Movie Kler arouses great emotions. This is evidenced by, for example, attempts to suspend the projection of this production in some Polish cities, which we have already written about on the pages of our portal. However, my own assumption is that in order to be able to comment on a film, you must first watch it. So I did in this case - I went to film Kler. That is, the most famous Polish cinematographic work of recent years.
Movie Kler - record opening
By choosing to film Kler in fact, I wasn't thinking about anything. I have got used to the fact that any work - regardless of whether it is film or theater art - criticizing the Catholic Church causes enormous indignation in Poland. This was the case with the performance entitled Curseit is, and by the way film Kler. Apart from the subject of this production, the controversy that arose around it significantly contributed to its commercial success. There has been no such opening in Polish cinematography for years - only in the first weekend, Smarzowski's work attracted 935 357 viewers to cinemas. This is the best result since 1989.
The audience was not full
I went to the screening in the evening. The film was not scheduled to start until 21:00. I did not expect crowds, especially since I decided to go to the cinema only two weeks after the premiere. My predictions were correct - the cinema room was maybe 15% full. It's a plus for me. I like to watch films about something and horror movies in silence and concentration, and a full audience significantly increases the risk of watching a movie to the accompaniment of rustling packages of chips or uncontrolled conversations on the phone.
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Rightly controversial?
Sam film Kler - as befits Smarzowski's productions - technically, it is a very solid production. The acting is at the highest level, the shots are made with masterly precision, and the script and dialogues are not boring. Accustomed to the artistry of the director, I was not disappointed in this respect. I also admire the ability to run a three-threaded storyline. The story of the three priests was intertwined due to the tragedy that the heroes experienced in the past. The life of two other priests is clamped in the last scene where Lisowski and Kukuła meet again.
Despite pointing to the grave sins committed within the Church, alone film Kler it didn't shock me. In fact, Smarzowski showed in a condensed manner all the irregularities that exist within this organization. All the presented priests have human vices and display behaviors that people more or less connected with the Catholic faith talk about. Father Kukuła likes little boys, Father Lisowski is a careerist who will do anything to achieve his goals. Archbishop Mordowicz appears as a high-ranking hierarch who owes his position to his cunning and ability to create arrangements. In turn, Father Trybus - the parish priest of a small village parish - has a mistress who at some point tells him that he is expecting a child. The scenes of ubiquitous breakdown at the convent of nuns and priests in the final scene of the production are also significant.
A film without hope or hopelessness?
The above-mentioned creations of the characters may at first glance suggest that Smarzowski wanted to present the Catholic Church stuck in hypocrisy and hopelessness. Father Adam Szustak, in turn, maintained that the film lacked "hope" for the very end. However, it is worth remembering that the director Clergy he is a realist and although he used some symbolic scenes in his production, he tries to show the human side of his characters in a realistic way. We must remember that the Catholic Church is created by people, and as you know - none of us is free from defects. At last Nothing human is alien to me.
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It can be argued that film Kler it does not present the whole truth about the Church as such. It's true - same as traffic police does not show the true face of the entire Polish police, but Bad house it does not present the whole truth about Poland. Smarzowski focuses on flaws and that is what his latest work is. This is why he presented all the pathologies that can be seen inside the Catholic Church as an institution. Nevertheless, the production did not shock me - the director showed all the irregularities that we talk about every day.
Despite the rather sad and heavy nature of the film, there is no shortage of positive accents. Father Kukuła feels the people's turning away from the Church almost on his own skin. After his excesses with young boys come to light, he miraculously avoids lynching in public. Ultimately, he makes a decision to protest against the pathologies inside the Catholic Church. He becomes the same martyr, although earlier he was both the executioner and the victim (he was himself abused by a priest in his childhood). Moreover, the director did not answer the question Was Father Kukuła a pedophile? lined on a tray. Ultimately, this issue was not fully resolved - perhaps Father Kukuła became a victim of slander, and when he wanted to reveal the truth, Father Lisowski tried to bribe him and shut him up? The director left a lot of room for interpretation of this ambiguous character.
In turn, priest Trybus, finding out that he would become a father, resigned from the ministry, rented a flat in the city and declared to go to work to support his family. At the same time, she also stops abusing alcohol. Smarzowski also asked about the ambiguity of Father Trybus. At the beginning, this hero gave his lover money to have her abortion. During the course of the film, however, his inner transformation takes place and he decides to take responsibility for raising his offspring. However, these are the only positive accents in the production that I noticed.
Movie Kler - excellent production?
Personally, I think that Smarzowski could focus not only on the negative sides of the institution, which is the Catholic Church. In any case, I understand and appreciate the director's intentions, and the controversy he caused indicates that film Kler is an extremely important production in Polish cinematography. Although it starts out in a stereotypical way, we can see realism typical of Smarzowski in the following. Cruel, condensed, showing flaws in a way "in a nutshell".
Answering the question posed - film Kler is an important production and very solidly directed. However, I lack objectivity and it is a bit offensive to concentrate all the faults of the Church in one film. After all, this institution has its merits in the fight for the sovereignty of the Republic of Poland. The institution itself faith it is a good tool for educating about morality and creating positive attitudes in everyday life. It may not be an ideal tool, but I would not even like to imagine an anarchic world if at least some people did not believe in God. I am not a believer myself, but I can see and see the need of other people faith she helped.
