Krzysztof Kieslowski and the Effectiveness of Blending Realism With Surrealism

Paper by Phill Hunziker.

Krzysztof Kieslowski’s filmmaking style is so uniquely multi-faceted that it’s nearly impossible to label it as one thing or another. It’s a compelling combination of realism presented through subtle surrealism; done so slyly that the audience can read into symbolism, juxtapositions and other techniques that create multiple meanings and messages without being taken out of the trance of watching a film. His style is unique in that his “world” that he creates is actually one so similar to the ‘real world’. Stanley Kubrick’s films, for example, are multi-layered while keeping you entranced in the story so that you don’t necessarily become aware that you’re watching a film as you analyze everything on-screen (colors, juxtapositions, etc.) The difference is that Kubrick’s world is recognized as his world. Even though you’re fully attached to that world, you still understand it is it’s own reality. You aren’t a part of the world, rather an enlightened guest. In Kieslowski’s films, the same cannot be said. Everything, from the cinematography and ‘normal’ acting to the realistic plot points and dialogue; this all represents more of an every-day feel than the stylistic stereotypes of both mainstream(entertainment) and independent (art) films. This allows Kieslowski to employ stylistic techniques to distort this world to tell the story, develop the characters and create deeper meaning while maintaining the fullest sense of realism possible.

None of his films are absent of commentary, whether it be of political and social issues, or general life habits and situations. His 80’s films, such as Blind Chance and A Short Film About Killing, tend to focus more on social/political issues, where the 90’s films like the Three Colors series tend to focus on the human nature. That’s not to say that either is devoid of the other issues. Blind Chance very much delves deep into human consciousness and tendencies, as A Short Film About Killing also dissects what causes people to do the things they do. A Short Film About Killing especially hits on human issues, as it follows two nearly polar opposite characters who each toil with their own thoughts, expectations and realities. This film, in my opinion, encapsulates all of Kieslowski’s filmmaking in one mystifying, dark take on life. There is no shortage of deep, thought provoking issues addressed, each of which would take hundreds of pages to fully analyze and discuss. To name a few: capital punishment, PTSD, expectations, murder, ideologies, psychological isolation, empathy, social and economic class, contemplations, regret, self-blame, temptations, ‘fine-lines’, anger, confusion, trauma, politics, justice, law and chance. While all of these hit hard, thanks in large part to the ugly visual and audio world that is presented, the most prominent issue addressed is capital punishment. Cyrus Frisch, an Avant-garde filmmaker, even stated that “In Poland, this film was instrumental in the abolition of the death penalty.” Aside from the fact that films, especially great ones, can have an impact people and society, how did this film play such an important part in such a difficult subject? The film doesn’t just come out against capital punishment, rather it subtly juxtaposes the murder by the state with Jacek’s murder of the cabbie. Jacek’s character isn’t exactly some hero here, he’s actually quite a villain. For about 30-40 minutes, before the murder takes place, he is shown as quite the degenerate. He messes with people. He pushes objects off bridges into traffic. He allows people to be assaulted in alleys without helping. He feels pleasure when others, including himself, feel pain, as demonstrated when he wraps the rope around his hands while in the restaurant. He then proceeds to murder a complete stranger in cold blood, strangling him, beating him and crushing his head with a rock. Nobody has sympathy for this guy…. that is until you really get to know him. The lawyer plays his confidant and the voice of reason, allowing us to get a peak into his dark past. The story about his sister and true feelings about himself, along with the fact that he honestly (almost innocently) thought he could drive away with his married crush, makes you start to question your view of him and understand that he isn’t exactly the epitome of evil. This puts the idea of “senseless”, “ruthless” and “pointless” murder and crime into question. Clearly this man has been traumatized. While this does not justify his actions, shouldn’t his traumatic past be taken into consideration when punishment is being determined? This brings us to the second murder; the one committed by the state. In my opinion, this is even more gruesome than the first. Instead of taking place in the open natural setting by one mentally unstable drifter, this one takes place in a dark, claustrophobic construct by multiple expressionless suits paid handsomely to play god. Unlike the long struggle of the first; one that is dirty and real, this one is swift and frighteningly clean. Each suit seemingly had no problem ganging up on a mentally unstable young man, forcing him into a noose and watching him hang to death. Are their actions justified? Hardly, as the justice system is quite flawed. This eye-for-an eye mentality is too black-and-white for a world filled with so much gray.

The story, much like his other films, is very compelling while successfully maintaining a sense of realism. The plot, dialogue and character development itself is enough to generate debate and raise many questions about the aforementioned issues. However, it is the way Kieslowski orchestrates the film and presents these events to us that takes it to the next level. His films always carry a distinct sense of credibility that allows you to trust what is being presented to you, rather than being simply preached to and being turned off by perceived pretentiousness. Kieslowski seemingly allows the reality of the situations to be, instead of distorting them to the point of no return. There’s nothing wrong with that method, as filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, Michael Moore, David Lynch, among many others, do so with incredible eloquence and success. However, Kieslowski’s methods stay away from the line that sometimes turns certain people off, in that their brains put up a firewall screaming “Don’t tell me what to think!”. That’s not to say he doesn’t distort reality, it’s just that the way he does is so uniquely crafted that it seems like subtle tweaking, even though he’s actually editing nearly everything you see and hear in every scene for a distinct purpose. Whether it be the color of a setting, prop or costume (very apparent in the Three Colors series), the lighting, camera movement (usually handheld), etc.; each scene is carefully constructed to serve a purpose to both the narrative and the underlying themes. In A Short Film About Killing, he creates a startlingly realistic, super bleak and depressing world to go along with the dark themes addressed. It seems like, at may times, half the screen is darker than the other. There is hardly any color that stands out, with gray, tan, brown and black feeling like the stars of the show. The world is presented as run-down and dirty, perfectly compared to Jacek and his inner turmoil. Yet, and this is how the second murder is comparatively worse, this run-down world is more desirable than the claustrophobic, polished, lifeless aura of the government’s premises, specifically the execution location. The colorless, clean, straight-edged, enclosed layout of the room makes you squirm. Combine that with the cold delivery of dialogue by the uniformed officials as they self-righteously send a man to die, then the scary-quick efficiency of ganging up on Jacek and hanging him until he dies; the message is pretty clear without being beaten to death (pun intended). When you compare the two murders and the reasons for their happening, which seems more cold-blooded? Which seems more senseless: a traumatized mentally unstable drifter killing a cab driver, or a clear-thinking, tax-funded, publicly-trusted institution dragging a mentally unstable drifter into a dark, windowless room and wrapping a rope around his neck, removing the floor beneath him so that he may hang until he dies, all in the name of justice? Kieslowski’s style takes realistic situations such as this and slyly tweaks them in a fashion that causes the viewer to think: “Well, when you put it that way…” To make his point, not just against capital punishment but against killing and violence itself, he could have gone over-the-top with his depiction of violence, thus pounding away at a point that was already being made. Rather, he keeps it simple and real while maintaining the bloody gruesomeness and viciousness of the acts. The first murder is specifically gruesome, which makes it even more impressive that the latter murder is the one we despise and reject more. As Kickasola puts it: “This is not gratuitous violence, nor is it in the least bit titillating. Rather, the details all reflect the dishonor of the moment, the horrifying messiness of killing, and the casual way in which it is culturally processed.” By displaying something that is so “casually processed” in it’s true form, the effect is so much more powerful. The masses view violence all the time. Action films, ‘shoot ‘em ups”, torture porn, slasher films, etc. have all graced the big screen and have been apparent in pop culture, yet they don’t get people to actually think about real issues or even be truly phased. It’s when the violence is realistic; that makes the average movie-goer squeamish and they start to truly think about what they’re seeing and the reality that it actually happens in the world they live in.

Credit should absolutely be given to the many successful filmmakers and artists who do such a great job distorting reality the way they do, entertaining viewers while also delving into deeper meanings and commentating on such a large array of issues. Kieslowski’s style, however, is in a class of its own. Surrealism and exaggeration are absolutely effective in their own right and both are apparent in his style. It’s his unique loyalty to reality that separates him from the pack and makes his films as effective as they are. His films, specifically A Short Film About Killing are crafted in a way that allows deeper meaning, surreal and experimental effects and techniques, distortion and multi-layered commentary to be present while keeping the plot, characters, themes and their generated world as realistic and home-hitting as possible. This style creates a supremely effective impact on both social issues and the way we think about ourselves, as well keeps us glued to the screen until the credits roll.

Work Cited

-Kickasola, Joseph G. “Dacalogue V and A Short Film ABout Killing.” The Films of Krzysztof Kieślowski: The Liminal Image. New York: Continuum, 2004. 200-11. Print.