The Devil 1972 ‘Diabeł’ Directed by Andrzej Żuławski
Young Polish nobleman Jakub is saved from imprisonment by a stranger. In return, the stranger wants to obtain a list of Jakub’s fellow conspirators. As he follows his mysterious savior across the country, Jakub is affected by the overall chaos and moral corruption; he goes insane and becomes a mass murderer.
My tastes clearly veer toward the strange, artsy, and dramatic. I put this on as a palate-cleanser, and that says something about me. I know Zulawski is a strange, intense, and stylistically impressive filmmaker, and I know his films require insight and effort to engage in effectively. That I thought this was the right thing to wash the taste of the worst of stoner bullshit out of my mind suggests something twisted in my mind. That i was right suggests something twisted in my soul.
Zulawski's The Devil (its Polish title Diabel has a nice ring to it in my mind) is actually a fairly direct metaphor for oppression and violence in 1960s/70s Poland, especially compared to the fever dreams…
I reveled in every second of this maniacal masterwork from the crazy-ass Andrzej Zulawski. Set in 1793 during the Prussian invasion of Poland, our protagonist Jakub is freed from imprisonment by a mysterious character who seeks a 'list' of his co-conspirators (allegory is at play, and likely why the film was banned in Poland upon release) as the price for his rescue, and let us just say a Faustian type pact is made, turning Jakub into a crazed mass-murderer armed with a straight razor. The hysteria dial is turned up to maximum, where every character acts as if they are devil possessed - Fucking brilliant and my fave Zulawski film thus far!
Slow descend into a fever dream induced by an enigmatic painting seen earlier in the day, the last sight as the consciousness fades is of an incubus rooting its place on the chest. Amidst delirium, a soft violin sonata to keep us company, no, probably won't be waking up. Zuławski's vision of hell is vile and deeply personal, a world fueled by animal instincts and sexual deviance, permeated with enough filth to make the devil dance in joy. It is as ugly as it is mesmerizing, a circus show for lunatics. #5
Robert Beksinski's #2 Film Selection for Edgar
First think of Goethe's Faust.
Zulawski's poetic piece of exploitative sensory overload acts as a tragedy. Plotwise, the historical setting never matters, which takes place during the Prussian army's invasion of Poland in 1793. During the invasion, a man (Jakub) who was imprisoned because of an assassination plot against the King is saved by a stranger. In exchange, the stranger asks him the list of Jakub's fellow conspirators. It is a bargain. Maybe implicitly, Jakub sold his life to this stranger, following him across the country as he progressively becomes more insane each time at the sight of the rotten state of an impoverished and decaying nation. As the plot outline sells, he…
By far one of the most notorious directors of all time, Andrzej Żuławski has become recognized for his controversial arthouse films that go balls-to-the-walls in their insanity and violence, and generally unrepentant in showcasing severe hopelessness in a way that ensured he would never ever see any commercial success. Naturally, I am intrigued, and decided to venture into his work through his second feature Diabel (most people choose Possession to start off with. woops). Banned in Poland under its Communist rule until democracy was accepted by 1990, to the point that Żuławski moved to France in the face of such disgust from the government, this film serves as a compelling piece on the growing insanity of the world, as well…
When society inevitably collapses and God abandons us; it’s back into the forest we go.
I love post-horror (precursor of genre?) aureola of this film but can't understand the vibe of Żuławski which makes "Devil" really tiring
Buckle Up! Formula 1 driven allegoric examination of the betrayal and brutalization of Communist students by the Polish Secret Police in 1968. Considerably enhanced understanding and enjoyment of the film if backstory research occurs before viewing. Epic in scope but surprisingly intimate in scale. A testament to the formidable talent of Zulawski. Film was banned and barred in Poland causing the director to exile in France. Stylistically akin to falling from the sky for eternity. Fever dream of a film that plops you down into the lap of madness. Not necessarily the most forgiving of films but once you see a Zulawski film you will never forget.
Holy fucking shit! It's been a while since I've seen something this mean spirited masked with a lotta playfulness the last one I saw that's somewhat similar was Hausu. This is a whole other beast on the other hand, it's very aggressive right from the get go may it be the suffocating dark atmosphere or the this closed quarters madness of gunshots and deaths all around the screen. Bombarding experience on the senses it goes really hard at a lot of points genuinely amazing how much it runs on raw consuming passion. Life in death and madness and such is an endless circle.
Too real considering the semi-authoritarian regime put in place in my country as of yesterday, 17.05.2020.
Żuławski uses religion as an allegory for oppression, but always is careful enough to drop moments of hope amidst the relentless darkness his movies can be sometimes. It's about people being passive, not acting even when many horrors are happening around them, until they are sick of it, and decide to act. It's crazy that a film set in 1793, made in 1972 is so current and scary in 2020.
ok so there's a grittiness and urgency to Żuławski's stuff that I really enjoy, but I think that a lot of it goes over my head. Definitely rewatching in the future
Before there was "elevated horror," there was Zulawski, a guy who elevated horror straight up to the penthouse of crazy.
Watch: rarefilmm.com/2018/11/diabel-1972/
In Andrzej Żuławski's The Devil, the lines between the asylum, its inmates, the guards, and the public are illusory at best. The only thing predictable about this unchained rabid dog of a film is that when evil isn't lurking in the corner, it's thriving in the streets. As in all Żuławski's best, the actors are hurricanes, the camera is the Olympic Village lovechild of a sprinter and a gymnast, and the thematics writhe to visceral life out of their literary graves. Unlike his comparatively tepid debut, AZ's 2nd feature bears witness to a master taking the reins of his signature style.
2020 #204 (5/5)
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