Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

The Illumination

Original title: Iluminacja
  • 19731973
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
The Illumination (1973)
Drama
Tabloid life of a physicist; his work, his love life and his quest for the meaning beyond.Tabloid life of a physicist; his work, his love life and his quest for the meaning beyond.Tabloid life of a physicist; his work, his love life and his quest for the meaning beyond.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
    • Krzysztof Zanussi
    • Krzysztof Zanussi
  • Stars
    • Stanislaw Latallo
    • Monika Dzienisiewicz-Olbrychska
    • Malgorzata Pritulak
    • Krzysztof Zanussi
    • Krzysztof Zanussi
  • Stars
    • Stanislaw Latallo
    • Monika Dzienisiewicz-Olbrychska
    • Malgorzata Pritulak
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos7

    Stanislaw Latallo in The Illumination (1973)
    Stanislaw Latallo and Malgorzata Pritulak in The Illumination (1973)
    The Illumination (1973)
    The Illumination (1973)
    The Illumination (1973)
    The Illumination (1973)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Stanislaw Latallo
    Stanislaw Latallo
    • Franciszek Retman
    Monika Dzienisiewicz-Olbrychska
    Monika Dzienisiewicz-Olbrychska
    • Agnieszka
    Malgorzata Pritulak
    Malgorzata Pritulak
    • Malgorzata
    Jan Skotnicki
    • Chory the Mathematician
    Edward Zebrowski
    Edward Zebrowski
    • Physician
    Wlodzimierz Zonn
    • University Dean
    • (as Prof. Dr. Wlodzimierz Zonn)
    Bogdan Mielnik
    • Self
    • (as Bogdan Mielnik PhD)
    Wladyslaw Turski
    • Self
    • (as Wladyslaw Turski PhD)
    Wlodzimierz Zawadzki
    • Assistant
    • (as Wlodzimierz Zawadski PhD)
    Lukasz Turski
    • Self
    • (as Dr. Lukasz Turski)
    Jadwiga Colonna-Walewska
    • Franciszek's Mother
    • (as J. Colonna-Walewska)
    K. Ernst
    Irena Horecka
    • Sick Mother
    • (as I. Horecka)
    J. Illasiewicz
    J. Klamerus
    Alina Kornijewska
      Marcin Latallo
      Marcin Latallo
      • Franciszek's Baby Son
      • (as M. Latallo)
      A. Mikulski
        • Krzysztof Zanussi
        • Krzysztof Zanussi
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      More like this

      The Structure of Crystal
      7.2
      The Structure of Crystal
      The Constant Factor
      7.1
      The Constant Factor
      Camouflage
      7.3
      Camouflage
      Zycie rodzinne
      6.8
      Zycie rodzinne
      Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease
      7.0
      Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease
      The Maids of Wilko
      7.4
      The Maids of Wilko
      A Year of the Quiet Sun
      7.1
      A Year of the Quiet Sun
      Jak byc kochana
      7.3
      Jak byc kochana
      Mother Joan of the Angels
      7.5
      Mother Joan of the Angels
      No End
      7.4
      No End
      The Third Part of the Night
      7.3
      The Third Part of the Night
      The Spiral
      6.6
      The Spiral

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Connections
        Featured in Suplement (2002)

      User reviews3

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      7/10
      The quest for truth
      The movie begins with a short lecture by Wladyslaw Tatarkiewicz (1886 - 1980), a Polish philosopher and ethicist, where illumination is described as a mystical experience, a revelation of truth beyond the senses, the definition attributed to St. Augustine. The explanation is refreshing since many journalists and hack writers today believe that mysticism is "seeing things that are not there" and bears no relation to truth.

      Franciszek, the protagonist, is engaged in an unending quest for illumination, although not entirely in Tatarkiewicz's sense. The first stage is his study of physics, where he believes he will "learn things which can be known unequivocally" (this was before string theory, 10-dimensional space and multiverses). However, he feels he is learning the physics of the past; the labs where he works seem to confirm this. Other stages of his quest follow. Some involve science and/or religion and are sought by Franciszek, others are forced upon him by real life. In the end, a sort of illumination is reached, although it bears little relation to the object of Franciszek's quest.

      This movie was made in 1973 when Jean-Luc Godard cast a long shadow on world cinema. His influence is felt (fast cutting, sometimes almost subliminal; photographs, titles, diagrams, apparently unscripted conversations) although it is filtered through the world view of the director. The result, as in the best Godard's movies, is a sort of alienation effect that suits the tale.

      Stanislaw Latallo plays Franciszek's to perfection, his physique matching exactly the character. The rest of the cast is also excellent

      Film Studio Tor is a film production company established in 1967 in Warsaw, since 1980 under the direction of Zanussi. The studio has posted some of its productions (like this movie) on You Tube.
      helpful•16
      0
      • hof-4
      • Jul 31, 2019

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • December 1978 (United States)
        • Poland
        • Polish
      • Also known as
        • Poland
      • Production companies
        • Zespol Filmowy "Tor"
        • Film Polski Film Agency
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • 1 hour 31 minutes
        • Mono

      Related news

      Contribute to this page

      Suggest an edit or add missing content
      The Illumination (1973)
      Top Gap
      By what name was The Illumination (1973) officially released in Canada in English?
      Answer
      • See more gaps
      • Learn more about contributing
      Edit page

      More to explore

      Recently viewed

      Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
      Get the IMDb App
      • Get the IMDb App
      • Help
      • Site Index
      • IMDbPro
      • Box Office Mojo
      • IMDb Developer
      • Press Room
      • Advertising
      • Jobs
      • Conditions of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Your Ads Privacy Choices
      IMDb, an Amazon company

      © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.