Four Nights with Anna

Four Nights With Anna is a masterfully shot film about obsession and alienation. Okrasa, the film's protagonist. seems almost entirely incapable of expressing himself. It seems clear that he hasn't been around other people much and that he has been unable to create any kind of relationship with anyone. One day he happens upon a rape in progress; he's too terrified to speak out until after the sound of sirens has driven the rapist off. Somewhat perversely, Okrasa sees Anna, the victim, as someone he can relate to since she has become as powerless as he feels. Although she knows he is innocent she is too traumatized to testify at his trial. Their connection is further deepened when he is blamed for the rape and sent to prison. Once freed he gets a job at a crematorium but he begins to obsessively stalk her-strangely, he lives pretty close to her. Eventually he begins sneaking into her room while she is asleep.

The plot is pretty thin but the outstanding visuals carry the film. Skolimowski's camera does an excellent job of capturing the bleak exteriors and interiors of the village where Okrasa lives. Also, there is some nice visual symbolism. In a few scenes Okrasa hides in the dark outside of Anna's window. The entire screen is black except for Anna's lit room which seems to be floating in a void: this visually articulates Okrasa's obsession as to him she is the only thing that matters in the world. In another key scene Okrasa is standing in front of a nice calm stream when a dead cow floats by. Like Okrasa, the cow is totally out of place in its environment, he constantly ends up in places he doesn't belong in.

Okrasa is the type of character that might be a bit hard to understand but the film's narrative structure aids in making him a more amenable character. As the film's jumps back and forth chronologically the viewer is mildly disoriented and unsure about what exactly is happening; it isn't terribly hard to follow but it makes the viewer about as disoriented as Okrasa seems to be most of the time.

Four Nights With Anna is somewhat slow paced but its short running time and masterful visuals ensure that all but the least adventurous viewer will find plenty to enjoy.

I recently saw this at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival. After a long absence from film noted Polish filmmaker Jerzt Skolimowski was coaxed back into film-making to to write and direct a small feature film which became this film Four Nights with Anna. Skolimowski was at the screening and explained that a producer wanted him involved in a major film as a director but wanted him first to direct a smaller film to show that he was still a competent filmmaker. Co-written with his wife Eva Piaskowska this film is set in northern Poland in a bleak environment of a small northern town and is the story of Leon (Artur Steranko) who works for a hospital crematorium and lives on the hospital grounds with his ailing grandmother. Across from their house is the nurses quarters where Anna (Kinga Preis) lives. Leon is a timid bachelor with a menial job and a criminal history who is infatuated with Anna. This is a dark and dark-looking drama with little dialog and an almost Hitchcock-like suspense but not a heavy suspense prevailing throughout the film. It's a small film but skillfully executed and a wonderful performance by relative unknown Steranko in the lead role. I would give this a 7.0 out of 10.

Just Wonderful, in two words, it's an almost non-spoked drama film, that achieves immerse the audience into the story by the brilliant playing of the lead role by Artur Steranko, main character it's a loneliness guy who find company looking through the window at the apartment across side yard, he creates a love story for himself involving Anna (girl's apartment) with whom he has been involved in a criminal act been innocent

Every scene has been very well directing and played, when i saw it i was involved easily in the plot, audio track is very good, scenery and locations were chosen carefully to develop characters and plot, i haven't followed Skolimowski's work but after this film i'm impatient to see new films from him

a man. a woman. a hospital. four nights in a room watching object of love. two windows. a cat. and the gray atmosphere. few words.a ring. and a fake accusation. different fact of a small world. nothing else. and precision of a story as delicate work of a remarkable director. a film about solitude, desire and sin. sad and common. slice of stone in the light of hot ash. not a lesson, not an event. only testimony about a strange search of happiness. part of every existence, this story is almost a mirror.or only postcard from yourself deep places. cruel, touching and empty of colors, it is shadow of an usual tragedy with many labels.story of love, it is reflection of hate. nothing else.