The Scar

Krzyssztof Keislowski's feature length debut, The Scar (1976), is a mature piece of film making. I suppose it should be noted that Keislowski had already several documentaries and shorts under his belt as well as a made for TV film. Nonetheless, the film displays a strong visual storytelling style, strong acting performances, and tells a compelling story of the difficulties of finding success with a large state sponsored economic project in communist Poland. Kieślowski humanizes the moral landscape by displaying several individuals whose personal problems are connected with a system that highlight its inadequacy.The bulk of the film is focused on Stefan Bednarz (Franciszek Pieczka), an honest party official, who is put in charge of a chemical factory project in the small town where his wife used to be a Party activist, and he has unpleasant memories of it. However, he has faith in the project and believes it will improve the lives of the people in the region once it has been completed. His intentions and convictions are in conflict with those of the townspeople-who are primarily concerned with their short-term needs. Bednarz becomes disillusioned and gives up his post. It is an impressive debut from a director who will become one of the leading voices of European cinema before his untimely death.