Today when we talk about achievements of Polish cinematography, the most
mentioned name, along with the still vital veteran Andrzej Wajda (who together
with Kawalerowicz, Munk, Ford and Jakubowska is the reason why the Polish
directors, the first among socialist countries, reached the heights of world
cinematography in the first half of the 50’s), is the prematurely deceased
Krzysztof Kieslowski. However, his two years older colleague, Krzysztof Zanussi
(1939), was, at least in the 70s, even more esteemed.

In the 70s, Polish cinematography, after a decline in the former ten years
due to the political regime, made a comeback as one of the most interesting
realms. Kieslowski became one of the leading world authors of documentaries and
TV-films, while in 1979 he achieved his big success with the feature film,
Amator (Zanussi appears in a small role playing himself), only yet to
become one of the greatest authors of European film. Zanussi, while studying
physics and philosophy, successfully made films as an amateur and only later
enrolled at the Film Academy in Lodz. With his debut feature film, Struktura
krysztalu (l969), he attracted attention and announced his preoccupation with
moral and ethical dillemmas of his protagonists, who are torn between idealism
that brings them their inner pleasure as well as hard life in the authoritarian
society, and conformity that brings them material possesions as well as loss of
their soul. From his beginnings, a profound Catholic tradition was evident
(which will later be present in Kieslowski’s work, but a little less
emphasized). This religious feeling, however, wasn’t always connected to the
ecclestical meaning of religion, and that was probably the reason why Zanussi’s
film biography of Pope John Paul II, Z dalekiego kraju (l981), done
in Italian production, has not achieved a greater success. Therefore we could
perhaps conclude that in order to understand Zanussi’s view on life and
procedures in his films, it is important to consider the main sequence from one
of his most interesting films, Iluminacja (l973). In it the film
procedure, with dominating long shots, intentionally slow rhythm, and a somber
atmosphere, is taken to its utmost limits when a picture suggestively depicts
heroes’ psychological states. In that sequence the philosopher, Wladyslaw
Tatarkiewicz, explains the title of the film and. among other things, says:
“Illumination is not an ecstasy without thought, a rapture; on the contrary, it
is a consecration of thought. To achieve that stage, all you need is the
pureness of your heart, which is so much more important than your brain’s work”.
We could almost say that Zanussi’s films (before all those films from the 70s,
but also his filmRok spokojnego slonca (l984), as well as the brilliant
series of TV films, Urok wszeteczny z cyclo opowiesci weekendove (l996/7), shown on Croatian
television in 1999, which, even though they didn’t achieve any international
success, could be compared to Kieslowski’s Dekalog) seem to be such
illuminations. In this program Film Center will show some of Zanussi’s most
successful works from his most productive decade. So, Croatian film-lovers will
finally have the opportunity to see them. (Tomislav Kurelec)