I think he is terribly under valued- I particularly like his Polish films like Walkover and Barrier
He’s a teriffic director who ahsn’t been given the opportunities he’s deserved sicne the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.
As an actor-director he’s unique.
Polanski’s “Knife in the Water” was made from his script. He and Polanski had acted together earlier in Wajda’s “Innocent Sorcerers.”
“Rysopis” and “Walkover” — whcih are really one film in two parts — was his first breakthrough. After than came “Bariera” — his masterpeice. Then “Hands Up” which was purloined by the government and not released until 1982 in rather different form than the one he had first planned. “Le Depart” followed and was kind of a hit. Then “Deep End”, “King, Queen, Knave” and “The Shout” (th elast being the first film in Dolby) Inbetween the very strange “Adventures of Gerard” which he directed under the name "Yurek Skolimowski’
Directorially things went spotty after than. “Moonlighting” was great. “Success if the Best Revenge” less so. “The Lightship” excellent.
By this time his acting career was well underway. He was teriffic in Schlondorf “Circle of Deceit” with Hanna Schygulla. and as the scientist who develops the translating machine in “Mars Attacks!” More recently he was outstianding in Cornenberg’s “Eastern Promises.”
He went back to Poland to make the curous “Four Nights with Anna.”
He lives in Los Angeles,
Hands Up!
Deep End is fantastic.
Skolimowski is an Eclipse box set waiting to happen
Is Moonlighting any good David? It got generally positive reviews back when it was released, and I think it won something at Cannes, but I’ve not seen it. Amazon is selling the DVD for $5.99.
.
i love love love love love hands up! and bariera as well (jan nowicki is so cute!) but i haven’t seen many of the english films, only the shout and moonlighting…so i’m asking for recommendations – should i watch deep end first or see how he’s working more recently, with the polish four nights with anna?
in fact which film is going to prepare me for the skolimowski/gallo monster that is being created now….?
second run had announced some skolimowski’s i think, but they’ve disappeared…i wonder if that means that there is some big restoration project happening….
@ Matt
Moonlighting is fantastic- much more subtle and understated than the earlier Polish films. The metaphor of the house being torn down as the country going through tumultuous political upheavals works brilliantly, and Jeremy Irons is fantastic too.
But, I will kill for Walkover and Barrier any day…
subtle schmuttle
Can’t wait for his new one, hope it ends up at TIFF!
Just saw my first Skolimowski. “Identification Marks: None.” For me it was sort of a routine “60s disaffected youth adrift in an urban (socialist) wasteland” film. I wasn’t able to detect any underlying poetry or powerful cinematic command. I have a box set of his early films so I’m going to continue with him and post some more reactions here. Hopefully I’m in for more affecting experiences than this initial one.
brady qw
He made Deep End, King, Queen, Knave and The Shout. He’s an excellent director, his affinity for the human psyche shines through in all of his films. Still working, too. What do you guys think about him?