In memory of Andrzej Zulawski (Diabel)

The Possessed

The first feature film of Andrzej Zulawski premiered at the Venice Film Festival, won an award on the Polish Film Festival and got a limited release in Poland. The second film was banned for nineteen years and after much-delayed release, Andrzej Zulawski was accused of blasphemy and disrespect for the history of Poland.

When Jean-Luc Godard shot and released «Bande à part», he described it as «Alice in Wonderland meets Franz Kafka». After watching Diabel, you could say the following phrase: «Hamlet meets Possession». Of course, Andrzej Zulawski shot the film in the late XVIII century Poland, instead of the Medieval Denmark, the main hero is a young Polish nobleman called Jacob and the Devil is a advisor of Jacob, instead of the Ghost.

As in the previous feature film, Andrzej Zulawski paints an apocalyptic world. The late XVIII century Poland becomes a burned place, inhabited by insane people, who are waiting for the demons to conquer them. Young Polish nobleman Jakub  is saved from imprisonment by a stranger in black clothes and is sent to his hometown…

The stranger in black clothes – the Devil, - serves as a Jacob’s guide in a wrecked Poland and serves as a nobleman’s advisor. The Devil convinces Jacob about a need for revenge and a nobleman starts the murderous rampage, which even includes his relatives. I think, that inattentive viewer might even think that the Devil is an Angel in disguise, who gives to Jacob a sword of justice.

In this film, God has left Poland and locusts is preparing to savage it. The remaining people are waiting for the Apocalypse and, while waiting, are engaging in an enormous feast in the time of plague. After studying the cinema of Zulawski, I came to a conclusion that he thought that there is no God or that God has left us long time ago. Nevertheless, Diabel was banned because of it’s political meaning.

While watching this film ask yourself one question – why Andrzej Zulawski almost never shows the occupying army? The director wanted to show us that a divided society could be easily self-annihilated and the occupying forces should just merely wait in the wings. Also, the director wanted to show how young and idealistic people easily become tools in hands of Devils and become animals afterwards. Check out the year of release and you will understand the metaphor of Andrzej Zulawski.

Diabel is a film that disgusts; it is a very tough challenge to watch it. Nevertheless, if you watch this film, you shall never forget it.

In memory of Andrzej Zulawski (Trzecia Czesc Nocy)

Oh God, who elevates the most evil ones and puts the whip into their hands

The film starts with a quote from the Book of Revelation: «The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up» (Revelation 8:7). In the first few minutes of a film, the fourth angel sounded and the Earth turned to the ashes, and there is no sun or moon, but merely the grey sky.

The world is the Anteinferno to which people are taken by trucks. The occupying forces are arriving abruptly in order to bring new souls to Hell or grant the highest mercy – to kill. A young man Michal narrowly escapes the massacre in which his family is annihilated and he tries to become a part of the Resistance. After evading capture, Michal meets a pregnant young woman who closely resembles his dead wife…

As in Possession, Andrzej Zulawski uses the theme of doppelganger. In «The Third Part of the Night» Marta – the doppelganger of a late wife of Michal, - symbolizes one of the people, who has the seal of God. Because of that, Marta is capable of the Miracle of childbirth. After witnessing the Miracle, Michal gets a chance to atone for the past sins. But does it gives him the seal of God?

In an absence of the occupying forces, the lice is destroying soul and bodies of humans. But the lice is the only way to provide for a new family and Michal volunteers to a typhus center as a donor. The lice resembles locusts in Revelation 9:3. The lice doesn’t give a privilege of quick death.

But what is this film about? Is it a parable on Occupation? Is it a hallucination of sick Michal? Andrzej Zulawski doesn’t give the straight answer and invites you to find it by yourself.

Happy Birthday, Isabelle Huppert! (Une affaire de femmes)

And pray who are the judges?

Marie Latour, a woman of limited means, raises two children in a ratty flat during World War II in occupied France. In 1941, her husband Paul returns from German captivity, too weak to hold a job. Marie discovers she can make money performing abortions, using a soapy water douche. She buys better food and clothes, looks for a new flat, and, through an acquaintance, who is a prostitute, rents out her bedrooms to hookers during the day.

The film mixes two controversial themes – abortions and Vichy France. Not many directors have made films about one of those topics and even less directors have combined them. Because of that, every such film makes a splash in society and film circles.

The director doesn’t take sides and he is not trying to make a spectator disgusted or compassionate. The title of a film implies neutrality. The film perfectly depicts hypocrisy and double standards of the Vichy France. The society tries to conceal the shame of defeat by returning to so-called traditional values. But the glorious society forgot one of the main Christian values: «Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned».

Marie Latour is not a martyr or an ideal, but her struggle to make end meet is, at least, understandable. She didn’t make anyone to have an abortion; she just wanted to have a better life for herself and her children. In fact, a lot of her clients was not going to become good mothers and sparing the unborn children of hunger and misery is somehow an act of mercy. Much more despicable is Marie’s husband Paul.

Isabelle Huppert depicted Marie Latour as an ordinary woman with whom anyone could easily identify himself. She has a dream to become a singer, to have a better life and other little pleasures as anyone. The Actress has portrayed the variety of persons: the poor mother, the arrogant and successful businesswoman and the broken woman on a verge of death. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best roles of Isabelle Huppert.

I think that for the birthday of favorite actress, one should remind the viewers about one of her best roles. Join me in revisiting this unfairly forgotten film in an illustrious career of a great Isabelle Huppert.

9/10

In memory of Andrzej Zulawski (Pavoncello)

Are you afraid?

In 1912, Szczebieniew, a rich and ailing old man, comes to Italy with his young wife, Zinaida. One day, in a movie theater Zinaida meets Ernesto Fosca, a young Italian violinist. She invites to the party on a villa and asks him to give her music lessons.

The second feature was also made in black and white. Firstly, almost everyone would be sure that he is watching a conventional love story and Zinaida is ready to run away with Ernesto. Nevertheless, in the XIX century, the noblewoman wouldn’t, with the highest degree of possibility, run away with the common man.

Pavonchello introduces The Idiot, familiar in L’amour braque. In the films of Andrzej Zulawski, The Idiot means a man, who is deeply in love with a fallen woman. As with Dostoevsky, The Zulawski’s Idiot is an innocent man with a pure soul.

In twenty-seven minutes, Andrzej Zulawski has portrayed the story of beginning and crushing of a true love. Let’s not forget this director and let’s keep in memory his art.

In memory of Andrzej Zulawski (Piesn triumfujacej milosci)

This is a song about love

Andrzej Zulawski died two weeks ago and as one my good friend said; that the artists (including directors, actors, painters and artists) should be remembered because of their art, not because of their personalities. Following the words of my friend, I have decided to watch the early works of Andrzej Zulawski.

The first feature of Zulawski is an adaptation of a short story, written by Turgenev. I have a small confession to make; that I haven’t read this story, but, judging by the later films, for Zulawski adaptation is merely a word.

From the first seconds, you could see the technical language of Zulawski: haunting music of Andrzej Korzyński and constantly following camera. The film depicts the story of a doomed love, which would be later present in L’important c’est d’aimer and Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours.

Using the minimum of resources and in just twenty-six minutes, Andrzej Zulawski depicts the story of a woman, living in a so-called «normal marriage», which crashes after the first glimpse of a true of love. Beata Tyszkiewicz holds the acting torch, which will be passed to Romy Schneider, Isabelle Adjani and Sophie Marceau.

The first feature of Andrzej Zulawski shows us that the real talent could be a substitute for the lack of technical resources. Some simplicity of this work, compared with later features, is caused only by technical limitations.