Krzysztof Kieślowski: Polish Filmmaker

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This post will serve as the introduction to a series on Krzysztof Kieślowski, a Polish filmmaker widely unknown in America, who directed many films of great intuition and artistry from 1989 to 1994. 

A master of the contemplative moments of life, he captured complex emotion with the aid of powerful sound scores by the Polish composer, Zbigniew Preisner, with whom he worked closely on some of his greatest pictures, such as the Trois Couleurs trilogy and La Double Vie de Véronique. 

Noticeable characteristics of his cinematographic style include long shots of characters making their paths through the streets, sequences devoid of dialogue with movement seemingly directed by the almost constant musical accompaniment, and a conscious use of color tones to achieve diverse moods.

Singularly masterful in comparison to most contemporary filmmakers, Kieślowski's ability to convey the human condition as beautiful, mournful, solemn, and sublime dwarfs the standards of Hollywood that attempt to simplify human experience to a few immobile sentiments, reactions, needs. Kieślowski's characters cannot be pinned down. They seem to be the best representations of the fallen human self, free from assumptions and surmise. They have infinite potential, and no trite, quick conclusion is employed to flatten them. They remain real.

We may be blessed with one lonely hermit of the same breed, and of course I mean Terrence Malick, who has also applied the compositions of Preisner -- as well as John Tavener (d. 2013) -- to his work.

Enjoy the trailers. Dive into the human story and the fragrant bath of life. More to come.