Jerzy Skolimowski Collection — Jerzy Skolimowski Collection( Blu Ray Boxset)

From Second Run, here we have a three Blu-Ray boxset celebrating the early 1960s work of Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski- he stands as one of the key figures in the country's new wave cinema. His work is alive with visual depth and creativity- using conventional genres such as spotting dramas, romantic melodramas, and character studies as starting points to build his subtle satirizing & surreal film world around. The set brings together three feature lengths and a selection of early shorts.

Each of the films comes in its own Blu-ray cases- these each feature glossy inlay booklets, taking in new writing about the films, full credits, and a few stills. Each film is given a 2k scan- and these bring out depth & clarity in the film's black & white stock.

After releasing eight shorts in the early 1960s Walkover (Walkower) was Skolimowski’s second feature-length film. It’s from the year 1965, in black & white- with a runtime of one hour and seventeen minutes, though there is great depth & layering going on here with Skolimowski packing each frame with rewarding/thought-provoking detail, and often creative visual shifts.

The film focuses on Andrzej Leszczyc (Skolimowski) who is shortly turning the age of thirty. He’s somewhat disillusioned- he went to university, but didn’t get his diploma, and he’s recently left the army.

The whole thing opens in a rather low-key troubling manner- as we see an emotionally numb/ set face young woman standing near the train track- she turns & screams as the train rolls in. On the train is Andrzej- he looks out of the window to see Teresa (Aleksandra Zawieruszanka) walking along the platform- he went to university with her and has not seen her in years. So, he gets off the train pushing through the crowd that has gathered around the dead woman.

As the film unfolds Andrzej- sometimes with Teresa, sometimes on his own visits a selection of locations. A station office, the store of a street seller, an office then a building site- as Teresa is a government civil engineer. And a boxing ring to drop off weighing scales, etc. We find out that Andrzej boxed in his youth- fairly soon been pushed into/ convinced to go back in the ring once.

The film is built around long takes- these often utilize shifting foregrounds & subtle altering visual perspectives. With often wonderful details/ touches being revealed to those carefully watching each frame. At several points, we find sudden breaks in the film's largely shifting tone- where the set face Andrzej is fed over by radio-like voices, which are either the internalizing thoughts of the character or general commenting on Western existence.

Throughout the film, we get darts of both avant-garde jazz- which rather brought to mind the work of Eric Dolphy. As well as semi-percussive clangs, bangs, and knocks. The whole film often shifts and flows much like a jazz composition. It’s most certainly a film you need to pay total notice to, as it all very cleverly ties together with moments of pathos, subtle dark humour, and general subtle visual cleverness.

 

On the extras side of this disc, we get an introduction to the film from critic, curator and scholar Michał Oleszczyk (23.24). He starts by talking about how this is the director's second feature film following on from Identification Marks: None also from 1965. He discusses the film's lead character, and we find out that the director was also an amateur boxer himself. He talks about the shifts of illusions from an early time running through the film's runtime, and how the leads have a shared past and a possible shared future. And how the film is a mix of satire and surrealism. It's an interesting enough introduction- though he does go back over the same ground- his intro for Barrier is much more worthy.

Next, we get a commentary track from producer and film historian Michael Brooke- this is a wonderful researched and realized track. He begins by talking about where this film sits in Skolimowski’s filmography and discusses the first of the clever rug-pulling moments that appear throughout the film. He points out bit part actors as they appear and confirms the film has just thirty-five shots- really highlighting the director's use of long shots. He talks about the use of the director's poetry in the film, and how before becoming a filmmaker he had two books of poetry published. He discusses locations as they appear- one of these being the largest oil refinery in Poland. He talks about the use of mirrors in the film, and how these are used to add an extra edge/ dimension to certain shots. Later on, he quotes from reviews of the film's original release, and of course much more- a must-play track.

 

The next film in the set is 1966’s Barrier (aka Bariera). Once again, it’s captured in black & white- with the film being a mix of imagery high with both analogy and surrealism, and a rather skewed romantic drama. Once again it can be a challenging watch- that you'll need to give you total focus, but it’s certainly worth the time & effort.

The film's credits open in a decidedly provocative manner- as we see a bare male torso forced forward- as an electric cable is tied around the person's hands. The film opens with several dressed bodies having their hands tied behind their backs, as they are seemingly pushed off something.

As we pan back, we see a group of three men in a stark white room- with bunk beds in one corner. There is a small table next to the bunks, and in front of this is an anatomy torso model- with a matchbox balanced on a ruler. Each man perches on the table having his hands tied behind their backs, as the matchbox- and all initially fail- as they are doing this, we get dialogue about how the perfect western/ consumer life should be, as someone off camera chants a mantra. The only person who manages to grab the box in his mouth is our lead- who is just called protagonist (Jan Nowicki)- after doing it he gets placed a piggy bank in his tied wrists. It becomes clear all the men are in university, and the protagonist has just finished his studies- he leaves the room, and down into the snowy grounds as his fellow students throw the piggyback at him.

As the film unfolds, we move between analogy-heavy and at points surreal settings/ imagery, and the blossoming romance between the protagonist and the blond female tram driver (Joanna Szczerbis). An example early of the former occurs when he meets his father in another whited-out room, he takes an envelope from him, and peers in a tinny mirror before climbing up a towering brick wall- which ever so often is hung with dead/near-death Geese. 

The film runs at the one hour and twenty-minute mark- been soundtrack most effectively with a blend of avant jazz and choral music. The whole thing unfolds in a wonderful unbalancing, at times deeply disorientating manner- as we shift back and forth between the normal drama/ romance, and the surreal at points dream-like setups which are a live-with analogy.

Extras-wise on this disc we get an introduction from Michał Oleszczyk (17.52) he starts by talking about where the film sits in the director's filmography. He talks about the symbolic and abstract feel of the film- pointing out how the premise is second to the tone. He talks about past and present items relating to Poland that appear in the film. He discusses the film's easter setting- the meaning, and religious objects in the movie. And more- an excellent intro to the film.

We get a commentary track from Michael Brooke again, and it’s literally bulging with facts, observations, and explanations. He starts by commenting on the first shots of the film which are cunningly conceived to be something they are not. We find out the film had a larger budget than previous Skolimowski work- with a more impressive/ known cast. He points out actors as they appear- giving brief bios of each. He talks about how the film features shorter shots than his other films, and mentions the suitcase that appears throughout- apparently, this was the first image that came to the director. We find out the film had a working title of An Easter Fairy Tale, and he talks about how important Geese are in Polish society. Later on, talks about when he first saw the film- and at that point compared some of the scene’s film to the work of Fellini. He points out more actors as they appear, talks about the film's themes/ meanings behind scenes, and of course much, much more.

 

Moving onto the final disc, and we have 1968’s Dialogue 20-40-60. This is a three-way directorial collaboration between Skolimowski and two other Czech filmmakers Zbynek Brynych, and Peter Solan. This certainly is the most experimental of the three features on this set- as it finds each director telling their story, based on a set selection of dialogue regarding a man being belittled by his partner- but each is a different men- with an age range from twenty to sixty.

The first story is directed by Skolimowski. It begins with a group playing jingle-jangle guitar pop in front of a large ground of screaming teen girls. One of the lead singers darts out of the stage door- quickly having a shower, while getting comically asked for an autograph via the underwater fall. He then drives back through the city to his apartment- to find a strange man in his apartment- from here the set dialogue unfolds, and for this part of the film, there is a very abstract tone- with baths running in gapping walled bathrooms, groceries left on the floor, and general visual wackness.

The second tale is directed by Solan- and it follows a man of forty. He lives in an apartment hung with paper chain artwork- going through a mid-life crisis. This part is slightly less wacky- though we still get moments of disorientating present.

The third part is of course directed by Brynych- telling of a man in his sixties, and this is the most experimental of the lot. As it switches between the man in a shadowy apartment poking/ touching a nose, and a large prop/ stage show retelling of the set dialogue/ story.

The whole thing runs at the one hour and twenty-minute mark. I’d say it’s ok, as experimental films go- though due to its structure, it’s rather repetitive- even though it’s different men, set up, situations- it does become a little tiresome.

 

This final disc is finished off with a selection of early films from Skolimowski. There’s The Menacing Eye (1960) this silent film runs at the two-minute & forty-five-second mark, and follows a carnival knife thrower. Little Hamlet (1960) runs at seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds- regarding a group of bums acting out a play in a building site- on a swing, and around the building's interior.  Erotyk(1961) it runs for three minutes and twelve seconds and opens with a woman cleaning a mirror. Your Money or Your Life (1961) is set in a fairground during WWII, running six minutes- with use of shifting at points acrobatic shots.

 

All in all, this is another splendid box set from Second Run- with excellent scans for each film, and a good selection of interesting/ worthy extras. If you have any interest in either the Polish New Wave or clever/thought-provoking world film with lightly satirising & surreal touches- this is a must. To find out more, and order direct drop in here