Krzysztof Kieslowski: I'm So-So...

Krytsoff Kiselowski was a genius film-maker, a passionate opponent of the communism that gripped his native Poland in his formative years but oddly, perhaps the kind of intellectual who can only develop in an oppressive environment. 'Im So-So' is a documentary in which he offered his thoughts about some of his movies. For a man who inspired so many, he's a reflective but unassuming presence: there's a sense of highly restrained playfulness about his demeanour but also the sense of a man already old (and indeed, he sadly died soon afterwards, though only in his mid-fifties). If you obtain the DVD of my favourite Kieslowksi film, 'No End', there's a lengthy interview with his cameraman on that (and this) film which perhaps gives us more of a flavour of how he dealt with working under the system, and the way he impacted on those he worked with. The biography is still interesting in both accounts; but his art was divine.

This film (video) richly illustrates the life of the great Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski. It was completed just a couple of years before his untimely death. He comes off as a simple man, not at all like the great cinematic genius he was. The film, at 56 minutes, is just long enough to sustain our interest without becoming boring. Though interesting for Kieslowski fans, other film fans may not find this film to give much more insight on the director than what is already known.

Those looking for an in-depth discussion of Kieslowski's films, especially the work he's most famous for, will be sorely disappointed. Only a few moments are spent on RED and THE DECALOGUE, and BLUE, WHITE and VERONIQUE are skipped over entirely. Slightly more time is spent on the early documentaries, CAMERA BUFF, BLIND CHANCE and the one feature I haven't seen yet, THE CALM. However, there is some insight into the man's attitudes and philosophies. As one would expect from knowing his work, his outlook is both cynical and hopeful... the feeling that humanity is essentially good but misguided. Some of the most interesting moments are when Kieslowski participates in the creation of the documentary. Less interesting is the gimmicky prologue in which a handful of professionals (doctor, priest, psychologist, clairvoyant, handwriting expert) analyze the director without the benefit of having met him.

It is with a mesmerizing simplicity, plenty of humility and a reserved but sharp sense of humor that we meet one of the greatest film directors (better, an auteur) to ever live on Earth, the late Krzysztof Kieslowski. Quite a surprise, I must say. One would expect the creator of masterpieces such "Blind Chance", "The Decalogue" and the Colors trilogy to be someone complex, with a difficult talk and exposing political and cultural references in all sentences but no, he was the kind of guy you'd probably meet several times, you're neighbor, or someone who gave you a lift when it was very needed, easy going in all aspects.

And he doesn't need to be convoluted of ideas or be pretentious while exposing the ideas behind his creations. He is brief in every thing he speaks (life, movies, politics, his personal views on life, culture and the world) and he's allowed to share with us part of his routine (everytime he's asked how was his day, enjoying his semi-retirement after "Trois Couleurs: Rouge" due to many health problems but he was working on another script - my guess is that it was "Heaven" released in 2002 by another director). But don't be fooled: he shares many characteristics with the characters he invented, a proud pessimist who observes life the way it is but it a bit of magic in it, and some faith as well.

The grace of watching this film is in knowing a little bit more about the person behind the screen, the amazing human being he was, very down to earth and a keen observer on human condition and everything related with it. Highpoint and a shocker moment comes when he reveals that the most memorable shot from "La Double Vie de Veronique" was taken from a real event.

The "low" score I'm giving to this it's just because it wasn't longer. It could have so much but so much more and follow every single film he made. I could listen Mr. Kieslowski talk for hours and I just wished he was more explicit about the incident that removed him from making documentaries, after filming a real murder that took place on the exact same spot he was making his film. 9/10

I'm so-so is a documentary which works primarily because of the interesting subject and his familiarity with its director. It runs for 50+ minutes but is strategically divided into implicit chapters, each bookmarked by a short visual of Krzysztof Kieslowski saying how he feels that morning. Kieslowski, for the relatively short amount of time he made films, became a darling of the serious cinema buff. He created characters that had immense depth in their respective, flawed lives.

With I'm so-so, Krzysztof Wierzbicki (a one-time assistant to Kieslowski) picks individual films of his and works his way through some of the philosophies and ideas associated with them. Films like Camera Buff and Blind Chance are lesser known of Kieslowski's works and they get quite a bit of interest here. They somehow skip past much of Decalogue and the Red and White parts of the Colour Trilogy. But that is not really a major problem. Kieslowski displays a lively sense of humour and appears very comfortable talking about his films. Along with Werner Herzog's My Best Fiend, this is a great film about films and is a must-watch for all film students - serious or otherwise.