In1961,StanislawRozewiczcreatedthenovellafilm"BirthCertificate"incooperationwithhisbrother,TadueszRozewiczasscreenwriter.Suchbrothertandemsarerareinthehistoryoffilmbutasidefromfamilyties,Stanislaw(bornin1924)andTaduesz(bornin1921)weremutuallyboundbytheirloveforthecinema.TheywerebornandgrewupinRadomsk,asmalltownwhichhad"itsmadmenanditssaints"andmostimportanly,the"Kinema"cinema,asStanislawrecalls:forhimcinemais"heaven,thewholeworld,enchantment".Tadeuszsaysheconsiderscinemabothacharmingmarketstallandamysterioustemple."Allthissavagelandhasalwaysattractedandfascinatedme,"hesays."IamdevouredbycinemaandIdevourcinema;I'macinemaeater."ButTadueszRozewicz,aneminentwriter,admitsthisuniqueformofcooperationwasaproblemtohim:"Itisthepresenceoftheotherpersonnotonlyintheprocessofwriting,butatitsverycore,whichisinserperableformefromabsolutesolitude."Somescenesthebrotherswrotetogether;otherswerecreatedbythewriterhimself,followingdiscussionswiththedirector.Butfromtheperspectiveoftime,itis"BirthCertificate",ratherthan"Echo"or"TheWickedGate",thatTadueszdescribesashismostintimatefilm.Thisisunderstandable.ThetradgeyfromSeptember1939inPolandwasfortheRozewiczbrotherstheirpersonal"birthcertificate".Whenworkingonthefilm,thedirectorsaid"Thistimeitisallaboutshakingoff,gettingridofthepsychologicalburdenwhichthewarwasforallofus....Cooperationwithmybrotherwasinthiscaseeasier,aswesharemanywarmemories.Wewantedtoshowtoadultviewersapictureofwarasseenbyachild....Inreality,itistheadultswhocreatedtherealworldofmassacres.Childrenbeheldthehorrorscomingbacktolife,exhumedfromunderneaththeground,overwhelmingtheearth."
Theprincipleofcompositionof"BirthCertificate"isnotobvious.Whenwatchinganovellafilm,wetendtothinkintermsoftraditionaltheatre.Weexpectthataminiaturestorywillfinishwithasharppoint;thethreefilmnovellasinRozewicz'sworklackthisfeature.Wedonotknowwhatwillbehappentotheboymakinghisalonethroughtheforesttowardstheendof"OntheRoad".Wedonotknowwhetherin"LetterfromtheCamp",thehelpofferedbythesmallheroestoaSovietprisonerwillrescuehimfromtheunknownfateofhiscompatriots.ThefateoftheJewishgirlfrom"DropofBlood"isalsounclear.Willshekeephernewimpersonationas"MarysiaMalinowska"?OrwilltheNazismakeherintoarepresentativeofthe"Nordicrace"?Thosequestionswereaskedbythedirectorforareason.Hepreceivedwaraschaosandperdition,andnotaslinearhistorythatcouldbereflectedinaplot.Although"BirthCertificate"issaturatedwithmoralcontent,itdoesnotaimtobeamoralityplay.Butwiththeimmensepressureofreality,novarientoffateshouldbeexcluded.ThisapproachedcanbecomparedwthKrzysztofKieslowski's"BlindChance"25yearslater,whichpictureddramaticchoicesofadifferentera.
Thefilmnovella"OntheRoad"hasaverysparingplot,butitdrewspecialattentionofthereviewers.TheominatingovertoneofthewarfilmscreatedbythePolishFilmSchoolatthattimeshouldbekeptinmind.MainlyowingtoWajda,thosefilmsdealtwithromanticheritage.Theywerepermeatedwithpathos,bitterness,andirony.Rozewiczisanextraordinaryartist.Whennarratingastoryaboutaboylostinawarzone,carryingsomedocumentsfromtheregimentofficeasiftheywereatreasure,thenarratorin"OntheRoad"discoversroughprosewhereoneshouldfindpoetry.Andsuddenly,theirrationaltouchesthisrathertameworld.Theboy,whountilthatmomentresembledaPolishversionoftheGoodSoldierSchweik,setsoff,likeDonQuixote,forhisfirstandlastbattle.Acriticdescribeditas"anabsurdgestureandsomeoneelsecouldsurelyuseittocriticisethePolishstyleofdying....ButtheRozewiczbrothersdonoaccuse:theyonlycomposeanelegyforthepicturesquepeasant-soldier,probablythemostimportantveteranofthePolishwarof1939-1945.""BirthCertificate"isnotaloftystatementaboutnationalimponderabilia.ThefilmrevealsaplebeianperspectivewhichAleksanderJackieqiczoncecontrastedwiththose"lyricallamentations"inherentintheKordiantradition.However,ahistoricaloverviewofRozewicz'sworkshowsthatthedistinctivestyledoesnotsignifyafundamentaldifferenceinillustratingthePolishSeptember.JustasthememorablescenefromWajda's"Lotna"wasinfactanexpressionofdesperationanddistress,thesameemotionspermeatethefinalsceneof"BirthCertificate".Thesearenotideologicalconcepts,thoughoncedescribedassuchandferventlydebated,butratherpsychologicalcreations.Inthisspecificcase,observesWitoldZalewski,itisnotaboutmanifestingknightlypride,butaboutagestureofasimplemanwhodoesnotagreetobeenslaved.
Thenovella"DropofBlood"is,withAleksanderFord's"BorderStreet",oneofthefirstnarrationsofthefateofthePolishJewsduringtheNazioccupation.Thestoryaboutagirlliterallylookingforherplaceonearthhasadramaticdimension.Especiallyintheageoftoday'sjournalisticdisputes,oftenmanipulative,lackinginempathyandimbuedwithbadwill,Rozewicz'sstoryfromthepastshockswithitsauthenticity.ThesmallherioneofthestoryistheonlyonewhosurvivesaGermanraidonherfamilyhome.Physicalsurvialdoesnot,however,meanareturntonormality.Herfrighteneddeparturefromtherubbishdumpthatwasherhideoutleadhertoaruinedapartment.Herwalkarounditispainfulbecausestillfreshsignsoflifearemixedwithevidenceofannihilation.Helpisneeded,butMirkadoesnotknowanyoneintheoutsideworld.Hersubsequentattemptsexpressthestateofthefugitive'sspirits-fromhopeandfaith,movingtodoubt,asenseofoppression,andthickeningfear,andfinallytodespair.
Atthesametime,theJewishgirl'ssearchforrefugeresemblesthestateofPolishsociety.TheappearanceofMirkaresultsinconfusion,andlater,trouble.ThiswasalreadysignalledbyRozewiczinanexceptionalscenefrom"LetterfromtheCamp"inwhichtheboy'sneighbour,seeingafugitiveRussiansoldier,retreatsimmediately,admittingthat"Now,peopleworryonlyaboutthemselves."Suchembarassingexcusesmaskfear.Duringtheoccupation,noonefeelssafe.Neithersocialstatusnottheaegisofacharityorganisationprotectsagainstrepression.WeseethepotentialguardiansofMirkapassingherbackandforthamongthemselves.Thesearefriendlyhandsbuttheycannotofferstrongsupport.Thestorytakesplaceonthatthinlinebetweensolidarityandheroism.Solidarityarisesspontaneously,butonlysomearecapableofheroism.Helpforthegirldoesnotalwaysresultfromcompassion;sometimesitisbasedonpastrelationsandpersonalties(aneighbourofthedoctortakesinthefugitiveforafewdaysbecauseofpastfriendship).Rozewiczportraysallofthisinasubtleway;eventhesmallestgesturehassignificance.Take,forexample,theconversationwithastrangeronthetrain:short,asifjotteddownonthemargin,butsofulloftension.Andearlier,apeculiarexaminationofPolishness:the"HolyFather"prayerforcedonMirkabythevillageboystocheckthatsheisnotaJew.Wouldnotrisingtothechallengemeanadeathsentance?
Viewedaftermanyyears,"BirthCertificate"disclosesyetanotherqualitythatisnotpresentintheworksofthePolishSchool,butisprominentinlaterB-classwarfilms.Thisisthepictureofeverydaylifeduringthewarandoccupationoutlinedinthethreenovellas.Itharmoniseswiththelogicofspeakingabout"lifeafterlife".SmallheroesofRozewiczsuddenlyentertherealityofwar,withnoexperienceorscalewithwhichtocompareit.Forthem,thepresentisanaturalextensionofandatthesametimeacompletenegationofthepast.Considerthesleeysmall-townmarketplace,throughwhicharmouredcolumnswillshortlypass.OrmeettheGermanmotorcyclists,wholooklikealiensfromouterspace-apicturetakenfromanautopsybecausethisishowStanislawandTadueszperceivedthefirstGermanstheyevermet.Notetheblurredsilhouettesofpeopleagainstawhitewallwhoarebeingshot-atfirsttheyareshocking,butsoontheywillprobablybecomeapartofthegrimlandscape.Inthecitycentrestandsaprisonercamponasoddenbog("Peopleperishlikesflies;thebodiesaretransportedduringthenight");inthestreetthechildernarerunningafteracoalwagontocollectsomepreciouspiecesoffuel.There'sabustlearoundsomefood(aboyreproacheshisyoungerbrother'sactionsbysinging:"Thewarrantofficer'ssonisbegginginfrontofthechurch?I'mgoingtotellmother!");andthekitchen,whichoneeveningbecomestheprosceniumofarealdrama.Andtherearethesymbols:abarofchocolateforceduponaboybyaWehrmachtsoldier("OntheRoad");apairofshoesbelongingtoZbyszek'sfatherwhichtheboyspontaneouslygivestoaRussianfugitive;apricelesssliceofbread,ground undertheheelofapolicemanintheguter("LettersfromtheCamp").Asthedirectorputit:"Ineveryfilm,Icommunicatemyownvisionoftheworldandofthepeople.Onlythenthestylefollows,thedefinedwayofexperiencingthings."InBirthCertificate,headds,hisapproachwasdrivenbythesubject:"Iattemptedtocreatenotonlythetextureofthedocumentbutalsotoaddsomepoeticelement.Iknowitisriskybutasforthemergerofdocumentationandpoety,oftenhiddenverydeep,ifonlyitmanagestomakeitswayontothescreen,itresultsinwhatcanreferredtoas'art'."
After1945,therewerenumerousfilmscreatedinEuropethatdealtwithwarandchildren,including"SomewhereinEurope"("ValaholEuropaban",1947byGezaRadvanyi),"Shoeshine"("Sciescia",1946byVittoriodeSica),and"ChildhoodofIvan"("Iwanowodietstwo"byAndriejTarkowski).Yettherewerefewerthanonewouldexpect.Pursuingasubjectsoimbuedwithsentimentalismrequiresstylisticdisiplineandaspecialabilitytomanagechildactors.Theauthorof"BirthCertificate"masteredboth-anditwasnotbychance.StanislawRozewiczwasalwaysthebeneficentspiritofthefilmmilieu;hecouldunitepeoplearoundacommongoal.Heemanatedpeaceandsensitivity,whichflowedtohisco-workersandpupils.Afilm,beingagroupwork,necessitatessomeformofempathy-tuninginwithothers.
InabiographicaldocumentaryaboutStanislawRozewiczentitled"Walking,Meeting"(1999byAntoniKrauze),thereisabeautifulscenewhenthedirector,afterafewdecades,meetsBeataBarszczewska,whoplaysMireczkainthenovella"DropsofBlood".Thewomanfallsintothearmsoftheelderlyman.Theyarebothmoved.Hewondershowmanyyearshavepassed.Sheanswers:"Afewyears.Nottoomany."AndRozewicz,withhischaracteristicsmilesays:"Itistrue.Wespentthisentiretimetogether."
