherto missed nuances upon further viewings. Grazyna Szapolowska gives a fine performance as grief-struck widow Urszula, and it is her magnetic presence that will stay with you even after the credits roll. This is not only one of Kieslowski's most important works, it is also a film that captures Poland at an important moment in its history - it is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [NTSC]
This is a beautiful edition with interesting interviews from Kieslowski's long-term cinematographer Jacek Petrycki and lead actress Grazyna Szapolowska. It also includes Kieslowski's first documentary "Office" made in 1966 as a film student.

 

The Nudity: Grazyna Szapolowska
The film contains two scenes of nudity, both from the beautiful Grazyna Szapolowska who plays Urszula's character. The first is a love scene with an American who mistakes her for a prostitute, and the second is of her alone in bed, reminiscing her deceased husband.


 

 




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Barbara Brylska & Krystyna Mikolajewska in "Faraon" [1966 Poland]

Jerzy Kawalerowicz's Oscar-nominated epic "Faraon" [Eng. title: Pharaoh] is a rare and also interesting interpretation of ancient history and politics from communist Poland. It has the grandeur of a Cecile B. DeMille film, but rather than merely glossing over history, it is far more ambitious in its scope by turning into an allegorical study.

In fact, Egyptology had progressed so much since 1966 that we have little option but to look at events in the film from a fictional viewpoint. That however doesn't mean no effort had been made to make it look and feel authentic - far from it, a lot of detail had gone into the production design and watching the film is like browsing through the leaves of some lavish coffee table book. For instance they even rebuilt a royal river boat based on drawings from the fourth millennium BC, one that appears in just a single scene. Beyond the visual splendour though, there are passages of play where we see exquisite cinema as the director translates his vision into film, one that could not only relate to a modern world audience through their own historical experiences, but also Poland's own until recent turbulent history. The cinematography is sumptuous, the screenplay flawless, but the direction particularly raises its game during important passages of play. The costumes are of acceptable if not exceptional standard, although my opinion must've been made after Pasolini's "Medea" still fresh in mind. But this is a fine film nevertheless, and therefore Recommended Viewing.

Amazon.es DVD Link (comes with Spanish and Polish audio)
English Subtitles

Storyline:
The film charts the demise of a ruling dynasty in ancient Egypt - one that Ramesses XIII inherits. By this time, the kingdom effectively is run by priests overseeing the various ministries, with the Pharaoh more of a ceremonial figurehead than someone who could wield real power. The kingdom's coffers are empty and all the wealth are controlled by priests. With a restive population, a rebellious mercenary army, and the ever-powerful Assyrians breathing down their neck, an ambitious but immature Ramesses tries to wrest control over his kingdom's assets and wage war on Assyria instead of finding a peaceful alternative. His actions, paved with good intentions as it might be, is nevertheless misguided. It creates more adversaries than allies, not least with the overbearing priesthood. Any attempt to change the status quo is futile, Ramesses will soon learn.




Compilation: Krystyna Mikolajewska and Barbara Brylska
There's only brief nudity in the film - it is too conservative a film for that, but parts of it are also positively sensual, the reason for my post.



Scene Guide:

• No nudity save a nipple-slip in the scene where Ramesses first notices young and beautiful Sara, and instantly decides to take her with him despite knowing she's Jewish. Sara is played by a pretty Krystyna Mikolajewska.
• Ramesses is persuaded to visit a temple by people willing to finance his planned campaign against Assyria, one overseen by Phoenician priestess Kama. Despite having to remain pure and virginal, she'd been instructed to seduce the future Pharaoh - all in the name of her fellow countrymen who are about to be invaded by Assyria. If this is how priestesses were clothed, how could one possibly expect men to look at them with faith in their eyes I wonder. I'm not surprised their religion is dead..! :)
• Sara, now mother of Ramesses' child, pleads him to get rid of Kama (she's aware of his new mistress) in view of her ulterior motives. But Ramesses is just too proud to even worry about it.
• When he visits Kama the next time, she rejects his gift and persuades him instead to throw Sara out because she'd given his son a Jewish first name, and therefore can't be a future Pharaoh. Kama by the way is played by a young and sensual Barbara Brylska.
• I see Egyptians also invented the thong, worn rather fetchingly by Kama the priestess. Having seen off her adversary Sara, we're now made aware of her secret affair with Lycon, a Greek immigrant who looks a spitting image of Ramesses. This is followed by an orgy scene where Kama dances and entertains copulating guests.
• Things don't go her way forever though - she soon finds herself caged by an all-knowing ministerial priesthood.

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Iwona Petry in Andrzej Zulawski's "Szamanka" [1996 Poland]

Andrzej Zulawski raked up controversy (again) through one of his later works back in Poland, in the dark psycho-sexual drama "Szamanka" [Eng. Trans: Female-Shaman]. Sometimes you wonder what makes a director pick up disturbing material to work with, especially if he doesn't come across as a tormented soul - I mean, you don't expect him to be if he'd just fathered a child with someone like Sophie Marceau, his long-term partner. To call this film 'intense' is a bit of an understatement - it is a vigorously fetishistic treatment of a dark fantasy - of primeval mysticism, lust, and possessiveness.

Storyline:
Michal, a university anthropologist meets a mine-engineering student looking for a place to rent - he's subletting his brother's apartment - and they have casual sex within an hour of meeting. They already have partners, but this encounter would become an obsessive habit and upset the apple cart. Michal and his team have unearthed a perfectly preserved bronze age shaman, he is fascinated by it and spends a lot of time understanding the way the shaman met his end - apparently it was voluntary. Michal sees in his lover (she isn't given a name - people call her 'the Italian' because she worked in an Italian restaurant) traits of a female-shaman and develops a growing fascination with her, more specifically her sex - he implies on more than one occasion that she's nothing but sex on legs, yearning to be satiated, by him. He moves in to her apartment but one day realises she will be his death. By drawing parallels between Michal's twin-obsessions - his work and the girl, Zulawski is trying to define wilful self-destruction, the same way the mummified shaman must have met his end.

The film makes no apologies for its depiction of erotic scenes - in fact it revels in it. But at the same time, it technically manages to stay within the confines of mainstream acceptance. A lot of what's going on is implied, but enough to raise a few eyebrows. Several techniques from his earlier films like "Possession" and "Le Femme Publique" are also applied here, to varying degree of success. There is also this intense chemistry between the lead actors that is not often seen in his earlier films, they're completely comfortable in each other's presence, which helps deepen their characters' intimacy. This is another 'marmite-like' confrontational and unforgettable film from the Polish master of controversy. It is a disturbing yet incredibly intimate portrait of an obsessive and erotically charged relationship, and therefore, Recommended Viewing..!

However this DVD is hard to come by, and the ones available are letterboxed and not exactly cheap. But if like me you can't wait for a remastered anamorphic release, you may check one out here:
ebay DVD Link




Compilation: Iwona Petry and Agnieszka Wagner
Despite my efforts, at over 26 mins this must possibly the longest compilation I've made here so far. Several blog-related scenes have not been included and this is just a sampler of the almost 2-hour long film. Some of the sex scenes become tediously repetitive unless you like to see Ms Petry's overzealous depiction of orgasmic spasms. Some of the scenes need no descriptions as they're plainly visual.



Scene Guide:

• The first encounter - Michal points out to 'the girl' how wet she already is and decides to do something about it. The girl is played by the ravishing Polish beauty, Iwona Petry. They both admit later to be already engaged.
• The girl with her boyfriend, who tries all kinds of ways to satisfy her. He fails again, and after they're disturbed by some nuns, she leaves him for good as he can no longer afford to subsidise her.
• The rest of the scenes are fairly visual and require no further explanation.
• Prepositioned by a man at the cafe, the girl flashes at him and walks off, not realising the poor fella is disabled.
• Funny scene as she answers the door bottomless - she was shaving her nether regions so that Michal could look at her with equal fascination as the hairless mummy he's obsessed with - only to see it is an admirer from college who's come asking for a date. She tells him she has a boyfriend and that she's shaving her vagina as it was getting all prickly while having sex. The love-struck guy leaves broken-hearted.
• This time she goes to his flat to make him happy because he had been in love with her (and to get back on Michal for allowing his brother's gay friend to have fun with her).
• Michal's girlfriend Anna tries to win him back, and it almost works. Anna is played by the beautiful Agnieszka Wagner.

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Maja Ostaszewska in "Uwiklanie" [2011 Poland]

Jacek Bromski's crime drama, "Uwik?anie" [Eng. Trans: Entanglement] happens to be one of those old fashioned detective films albeit with a modern touch - no raincoats here.

Set in modern day Poland, the film starts off with the death of a patient undergoing psychotherapy at an exclusive resort. A good part of the film is spent determining whether it was a suicide or murder. Agata, the newly assigned prosecutor arrives at the scene and bumps into an old boyfriend from college, Smolar who's the investigating police officer. Agata is now happily married with a child, and tries to stay focused on the case at hand. The investigation links the dead man to his past as a secret agent in communist Poland, and an unsolved murder from the time. The plot goes through several twists and turns to try and keep the audience guessing. The film is decently made, even if it has neither the cleverest of plots nor the most inspired of soundtracks - but at least it attempts to offset its shortcomings through some added drama - that between Agata and Smolar. Easy but Recommended Viewing.




Compilation: Maja Ostaszewska
The film has a couple of brief nude scenes involving Maja Ostaszewska, who plays Agata. In the first, she's in bed with her husband, wondering about the dead man's choice of lottery numbers. In the second, Agata returns to Smolar's flat after first rejecting his advances. It was just curiosity rather than any feelings of love for an old flame that brought her there, she tells Smolar after they make love. She returns late and joins her husband in bed. When he wakes up wondering what happened, she tells him to go back to sleep. :)





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Iwona Bielska & Grazyna Dylag in "Na Srebrnym Globie" [1976-1987 Poland]

Andrzej Zulawski had to halt production on his sci-fi epic, "Na Srebrnym Globie" [Eng. Title: On the Silver Globe] due to objection from Polish authorities - they had also destroyed the sets and any material they could lay their hands on. The film never actually got completed - but was nevertheless released a decade later in 1987, as winds of change swept across the Eastern Block. The screenplay for roughly a fifth of the film had never been filmed, which is instead narrated by Zulawski himself using some roving outdoor footage of modern-day Poland.

Storyline:
A group of humans crash-land at a habitable planet they were heading for, and some of the crew die in the process. The survivors - three men and a woman, with no way of communicating with their space stations let alone harbouring thoughts of returning to earth, decide to stay put and foster their own new civilisation. They take turns bearing children through the lone woman to increase the population, but notice the newly born age significantly faster than themselves, and within a matter of years, they had already fathered several generations, which hints at widespread incest. The children are puzzled as to why their parents don't die - and begin to perceive them as Gods, and a new religion is formed, later to even branch out into several sects.
Despite the fact that the 'elders' never acknowledge their 'divinity', they could do very little to persuade and change the course of events. Some later day humans also arrive at the planet and find a tribal population, and learn that some women are captured and forced to interbreed with a conquering bird-like species who communicate telepathically. The 'Sherns' treat humans as inferior, and the half-breeds called Morques are used as drones to attack humans and kidnap more women.

Based on a novel written by Zulawski's own uncle some sixty years earlier, it explores in anthropological detail a different take on human evolution, religion, and civilisation itself. It is a film of its time, and in many ways resonates with the works of directors like Alejandro Jodorowsky and Federico Fellini, more so the former in its audacity and confrontational nature. Unfortunately the English subtitles are sometimes confusing and you'd have to rewind to try and make sense of some of the dialogues. But while there are instances of genuine insight, some of the ramblings appear to be of someone totally confused. But whatever it is, it is a magnificent piece of visual art - particular care had been taken with the cinematography and lighting to project this 'alien' world. This is not a low-budget production - a lot of effort had been put into the production design, make-up, and art direction - for e.g., even the fire in the planet is deemed to be of a different colour - and why not. The film is also a visual feast with highly stylised characters, stunning scenery, and the magnificent costumes which would have done a Fellini or Jodorowsky proud.

Most of the scenes have been put together with surviving footage, what they could keep away from the government's hands - they had to be stashed away in studio staff and lab technician's homes. As a result of this some scenes have jump cuts, sometimes with just a single word of dialogue in a segment patched with another to make a coherent sentence. And it is partly because of its incompleteness that the message it carries is far more potent than it may be otherwise. The film has been lovingly restored for posterity in the Zulawski box-set, from which the below compilation was made. For lovers of independent cinema, this will be an excellent addition to their library. Needless to say, Recommended Viewing..!
Amazon Box-Set Link




Compilation: Iwona Bielska and Grazyna Dylag
The Gothic-style scenes are dark but rich in detail - the caps and graphic actually don't do the video quality enough justice.



Scene Guide:

• Martha, one of the survivors after her spacecraft crash-lands, is given the responsibility to procreate. Martha is played by Polish actress Iwona Bielska.
• Many years later, the High Priest's daughter Ihezal submits to a visiting astronaut - she perceives him as a messiah who'd arrive, as foreseen in their scriptures. Ihezal is played by Grazyna Dylag.
• Some additional surreal scenes of Ihezal, first where a ritualistic orgy is in progress, and later with the earthling-lover who she deifies. Towards the end we see her with one of the bird-like aliens.

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Irène Jacob in "La Double Vie de Véronique" [1991 France, Poland BR720]

From the moment he started working outside of Poland, Krzysztof Kieslowski came to be widely regarded as one of the most important and original European film makers of his day. Even if his work from the very early days were cherished and admired in his native Poland, it took the rest of Europe more than twenty years to fully discover and acknowledge his genius. For an insightful article on Krzysztof Kieslowski, check out this obituary that appeared in The Guardian after his untimely death.

His mesmerising drama "La Double Vie de Véronique" [Eng. Title: The Double Life of Veronique] form part of his later works, but it was my introduction to Kieslowski when it was screened on TV. Watching it more recently on Blu-ray, I am surprised at how superficial my TV viewing was. The film is actually a philosophical work - deeply personal, it is an exploration of among other things, love, loss, and fate. Kieslowski loves humans, or more accurately the superior qualities in human nature, like their ability to love, feel empathy, and so on. He uses two contrasting cultures - Polish and French, to underscore the universal appeal that these higher feelings hold among us.

Storyline:
On the way to her first concert performance, Weronika - a promising young singer in Poland, notices a spitting image of her in a tourist bus arriving from France. She tries to garner her attention, but the woman is busy taking pictures of a political demonstration taking place at the square. We learn during the course of the film that Véronique, the French woman, and Weronika - apart from their physical resemblance, also share the same profession, and a similar health ailment, one that'll lead to Weronika's sudden death while on stage. Even without having any knowledge of the identical Polish woman's existence, nor her death, Véronique will begin to mourn. She quits her job and takes up teaching music to schoolchildren. Despite having met the love of her life, something from within keeps her in a perpetual state of melancholy. It is her boyfriend who first identifies Weronika from one of Véronique's travel photos. Perhaps now, Véronique might grow curious about Weronika, and learn the reason for her mourning...

The film is visually stunning - almost every frame is picture-perfect - be it the colours, composition, or lighting. The soundtrack is haunting, aided by flawless engineering and editing. And with the camera transfixed for most part on a divine Irène Jacob who plays both Weronika and Véronique, it's possible that no director could've achieved any more than what we get to see on screen. She glows! She looks like the most beautiful creature and soul to have walked the earth. Everybody in the film loves her. Everybody watching it will love her. The Blu-ray disc comes with loaded extras including interviews and an interesting documentary. What more can I say - Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon Blu-ray Link
(Great deal still going)

 

The Nudity: Irene Jacob



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Malgorzata Braunek & co in Andrej Zulawski's "Diabel" [1972, Poland]

I'll start Andrzej Zulawski's filmography with one of his early (and rare) films, "Diabel" [Eng. title: Devil]. This is not my favourite Zulawski film - his next feature, "L'important c'est d'aimer" certainly is. But there's a surreal quality to this otherwise shocking film - Andrzej Zulawski is no stranger to controversy, but even by his standards it is shocking. It was promptly banned in Poland and remained so until the fall of communism - even if the film is set in the 18th century, its message is allegorical and could relate to any corrupt and cruel regime.

Cruel too is the film - depicting mindless acts of violence, debauchery, and pain. It is also highly stylised, reminiscent of Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo", and the costumes and make-up as outlandish as Federico Fellini's "Satyricon". Some of the dialogues come out absolute bonkers through the subtitles - I'm not sure if they'd have been any more intelligible for a Polish audience. The film nevertheless is a fascinating piece of cinema - the images are vivid and some of the scenes will stick with you long after you've put the DVD away. But I don't think I'll be watching this again any time soon - life's depressing as it is! The compilation below is from the DVD in my Zulawski Box-set - it is not remastered - and the quality is only so so. However, if you're looking for something challenging, confrontational, and outrageous, "Diabel" is definitely Recommended Viewing.

DVD Order Link [PAL]




Storyline:
A man clad in black (the Devil?) makes use of the chaos when Poland is invaded by Prussia, to free political prisoner Jakub, a young nobleman and dissident of the monarchy. The man seems to know everything about Jakub, his family and friends, and persuades him to return home. He also kidnaps one of the prison nuns and forces her to accompany Jakub, who returns home only to discover his father'd just killed himself, his fiancée is now married to his best friend - she's also pregnant by God-knows-who, his mother had been a whore since running away from home when he was little, and his sister is a nymphomaniac, 'engaged' to a half-brother none of them knew they had. We see Jakub growing insane as he watches his life crumble - who wouldn't, and it is the sinister man in black who seems to appear out of nowhere to show Jakub these awful truths. He definitely seems to have a hidden agenda...




Compilation: Malgorzata Braunek, Hanna Parzonka, Iga Mayr, and Bozena Miefiodow
Some of the nude scenes are not particularly pleasant - view at your own discretion.



Scene Guide:

• Brief nudity - Jakub is shown his newly wed fiancée's bedroom, while she's with her husband - his hitherto best friend. We soon realise that she isn't interested at all in having sex with her husband. The fiancée is played by Malgorzata Braunek.
• Jakub's sister is pleased to see him, but she's also changed, and is being abused by her half-brother, no one knew of his existence until he showed up with their mother recently - the mother had fled home when Jakub was young. The sister is played by Hanna Parzonka.
• Jakub visits her mother in the brothel. When he asks for her, she doesn't recognise him and presumes he's one of those young clients who fancy older women - he finally manages to stop her. The mother is boldly played by Igar Mayr.
• A Turkish performer at a travelling circus entices Jakub, and just when they get going, they're are interrupted by her boyfriend (also from the circus) - but Jakub has by now started to perceive things differently, and kills them both. The Turkish woman is played by Bozena Miefiodow.
• Unidentified nudes - it's the mother's turn to get her throat slashed this time, while this bizarre family are spectators at an orgy of sorts.
• Another brief scene of the sister (with more signs of abuse), and Jakub has now had enough...

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Karolina Gorczyca & Joanna Pierzak in "Hustawka" [2009 Poland]

I stumbled across this Polish film recently quite by chance - it is Tomasz Lewkowicz's directorial debut, "Hustawka" [Eng. Title: The Swing]. The film is supposed to be about a man's dilemma in choosing the person he wants to live with - his attractive and dutiful wife, or the equally attractive but not-so-dutiful mistress.

One can see Lewkowicz was trying to say something serious through the film, and there was nothing wrong in the effort either. But he has a long way to go before tackling this kind of material anywhere near to the standard set by films like Cosa Voglio di Più. I hate to be critical of someone just making his debut, but it has to be said that the screenplay is rather weak and the characterisation lacks necessary depth. He has however put together a pretty looking film - with some good editing, fine cinematography by Mariusz Palej, and not too bad a soundtrack either. The lead actors give a decent account of themselves, notably Karolina Gorczyca who appears to be a talented actress - I hope she gets to do more challenging roles in future if she hasn't already.





Compilation: Karolina Gorczyca and Joanna Pierzak



Scene Guide:

• The film actually starts promisingly as in this early scene when the audience are given an interesting introduction to Karolina and Michal - we are initially led to believe that she's about to be molested. Karolina is played by Karolina Gorczyca.
• Michal returns home late as usual and spurns his loving wife Anna's overtures. She gives him her repost in the bedroom later. Anna is played by beautiful Joanna Pierzak.
• Karolina is the friend of Anna's brother Piotr who hopes to take things further with her. They arrive at Michal's cottage and a jealous Karolina flirts with Piotr after noticing Michal with Anna. A frustrated Karolina gives all the signals to Piotr for sex, but changes her mind soon after. She leaves the following morning after learning Michal's wife is pregnant with her second child.
• Michal comes looking for Karolina at a bar to find her dancing with Piotr, and has a flashback of his time with her.
• Michal separates from his wife to go and live with Karolina. It is Christmas and Karolina dresses up as a Christmas tree to give him her present. She had to rush to the kitchen towards the end of the scene.

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Renata Dancewicz in "Diabelska Edukacja" [1995 Poland, Germany]

My first Polish film in the blog, even if I had already introduced a Polish born director earlier, the incomparable Walerian Borowczyk.

Agreed, this isn't actually mainstream, but it is a pretty well made segment from a DVD of erotic tales produced in Germany in 1995, Janusz Majewski's "Diabelska Edukacja" [Eng. Title: Devilish Education].

The film is set sometime in the 19th century. Gosia, a beautiful and innocent farm girl catches the eye of the Devil while bathing in the lake. He takes the form of a gentleman artist and befriends her by showing drawings he had made of her while she bathed. He proceeds to awaken her sexuality, and initiates her into all the essentials for becoming a distinguished lady.

The film is exquisitely erotic, thanks to some very good direction, editing and art direction. I almost wished it were a feature length film on its own, even though it works well as it is. The DVD I purchased had hard-coded English subtitles on it, but despite that it doesn't affect the overall experience too much, since the dialogue is minimal. Goisa is played by Renata Dancewicz, a decent enough actress, but whose physical beauty could easily drive men crazy - she's ravishingly beautiful, and definitely worth judging for yourself.



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