Barrier (1966)

A rebellious student wants to get total independence and overcome all the barriers in his life: of money, age, status, cults and conventions. However, he meets a girl with completely different ideals.

Director:

Jerzy Skolimowski

Writer:

Jerzy Skolimowski

Stars:

Joanna Szczerbic, Jan Nowicki, Tadeusz Lomnicki

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joanna Szczerbic	...	Tram Driver
Jan Nowicki	...	Protagonist
Tadeusz Lomnicki	...	Doctor
Maria Malicka	...	Cleaning Lady
Zdzislaw Maklakiewicz	...	Paper Seller
Ryszard Pietruski	...	Oberwaiter
Bogdan Baer	...	Man at the Bar / Car Driver
Henryk Bak	...	Doctor Campaigning Blood Donation
Marta Dutkiewicz
Stefan Friedmann	...	Tram Driver Asking for Help
B. Gutewicz
Ryszarda Hanin	...	Depot Shift Manager
Andrzej Herder	...	Manius
Malgorzata Lorentowicz	...	Apartment Owner
Zygmunt Malanowicz	...	Eddy

Storyline

A rebellious student wants to get total independence and overcome all the barriers in his life: of money, age, status, cults and conventions. However, he meets a girl with completely different ideals.

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Plot Keywords:

rat race | waiter | tram driver | sword | student | 

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Release Date:

18 November 1966 (Poland)

Also Known As:

Barrier

Filming Locations:

Poland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zespol Filmowy "Kamera"

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

User Reviews

new wave lost polish classic

This is not only my favorite new wave piece of film-making, but probably even my fave all time movie ever. It's surreal, a bit stagy and it's cranky and twee at the same time. Mesmerising soundtrack by Krzysztof Komeda oscillating between avant-garde jazz and psychedelic choral motives fits the snapshots perfectly and the use of camera and backgrounds in most scenes is just as riveting (and pretty revolutionary for 1966 I suppose). Characteristic for Skolimowski's works abstract and sardonic humour makes it as playful and refreshing as any of the Truffaut's late 60s gems although the central theme (barriers between generations in a post-war Poland) is treated entirely seriously here. "Barrier" seems to be quite a complex cinema, bristling with ideas and references but at the same time the whole story is quite simple and beautiful and its pure joy to watch Jan Nowicki and Joanna Szczerbic as a main characters. In general I am quite surprised that "Barrier" won only main prize at Bergamo festival and it makes me pretty wistful that Skolimowski's way-out ideas for cinema from late 60s (along with "Barrier" - "Hands up" and "Le depart" come to my mind) are rather forgotten in Europe nowadays. As one of the critics wrote just before Skolimowski's retrospective at Moscow festival: "Jerzy Skolimowski, is one of those scarcely known classics whose fame comes sort of „post factum" in retrospective shows when the artist said everything what he had to say". Enough said, don't miss this masterpiece if you ever have a chance to watch it.