El personal

This is the most overtly biographic film amongst the works of the great Krzysztof Kieslowski, since Kieslowski was a very private and reserved person as I perceived him.

In "Personel", Romek Januchta was his alter-ego, bot just bore great resemblance to the director especially when he wore glasses(to see more clearly, when he was not a new-comer anymore), he worked in the theatre in the wardrobe department just as Kieslowski did. This film is rare chance to have a glimpse of the first half of Kielslowski's life other than it was told in books and interviews.

Probably the first interesting feature of the director, after he had made many commissioned documentary and excellent shorts. The shy, reticent, love-longing boy/boyish man(in a way a rebel under the boy-next-door disguise) is a favorite of his since "Tramway", the character is differed in the following films like "The Calm", and comes to its perfection in "A Short Film about Love".

The film remarkably looks like the mockumentaries of the recent years, ahead of its time, it is not so far-fetched comparing it to "Extras", since it also looks into the less glorious side of Showbiz and shares its poignancy and dark humor. (In season one, "Extras" has a episode about Ricky Gervais' Andy wants to flatter a producer so that he would give a part to him. In the flaunty speech made by the producer, he mentioned the white-clothed man is missing in two episodes of "Decalogue").

A must-see for any admirer of Kieslowski.

Probably Kieslowski's oldest film available in the United States with subtitles, Personel is an interesting look at the people who do things behind the scenes for plays. The main character is outspoken after having just been hired to work with the costume making and is noticed by the higher ups when he suggests the workers start their own cabaret. There is a good contrast shown between the actors and those behind the scenes as far as attitudes toward each other. There are many closeups in the film and it is clear it was probably shot on lower quality 16mm with bad lighting. Nonetheless, it is an interesting view of a different aspect of the theatre as we are normally shown things only about the actors. Films such as Truffaut's The Last Metro and Osten's The Mozart Brothers are two examples of films about theatre actors.

One of Kieslowski's earliest films, and I believe his first dramatic feature. The film follows a young man who has just started work in the technical department of a theater, making costumes. It serves as both a behind-the-scenes look (very reminiscent of Kieslowski's fly-on-the-wall documentaries) and a political allegory when Romek faces an ethical decision. Knowing Kieslowski's fondness for moral ambiguity, it's no surprise that the story is left open-ended. It reminded me a little of BLIND CHANCE. Juliusz Machulski is quite good in the lead, as is Michal Tarkowski (who would reappear in THE SCAR). The ins and outs of the theater biz are interesting and presented in an intimate, and at times comical, you-are-there manner. The political angle is a tiny bit heavy-handed and forced, but not too much. It's hard to make a case for this film's greatness, especially in light of Kieslowski's later works, but it's an easy watch with some rewards to be had. Rating: