Kanal (1956)

Kanal (1956)

Directed By: Andrzej Wajda

Attempting to capture the guilt, fear and frustration of human beings as they straggle through sewers for survival does not sound like an easy or indeed a desirable task. In fact it sounds painful, particularly if the characters you are depicting were the last shred of resistance against a fascist dictatorship. This is the task that Andrzej Wajda set himself back in 1955 when he directed this bitter screenplay.

World War Two was top of the agenda for almost every history lesson throughout senior school, but the grizzly fate of the Polish resistance during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was never something my teachers felt necessary to explore. Perhaps that is because there is no chance, when telling that particular story, to praise the valiant British troops and chortle at how Churchill saved the United Kingdom. Churchill's conquests are of course extremely relevant to our modern history of Britain, but so to is the plight of the Polish people the allied forces set out to save, and that imperative angle is often left to filmmakers and writers, such as Wajda, in order for foreign audiences to be aware of what happened.

However, even though this is a fictitious film based on true events, it must be remembered that the plight of the characters is portrayed through the eyes of Andrzej Wajda, Polands most prestigious filmmaker and a man I have the highest regard for. His ability to combine history, biography and politics at such aesthetic heights, dazzles me to the point of bewilderment. Kanal is no exception to his vast body of work.

The film focuses on a band of soldiers fighting against German forces in Warsaw just moments before they are forced to retreat. As often characterised by Wajda, the central character displays a bold act of heroism in destroying a German tank before he is critically wounded by enemy fire. The audience is made aware at the very beginning of the film that Kanal portrays the final moments of the characters' lives and so their mercy is at the hands of the films running time. This makes for a bleak introduction that only gets bleaker as Wajdas characters are propelled through death in the sewers.

Kanal, like so many of Wajda's films, is a testament to heroism and bravery in the face of defeat. The pitch black sequences of Wajda's cast crawling through fresh sewerage, searching for an exit, punctuate the sheer terror that the Polish people went through during the time of the Warsaw Uprising. Kanal is difficult to watch; it is a dismal reminder of the not so distant past, a statement to national determination and the terror inflicted on Europe during the 20th Century.

Lake of Fire (2006)

Lake of Fire (2006)

Directed by Tony Kaye

A homage to the argument surrounding abortion that propels its audience through the extremities of pro-life and pro-choice campaigns across America.

Whatever a filmmaker's intention when setting to work on a project on the abortion issue, if both sides of the argument are covered properly, this is one of the few moral debates that should always lead to an ambiguous conclusion. However, baring in mind the graphic nature of the film, the phenomenal footage that has been acquired and the stories that are told, it is difficult to believe that Kaye's stance on the issue was neutral from the beginning... and that is what makes the film such a dynamic and well structured documentary.

Kaye portrays his subject as though it were something extremely close to him; as though it is an internal debate he has been having with himself for sometime. Through interviewing a blend of evangelical pro-life extremists, reputable academics and women who have had abortions, Kaye relays the pro-life/pro-choice arguments back and forth without immediate emphasis on either side.

I found the only neutral rest-bite to come through the placid, gracious and brilliantly crafted commentaries from Noam Chomsky, who relates to the both sides of the argument using logical deduction and sympathy. His quiet words soak up the debate as though they were a magical centerpiece, and even though they only last for a few moments, they make sense of the entire issue and spread gentle ripples throughout the remainder of the film.

Lake of Fire is an intense documentary. It is an attempt to make sense of one of the most difficult moral debates in scientific history and it achieves this by amplifying the drama, the dialectics and the distortions that need to be unraveled in order to formulate a justified opinion on either end of the spectrum.

La Double Vie de Véronique (1991)

La Double Vie de Véronique (1991)
Directed by: Krzysztof Kieślowski

A haunting piece of cinema driven by one of the greatest soundtracks ever composed for the screen. La Double Vie De Véronique is a bridge between Dekalog and Kieślowski's three colours trilogy.

There is no reason to question the central themes that run along beside this dramatic storyline; a free thinking Polish girl who sacrifices her life for the music she performs is contrasted with her French doppelganger as she too indulges in a journey of self discovery. These key aspects of the script undergo a great deal of experimentation by the crew in preparation for the director’s most famous works that came shortly afterward.

However, the film is so much more than a trial, treading water before the tableux conceptions in Three Colours Blue or the playful feats of language explored in Three Colours White. La Double Vie de Véronique is a bittersweet tale of love, anguish and identity across Europe. Kieślowski breaks away from The Cinema of Moral Concern, which was dealt with so thoroughly by other Polish directors such as Andrzej Wajda, and paves the way for his own unique blend of colour, drama and composition.

Zbigniew Preisner is one of my favourite contemporary composers, and it was while working with Kieślowski that his work was most delicately utilized. His exquisite melodies play a dominating role in the majority of Kieślowski's later work, demonstrating one of the most accomplished collaborations in European cinema to date.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)
Directed by: Alex Gibney

A well crafted, but slightly drab account of the rock ‘n’ roll journalist's life. Narrated by Johnny Depp.

I was in the process of reading Hell's Angels when I heard about the death of Hunter S. in 2005. At the time I was on a study exchange at Uniwersytet Śląski in Katowice, Poland. There was snow on the ground and I was thoroughly enjoying my first real insight into Thompson's neurotic journalism. I had of course seen Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by that point but my knowledge of the man's journalism was limited.

After catching up on the Fear and Loathing novel and Rum Diary I began to generate a great interest in the man, and I hoped that Gibeny's film would quench my thirst for a deeper insight into the life of this prolific writer.

The film certainly does that, and it is entertaining in parts. The footage of Thompson running for Sheriff is particularly dear, as are the final sequences of the aging writer in the midst of an Elton John binge. Aside from that, the film couldn't possibly be any more 'text book'. Sobering accounts from Thompson's subjects, peers and employers juxtaposed with old interviews and shots of Depp reading from Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 are bland and incapable of maintaining the rapid, exciting and surreal aspects of the man's life.

As a filmmaker, a documentary on the life and and work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson whispers all sorts of wild strategies into my ear; it is a project with promise and risk that could be achieved using all sorts of mad angles. Unfortunately though, this film should be strictly reserved for those who have no immediate interest in Thompson. For others, sincerely curious about the man and the legend, the chronicle of material he left behind is where the excitement is to be found.

Pokolenie (1956)

Pokolenie (1956)

Directed by: Andrzej Wajda

Andrzej Wajda's debut war film about World War 2 and an introduction to a career in cinema that exceeds fifty years.

Pokolenie tells the story of a group of young rebels plotting against the German forces in occupied Poland. It is a vivid portrayal of the essence of rebellion in Poland, which collided mercilessly with personal responsibilities in finding work and supporting loved ones.

Wajda portrays the young rebels as dedicated freedom fighters ready to die for their cause. He also demonstrates the suffering and brutality of the war, using subtle methods that some critics have called naive. However, this is Wajda's first major production and it builds on themes that are expanded upon later in his career.

The most unique and stylish attribute to the film is the Dickensian workhouse, which enables Wajda to aggravate the tension between Poles' desire to fight the Germans and to uphold their personal responsibilities at the same time.

Pokolenie is an excellent initiation into the Wajda canon and an important introduction in understanding the destructive forces of war in Europe no less than sixty years ago.

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
Directed by: David Lean

An outstanding biopic depicting the life of T. E. Lawrence and his time in Arabia. The film is an acclaimed epic that has upheld a level of esteemed accomplishment on international film polls ever since its release.

I felt an ultimate bond with the clumsy outsider, played fantastically by Peter O'Toole, as he persuades his seniors to allow him to travel through the Arabian Desert. His keen sense of adventure makes for a bold introduction into his mission during World War I to establish ties with struggling Arabic forces. The gleam of excitement in Lawrence's eye was something I immediately clung on to, even as it slowly disappears after he begins to take control of the Arabic forces. The evident reason for this happening is Lawrence’s high-level involvement in the Arabic forces and his demagogic presence among the natives – I was instantly reminded of Mr Kurtz in Heart of Darkness.

Each sequence in Lawrence Of Arabia is propelled by Lean's use of the lense. His sweeping shots of desert landscapes blend beautifuly with the mystical pace of camels jerking up and down in the heat, lending a splendid attribute to the film's presence.

The script is bound together by Lawrence's thrilling adventure: the relationships that he constructs with the Arabs; the battles that he commands throughout the foreign land; the reputation he builds amongst his superiors and his untimely death back in England. Due to the veracious drama and seething passion, it is often easy to forget that the film is a biopic and that O'Toole's astute portrayal is based on the life of a curious soldier turned furious colonel. However, that is where the appeal lies; Lawrence Of Arabia is a dazzling adventure more than worthy its prestigious status in 20th century cinema.

Hearts and Minds (1974)

Hearts and Minds (1974)
Directed By: Peter Davis

An essential insight into the Vietnam war told by military leaders, politicians and civilians on both American and Vietnamese sides. Hearts and Minds is a moving history lesson that brings to light the aspects of war and conflict that desperately need to be taken in to consideration today.

From the perspective of a filmmaker, it is easy to see how the pro-war argument has been somewhat manipulated. Davis assigns this responsibility to racist ranks in the US army and (understandably) bitter judgements by a POW after his return to America. One of the most memorable scenes from the film depicts the former POW visiting a school as he fields questions about his experience in Vietnam. The young children are informed that the Vietnamese live shambolic lives and 'make a mess of everything'.

However biased the filmmakers attitude may have been towards the subject, it is almost impossible to describe the horrific images of Vietnamese funerals, burning houses and napalmed children as 'out of context'. These images combined with an altogether ambiguous explanation as to why America was at war with Vietnam, make the documentary that much more difficult to swallow.

But no matter how hard (and extremely relevant) the subject of the film may be, Hearts and Minds is fantastically assembled. Davis juxtaposes contradicting arguments with alarming footage that highlights the realities of war in a frightening fashion; so much so that documentary works as a reminder of how little military and political leaders around the world have learned from their mistakes.

Malcom X (1972)

Malcolm X (1972)
Directed by: Arnold Perl

A collection of footage depicting the life and times of Malcolm X during his rise to popularity amongst African Americans in the United States.

The documentary focuses initially on the controversial aspects of X's life, working as a jigsaw that splices together his most thought provoking and relevant oratory with dangerous controversy bordering on what some called racism. The huge impact that his life had on the African American people is examined through interviews and speeches by the individuals that wither new him personally or who had adopted a special space for him in their hearts.

Malcolm X was a fantastic public speaker, which meant that the most famous of his quotations and speeches were often documented visually. Perl makes the most of this footage as he takes the audience on a journey through the subtle alterations that X made to his politics when new experiences unravelled new arguments. X's journey to Mecca and his fresh take on 'race' is perhaps the most dominant of these political alterations and the filmmaker deals with these changes most appropriately in relation to the pace of the film.


The film inevitably concludes with X's assassination and the impact that it had on people all over the world. Once again, Perl tactfully weaves between the opinionated mourners across America who are deeply saddened by the death of one of America's most controversial public figures and are quick to point the finger as to is to blame for his death.

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)

Pierrot Le Fou (1965)

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

A new-wave whirlwind of politics, pop culture and colour. A journey through the mind of one of cinemas early revolutionaries as he broadens the boundaries of film and leads traditional narrative by a leash into wispy waters.

I saw Pierrot Le Fou for the first time as an undergraduate. My understanding of Godard's experimentation with narrative and audience perception was naive and I was unable to contrast his work with much else from the same period. It is only through researching French New Wave cinema and discovering the movement's impact on an international scale, that I can begin to understand what Godard was trying to achieve with this most unique production.

As with other projects that sport a similar style to Pierrot Le Fou, Godard is able to showcase his personal opinions on everything from American music to war and torture. However, the platform for Godard's ventilation is more to the tune of a canvas; bombarded with exquisite colour and tableaux, than it is a motion picture. But I think this is what I failed to understand about the film when I saw it first; the improvisation and sporadic script writing that was once difficult for me to swallow, seemed to overshadow the fantastic use of colour, drama and whit that Godard applies here. That combined with a delicious performance by Anna Karina and the classic cool composure of Jean-Paul Belmondo makes for a most insightful slice of French New-Wave.

Pan Tadeusz (1999)

Pan Tadeusz (1999)
Directed by: Andrzej Wajda

Over fifty years of film making have allowed Andrzej Wajda to experiment with script, style and story. I have watched almost all of Wajda's films since taking up residence in Poland and I begin my attempt at annotating some of his projects here.

I have not read Pan Tadeusz, an epic poem written by Adam Mickiewicz in 1834, but it is on my list of things to do. The poem is a politically enthused exploration of Polish identity garnished around a love story. For decades, it has been read by school children all over Poland, marking its importance in the countries history.

My interpretation of the film, as a foreigner in Poland, was one of deep curiosity. I feel privileged in being able to have such direct access to Polish cultural essentials, but the experiences can occasionally prove rather trying. Pan Tadeusz on the other hand, is a wonderful film that I thoroughly enjoyed. The combination of superb acting (notably Daniel Olbrychski and Boguslaw Linda) and stunning cinematography make for a splendid, albeit daring project that sweeps Mickiewicz's words off of the page into a world of dazzling colour and drama.

Wajda's Pan Tadeusz is a nostalgic interpretation of the poem, that features superb performances by Poland’s acting elite. The film is a pedantic reincarnation of Mickiewicz's poem that is both charming and detailed. Though Pan Tadeusz is a film that perhaps only Poles can truly appreciate, I found it to be a pleasurable insight into a national culture and history that was previously inaccessible in such a format.