Leave it to Martin Scorsese, that tireless advocate of film preservation, to curate this special program celebrating Poland’s oft-overlooked contributions to world cinema. Spanning 1957-1987, these films righteously reveal a nation toiling under Soviet rule, at a time when political outrage in movies was a definite no-no. Rampant censorship and state-sponsored distribution reigned. So, filmmakers like Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieslowski masked their people’s raging discontent in historical epics about Nazi occupation, imploring the viewer to look closer despite the clear consequences. Wajda’s ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958) and Andrzej Munk’s EROICA (1957) both employ Nazis as their surface antagonists, while the harsh road of post-war progress posing as idealism is the real villain. It’s not all pain and suffering though. Tadeusz Konwicki’s JUMP (1965) sparkles with enigmatic New Wave energy, while Aleksander Ford’s BLACK CROSS (1960) is a rip-roaring medieval adventure. Nineteen films screen in total. A treat for film lovers and history buffs alike.
– Jon Meyer
(3/14) EROICA (1957) DIRECTED BY ANDRZEJ MUNK @BRATTLE
(3/14 & 3/15) ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958) DIRECTED BY ANDRZEJ WAJDA @BRATTLE
(3/15) BLACK CROSS (1960) DIRECTED BY ALEKSANDER FORD @BRATTLE
(3/15) MOTHER JOAN OF THE ANGELS (1960) DIRECTED BY JERZY KAWALEROWICZ @BRATTLE
(3/16) CAMOUFLAGE (1976) DIRECTED BY KRZYSZTOF ZANUSSI @BRATTLE
(3/16) TO KILL THIS LOVE (1972) DIRECTED BY JANUSZ MORGENSTERN @BRATTLE
(3/17) THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER (1958) DIRECTED BY TADEUSZ KONWICKI @BRATTLE
(3/17) JUMP (1965) DIRECTED BY TADEUSZ KONWICKI @BRATTLE
(3/18) THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT (1964) DIRECTED BY WOJCIECH HAS @BRATTLE
(3/19) THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM (1973) DIRECTED BY WOJCIECH JERZY HAS @BRATTLE
(3/19) ILLUMINATION (1972) DIRECTED BY KRZYSZTOF ZANUSSI @BRATTLE
(3/20) INNOCENT SORCERERS (1960) DIRECTED BY ANDRZEJ WAJDA @BRATTLE
(3/20) NIGHT TRAIN (1959) DIRECTED BY JERZY KAWALEROWICZ @BRATTLE
(3/21) MAN OF IRON (1981) DIRECTED BY ANRZEJ WAJDA @BRATTLE
(3/22) BLIND CHANCE (1981) DIRECTED BY KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI @BRATTLE
(3/22) THE CONSTANT FACTOR (1980) DIRECTED BY KRZYSZTOF ZANUSSI @BRATTLE
(3/22) A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING (1987) DIRECTED BY KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI @BRATTLE
(3/23) PHAROAH (1965) DIRECTED BY JERZY KAWALEROWICZ @BRATTLE
(3/23) AUSTERIA (1982) DIRECTED BY JERZY KAWALEROWICZ @BRATTLE
MARTIN SCORSESE PRESENTS: MASTERPIECES OF POLISH CINEMA
Brattle Theatre
40 Brattle St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
$10 GA // $8 Student // $12 for Double Features
