This pointless if fairly amusing 10-minute short (which was honored at the 1960 Venice Film Festival) was reportedly among director Krzysztof Kieslowski’s favorites; incidentally, its maker – who was previously unknown to me – had been a mentor to the future Polish auteur (and, in fact, THE MUSICIANS is included on various DVD editions of Kieslowski’s THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE [1991])! The title is self-explanatory, centering as it does on a rehearsal for an upcoming concert by a small-town orchestra; we’re told that their number has been steadily decreasing over the years – which, however, comes as no surprise at all considering that the musicians have to put up with a cantankerous elderly conductor! The latter’s antics render the whole passable enough – but, at the end of the day, it’s a film unlikely to receive multiple spins from casual viewers…
