Przypadek (AKA Blind Chance)
Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
Written by Krzysztof Kieślowski
1981/1987/Poland
IMDb page
First viewing/YouTube rental
Witek Dlugosz: If I hadn’t missed a train here a month ago, I wouldn’t be here with you now.
Ksiadz Stefan: It’s not just chance.
Witek Dlugosz: Sometimes I think it is.
This meditation on coincidence, chance, and fate paved the way for such movies as Run, Lola, Run (1998).
Witek Długosz is a young medical student who has decided to take a break from his studies. He takes a train to Warsaw. We see three different versions of his future depending on whether he misses or catches this train. These paths result in him getting involved with the Polish Government, getting involved with student radicals, or resuming his medical studies. But his ultimate fate remains unchanged in each version.
I love Kieslowski’s world view and spirituality. This is a good example of how he sees everything interconnect. It’s more heavy-handed than his later work but still thought-provoking and beautifully made. Run, Lola, Run is a gimmicky music video. This is far deeper.
The film was made in 1981 but banned and not released until 1987, in a censored version. The censored cuts had been restored in the version I watched.
