The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski : Variations on Destiny and Chance

Directors' Cuts

by Marek Haltof

Since his death in 1996, Krzysztof Kieslowski has remained the best-known contemporary Polish filmmaker and one of the most popular and respected European directors, internationally renowned for his ambitious Decalogue and Three Colors trilogy.

In this new addition to the Directors'Cuts series, Marek Haltof provides a comprehensive study of Kieslowski's cinema, discussing industrial practices in Poland and stressing that the director did not fit the traditional image of a "great" East-Central European auteur. He draws a fascinating portrait of the stridently independent director's work, noting that Kieslowski was not afraid to express unpopular views in film or in life. Haltof also shows how the director's work remains unique in the context of Polish documentary and narrative cinema.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Poland

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2004

Reviews

[Martyna Antonina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kino moralnego niepokoju apelujące o święty spokój. No kocham.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This survey of Kieślowski’s work is most informative for the pre-Dekalog films, which are rarely seen. For the period when Kieślowski rose to international fame, Haltof does little more than describe the action of the films as any viewer could see for themselves, and this book runs up against a slim size of just 150 pages that offers little space for in-depth analysis. Nevertheless, for the late films Haltof does describe the critical reaction within Poland at the time, which is sometimes interesting and wouldn’t otherwise be so easily known to international readers due to the language barrier.

[Hollis Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent tour through unquestionably the greatest Polish director and one of the great European auteurs of the 20th century.

[Afshin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I deeply enjoyed this thorough review on Kieslowski's cinema. The journey with Marek through every films by the Master is unforgettable and it deciphers many of the director's codes which seemed to be unresolvable.