Pornografia

Cheap in name, rich in content? Unfortunately not. In fact, the only thing that this picture left me with was a desire to read the original book by Gombrowicz (although in all main features it is almost identical to another work he wrote - “Possessed"). With the exception of Waclaw and Hipolit, all the characters here are alienated from the viewer by the behavior and emotions, despite it oozing from them that they are the bearers of great stories. And it is the director’s fault that he doesn’t manage to endear the viewer to them. Their behavior therefore of seems illogical or without any connection to their previous actions. If the director hadn’t engaged the help of a narrator, it would have turned out even worse. Plus the strange moments where things just peter out. For instance the “come on, come on" ins and outs with Ms. Amelia. It’s clear that Fryderyk’s character was meant to develop in some direction, but that doesn’t happen and the whole five minutes just fizzles out into nothing. And there are countless moments like that here. Even so, mainly thanks to its climactic ending, Pornography isn’t a bad picture. Not bad, but average. (09.01.2008)