Kasia Taras
Alchemy. About the Art of Cinematography
Pulsating with poetry
I became acquainted with Dariusz Kuc's cinematography in three parts. First of all - the films. I started with Farewell to Maria (1993), Filip Zylber's debut as a director. Dariusz Kuc was already a renowned cinematographer back then, he had cooperated with Andrzej Barański (The Peddler - 1990), Andrzej Domalik (Upstairs, Downstairs - 1988), Waldemar Krzystek (Suspended - 1986, Dismissed from Life - 1992), Piotr Szulkin (Femina - 1990) and Andrzej Wajda (The Ring with a Crowned Eagle - 1992), to name a few. Zylber's film is a very fine adaptation of Tadeusz Borowski's short story, which has nothing to do with today's adaptations of reading matter. Zylber made a film based on Borowski's plot, he filtered literature through filmmaker's sensitivity, offered a very personal interpretation of the short story we all know. We can argue whether this interpretation is good or not, there are as many opinions as there are viewers, especially viewers of a special kind - the recipients of adaptations, nevertheless, it's impossible not to give in to the beauty of the cinematography. Yes, beauty, although it's a story taking place during the occupation, we should not forget that the characters are very young people who, indeed, conspire, distil bootleg alcohol and take part in underground studying, but also love and write poems. And what if they do so with such intensity...

Dariusz Kuc
That shall not be surprising, they don't have much time: a poem has to be said immediately as tomorrow there might be nobody to hear it; love wants to be fully felt as soon as possible as tomorrow there might be nobody to share it with. This intensity renders the film different from the short story. There is none in Borowski's work as all emotionality was strange to him, he preferred a behavioral description. Zylber and Kuc's film is filled with it as the artists tell about the hunger of life, felt most intensely when death is more probable than getting a loaf of fresh bread for breakfast. Their characters are young, beautiful and life-thirsty. It's not that often to see a film in which the actors' faces actually mean something and not only “are present". In Zylber's film we watch Marek Bukowski, Radosław and Cezary Pazura, so different from what they accustomed us to with their later roles, Rafał Królikowski, Dorota Chotecka, Agnieszka Pilaszewska. (Later on the same youthful energy will be found in All That I Love by Jacek Borcuch.) The beauty of Borowski and Zylber's characters is drawn out thanks to the way of photographing - young, fresh, uncontaminated with the surrounding villainy faces were clashed with the texture of a brick wall. There are a lot of walls in this film, although not so many red bricks - red was intended to mark Maria (Agnieszka Wagner), while yellow was reserved for Sara, a Jew (Katarzyna Jamróz). It's not surprising in the world right behind the ghetto's wall. This wall casts a shadow and that's why all characters, despite their youth and dreams, know how death looks and smells like. “Farewell to Maria" gives a counterpoint , yet used very subtly. Clashing the texture of a face with the texture of a wall is one of its manifestations, juxtaposing yellow and red with steel (deadly pale) blue and the fact that the wedding parade reminds more of “dance macabre" and the wedding feast becomes the Last Supper, are next manifestations of it, yet the way in which lighting was used is the most memorable. In this film light, perversely and in defiance, but also menially towards the story - what, as we all know, characterizes good cinematography - doesn't give life but instead exposes those who hide. The closer we are to the finale, the more hostile it is. Nevertheless, there is Someone who watches all this, doesn't interfere, yet sympathizes with people who are determined to love and be loved in order not to feel dead bodies, at least for a moment - as Sara describes it. And in order to stop feeling like one. About this Someone's presence we are informed by regularly dosed shots made with a camera pointing down.

Still from "Farewell to Maria"
In one scene Tadeusz (Marek Bukowski) says to Maria: “You pulsate with poetry like a tree with its juice". I think the same can be said about cinematography by Dariusz Kuc for Borowski's adaptation.

I didn't manage to ask him before his death to what extent he was inspired by literature in his work. (maybe like John Seale, the laureate of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the previous edition of Plus Camerimage festival, he would reply that he finds what is most important in the literary original). It is impossible not to remember that Dariusz Kuc is a cinematographer of literature adaptations of various sort. Of The Master and Margarita (1988) directed by Maciej Wojtyszko, with outstanding Anna Dymna as Margarita and brilliant Gustaw Holoubek - Voland. It is hard to believe that it was a TV series, therefore a product for the widest audience. And of Horror in Happy Swamp (1995), directed by Andrzej Barański, an impression about a forgotten, yet very good novel by Choromański - “Scandal in Happy Swamp". And also of Upstairs, Downstairs by Andrzej Domalik, one of the films inspired by Witkacy's biography, or rather a biographical legend, and especially by his relation with Michał Choromański, whom he disciplined like a snotnose; it's no wonder, taking into account that ladies from Zakopane were calling the author of Upstairs, Downstairs “an impertinent Russian". One way or the other, Dariusz Kuc, like no one else could “visualize" the dance on a volcano performed by holiday-makers infected with “zakopianina", as the only reasonable man there was Painter (Jan Nowicki) aware of the fact that what he sees is - as he puts it - “the funeral of a certain epoch, it died and there won't be any resurrection"; we can see his resemblance to S.I. Witkiewicz. Earlier in the article I raised the issue of a cinematographer being inspired by literary original; it's difficult not to notice in Upstairs, Downstairs that Kuc was also inspired by Witkacy's artistic works.

Still from "Upstairs, Downstairs"
Dariusz Kuc is also a cinematographer of a story about love impossible to fulfill, although fulfilled. What I have in mind is Suspended (1986) by Waldemar Krzystek, a melodrama written for three actors. He (Jerzy Radziwiłowicz) is a Home Army activist hiding at Her (Krystyna Janda) place, the third character (Andrzej Łapicki) knows about everything, yet he protects them because he loves her. Every time I watch this film, I can't resist to call Dariusz Kuc a master of photographing the history written for two faces and one interior. There is something about this portrayal of faces, as Maciej Wernio, in his article Darek Kuc. Memory (“Film PRO" 3/2012), mentions Krystyna Janda's pronouncement about the face of an actor being crucial for Dariusz Kuc.

Dariusz Kuc also co-created performances for Television Theatre. I remember Hedda Gabler (1993) best, Krystyna Janda's debut in Television Theatre - the phenomenon of Ibsen could be felt despite the presence of a screen. Later on there was breathtaking, due to well-staffed roles and great temperament and energy of shooting, Le Cid (1995, directed by K. Janda); so rarely present on Polish screen Edward II (2002) written by Marlowe, directed by Maciej Prus, produced in climatic basements of the Camaldolese monks' church in Bielany district in Warsaw; finally, Going Astray (2007) directed by Jarocki, based on Gombrowicz.

Still from "Suspended"
Dariusz Kuc was also an author of many commercials. A commercial can be art too and in many cases it is. However, it wasn't always so obvious for people. Dariusz Kuc was one of the first authors who treated this sphere of creating extremely seriously.