Pregi

Having watched Pregi at the opening of the Polish Film Festival in London I can highly recommend this film. It works on so many levels addressing the emotional issues surrounding the father/son relationship and how the sins of the fathers can impact on their children in later life. One of the big successes of the movie is the on screen relationship between the young Woitek (Waclaw Adamczyk) and his father (Jan Frycz). Apparently the genuine friction in this coupling was maintained by the actors keeping their distance from one another whilst off set. The sense of fear in Wojtek was palpable and a teenage actor with lesser ability could have scuppered the whole project. Another triumph was the performance of Michal Zebrowski who played the adult Wojciech. After his performances in films such as 'Pan Tadeusz' it was good to see him get his teeth stuck into a real part which required him to demonstrate a whole gamut of emotions which he did more than ably. I was lucky enough to be involved in a question and answer session with Director Magdalena Piekorz after the screening where she gave an insight into the making of the film. I am sure that both critics and fans of Pregi will watch with great interest her follow-up projects which she is still to get funding for. One would hope that after such a fantastic debut feature the money will be forthcoming.

"Child is the father of the man" (Sigismund Freud)

What would you do having got through a horror of violence in childhood? How could you live and be able to love having been deprived of it in the youth, bitten and cruelly raised by the father. Is there still any sense in forgiveness? These are the questions that appeared in my mind whilst and after watching this incredible movie.

The movie "Pregi" tells a story of Wojciech (Michal Zebrowski) who was brought up by a religious man, pure outside, but precisely the opposite in his heart, cruel, a shockingly authoritative parent. His only way to bring up his son Wojciech is by belt and shouting pressing everything on him, even the sort of music to listen to or the way he should wash his teeth. After terrible excesses, Wojtek escapes from home not being able to stand this reality any longer.

As he grows up, he becomes a mirror of his father: selfish, demanding from all but not from himself, furious without any serious reason. Although he is aware of the fact that something is wrong with him, he cannot free himself from the pressure of the past, from the values that were rooted in his upbringing. However, nothing is lost forever. In the long run, the harm on his psyche is cured by ... Love.

The movie is wonderful in several aspects. First of all, it has a highly psychological content. The character of Wojciech made me reflect. Being pressed in childhood and being deprived of affection, he has a huge difficulties to show it to other people because he was not raised in affection. Escaping to loneliness is a sign that he has problems with his "ego." The film also proves Freud's words that i dared quote at the beginning. Yes, indeed, child IS the father of the man...

The cast of the movie are great. I especially loved the performance of Michal Zebrowski. He shines in this role: the mimics are incredible. Throughout the film you see that he has an unstable psyche, he hesitates and seeks for love. Sometimes, when love is reachable, he is afraid, escapes, then comes back and finally, he is able to say something to Tania, his girlfriend, the words that he would never dare say before. It is also significant to mention Krzysztof Zanussi. He is a real MAESTRO of psychological, ambitious movies. VERY GOOD!!!

All in all, the film Pregi is not only another single story of a man's fate, hurt in his childhood. It is, first and foremost, a wonderful lesson of life, of values, of LOVE! As a matter of fact, we all have something from Wojciech... 8/10! A psychological masterpiece that really deserves attention!

Frankly, this flick is not up to scratch. It consists of two equal length parts: a childhood and and adulthood of a certain man who got beaten from time to time in his tender years. Why the scriptwriter is credited with plural "stories?" Does this flick consist of two stories which has little in common? The first part is boring and repetitious. Anyone can figure out what is happening in less than fifteen minutes, and then both scriptwriter and director indulge into photocopying their boring visions. The flick has an inadmissible number of loose ends, which serve no purpose, and is out of depth. What is its message actually? On the other hand, Zebrowski and others are doing an excellent job. So, my criticism applies to a scriptwriter, director and editor, and possibly producer, since it all looks cheap at times.