Customer Reviews

Interrogation [VHS]

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I have seen this movie twice in Poland and even the second time it was an amazing experience. It is about an imrisoned woman being interrogated by one of the political officers. It is a movie heavly embedded in the polish society during the era of communism. The relationship between the prisoner and the interrogator is slowly changing and it can be compared to the relationship between the kindapper and the kidnapped women. There is some brutality shown, but only enough to show the physical conditions of the prison system. I highly reccomand this movie.

Interrogation (Przesluchanie) is an amazing drama about the Stalinist terror imposed in Poland in the 1950s. Tonia (Krystyna Janda) is a cabaret singer who becomes the target of the secret police. I like how the film doesn't waste any time; Tonia is quickly abducted and imprisoned within minutes from the start of the movie. Tonia isn't sure why she is imprisoned and we are left in just as much suspense as a clear answer to this question doesn't come quickly.

Tonia is asked personal question but they are particularly interested in her past lovers. She is a bit stubborn and a free spirit, which doesn't help her as their goal is to break her. The interrogators try to wear her out but she still remains strong despite their many efforts to break her spirit. I got the sense that the prison was a place where time stands still. The inmates there have no idea what time it is or how much time has passed. This sense of timelessness only increases their awareness of their pains.

Several scenes of the movie are brutal and we are not spared a good and close look at it. The prison guards treat the inmates like animals. Unquestionably, Przesluchanie could be considered a very emotional film as it shows a lot of screaming and raw violence. One cannot escape the comparison of the treatment Tonia received to the harsh treatment that made the Nazis infamous as it is mentioned several times. Although not stated, we quickly see that her prison interrogators are probably no better.

In my opinion, Interrogation holds a very special and important place in Polish cinema. The story is terrifying yet realistic. The acting is flawless and the story is captivating. It exposes oppression from over half a century ago but the same thing could (and perhaps does) happen today.