Movie reviews

NA ZAWSZE MELOMANI (FOREVER MELOMANI) AND Q&A WITH PRODUCERS

Recommended. At face value it's a documentary on a jazz band, narrated by a rapper. But it's so much more than that. You learn that in Poland jazz was illegal to listen to until 1956, since it was perceived as anti-communist, too American basically. At the same time, in the post-war years, it was mainstream entertainment, preceding rock'n'roll. Lots of archive footage, contemporary interviews with big names even I've heard of, music like from old black and white movies. Then the documentary goes on charting the history of Polish cinema through its use of jazz soundtrack. You also get to see excerpts of Polański's film school etude. Among interviewees Antoni Studziński is a wonderfully expressive storyteller. Dynamic cut, lots of fascinating stories and well-known film fragments. When you recognize famous Polish movie themes, you realize it's all jazz. Eye-opening. I've never been a fan of jazz but it's a perfect documentary for an ignorant like me. 

Sadly Antoni Studziński, the last original band member alive at the time of shooting, passed away in August. Now the producers are making a documentary about Łódź as a city of film. The music event mentioned in the documentary brought a number of Polish celebrities together: Skolimowski met Polański and Komeda at the Sopot Jazz Festival. Before rock'n-roll there was only jazz. Throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s jazz was used in film. "Don't Look Up" is a rare example of this genre in a movie nowadays. Witold Sobociński filmed a dance in "Wesele" ("The Wedding") from the inside.