Product Details

• Actors: Arkadiusz Detmer, Andrzej Chyra, Borys Szyc, Janusz Bukowski, Marcin Jedrzejewski
• Directors: Konrad Niewolski
• Format: PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen, Import, Color
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: SPI International
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B002NCJAE0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,341 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Poland released, PAL/Region free DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: SPOKEN LANGUAGE: POLISH Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS; SUBTITLES: ENGLISH; WIDESCREEN 1,85:1; SYNOPSIS: Director Konrad Niewolski's second feature is an atmospheric transposition of the prison-movie genre to a contemporary Polish setting. Well received at home, the film provides a frank account of current prison condition in a plot about a falsely accused young man who turns from callow youth to callous con. College student Lukasz (Arek Detmer) is arrested and accused of assaulting an old lady, who mistakenly picks him out of a line-up. The hapless Lukasz soon finds himself holed up with a typical movie assortment of cons. His only hope to survive the constant threat of sudden violence is to adapt to the prevailing dog-eat-dog philosophy. Presenting the prison in pallid hues of green and grey, director Niewolski displays a strong visual sense and gets the best from his actors.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind prison walls life is not exactly the same but is a reflection of it, September 17, 2009

By 

Richard J. Brzostek (New England, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Symetria (DVD)

Behind prison walls life is not exactly the same but is a reflection of it. It is reminiscent of the phrase "as above so below" but might be more accurate to say "as here so there." Symmetry (Symetria) is a great film about prison life and shows how life is mirrored there. They have their own slang, their own culture and even their own justice system.

Lukasz (Arkadiusz Detmer) is accused of a crime he didn't commit but the justice system doesn't seem to recognize that fact. Lukasz is quickly oriented (and so are we) by the other inmates into the world behind bars. The first inmate he sees in a holding cell asks him using prison slang if he is a tough guy or a push over. Lukasz quickly decides he will take the path of being a strong guy.

When Lukasz is first placed in his cell with his five cellmates he gets an introduction to who he will be spending his time with (one of my favorite scenes in the movie). He is greeted by a hard crew of guys, from Albert (Borys Szyc) who is a real thug to Dawid (Andrzej Chyra) who isn't large in stature but is a deadly killer. They test him and teach him how it works in this world.

The movie is amazing in that it shows a man's transformation. At first Lukasz struggles in fitting in and not being overwhelmed by the other inmates who use force and intimidation. After that, his next problem is not going crazy from just being there. I will let you see for yourself what happens.

Part of the appeal of this movie is that it is intense. There is some violence but don't worry it isn't just one beat down after another but a story of substance. The acting is great and I do have to add that Detmer did an amazing job playing the role of Lukasz. I love the slag and it is very catchy; it also gives the movie another level of realism. The music is by Michal Lorenc, who is one of my favorite composers, is very intense and compliments the story very well.

Symetria is amazing and might even change the way you think about prisons. Konrad Niewolski, the director of Symetria, truly impressed me with this unforgettable drama/thriller.