In 1961, Stanislaw Rozewicz created the novella film "Birth Certificate" in cooperation with his brother, Taduesz Rozewicz as screenwriter. Such brother tandems are rare in the history of film but aside from family ties, Stanislaw (born in 1924) and Taduesz (born in 1921) were mutually bound by their love for the cinema. They were born and grew up in Radomsk, a small town which had "its madmen and its saints" and most importanly, the "Kinema" cinema, as Stanislaw recalls: for him cinema is "heaven, the whole world, enchantment". Tadeusz says he considers cinema both a charming market stall and a mysterious temple. "All this savage land has always attracted and fascinated me," he says. "I am devoured by cinema and I devour cinema; I'm a cinema eater." But Taduesz Rozewicz, an eminent writer, admits this unique form of cooperation was a problem to him: "It is the presence of the other person not only in the process of writing, but at its very core, which is inserperable for me from absolute solitude." Some scenes the brothers wrote together; others were created by the writer himself, following discussions with the director. But from the perspective of time, it is "Birth Certificate", rather than "Echo" or "The Wicked Gate", that Taduesz describes as his most intimate film. This is understandable. The tradgey from September 1939 in Poland was for the Rozewicz brothers their personal "birth certificate". When working on the film, the director said "This time it is all about shaking off, getting rid of the psychological burden which the war was for all of us. ... Cooperation with my brother was in this case easier, as we share many war memories. We wanted to show to adult viewers a picture of war as seen by a child. ... In reality, it is the adults who created the real world of massacres. Children beheld the horrors coming back to life, exhumed from underneath the ground, overwhelming the earth."
The principle of composition of "Birth Certificate" is not obvious. When watching a novella film, we tend to think in terms of traditional theatre. We expect that a miniature story will finish with a sharp point; the three film novellas in Rozewicz's work lack this feature. We do not know what will be happen to the boy making his alone through the forest towards the end of "On the Road". We do not know whether in "Letter from the Camp", the help offered by the small heroes to a Soviet prisoner will rescue him from the unknown fate of his compatriots. The fate of the Jewish girl from "Drop of Blood" is also unclear. Will she keep her new impersonation as "Marysia Malinowska"? Or will the Nazis make her into a representative of the "Nordic race"? Those questions were asked by the director for a reason. He preceived war as chaos and perdition, and not as linear history that could be reflected in a plot. Although "Birth Certificate" is saturated with moral content, it does not aim to be a morality play. But with the immense pressure of reality, no varient of fate should be excluded. This approached can be compared wth Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Blind Chance" 25 years later, which pictured dramatic choices of a different era.
The film novella "On the Road" has a very sparing plot, but it drew special attention of the reviewers. The ominating overtone of the war films created by the Polish Film School at that time should be kept in mind. Mainly owing to Wajda, those films dealt with romantic heritage. They were permeated with pathos, bitterness, and irony. Rozewicz is an extraordinary artist. When narrating a story about a boy lost in a war zone, carrying some documents from the regiment office as if they were a treasure, the narrator in "On the Road" discovers rough prose where one should find poetry. And suddenly, the irrational touches this rather tame world. The boy, who until that moment resembled a Polish version of the Good Soldier Schweik, sets off, like Don Quixote, for his first and last battle. A critic described it as "an absurd gesture and someone else could surely use it to criticise the Polish style of dying. ... But the Rozewicz brothers do no accuse: they only compose an elegy for the picturesque peasant-soldier, probably the most important veteran of the Polish war of 1939-1945." "Birth Certificate" is not a lofty statement about national imponderabilia. The film reveals a plebeian perspective which Aleksander Jackieqicz once contrasted with those "lyrical lamentations" inherent in the Kordian tradition. However, a historical overview of Rozewicz's work shows that the distinctive style does not signify a fundamental difference in illustrating the Polish September. Just as the memorable scene from Wajda's "Lotna" was in fact an expression of desperation and distress, the same emotions permeate the final scene of "Birth Certificate". These are not ideological concepts, though once described as such and fervently debated, but rather psychological creations. In this specific case, observes Witold Zalewski, it is not about manifesting knightly pride, but about a gesture of a simple man who does not agree to be enslaved.
The novella "Drop of Blood" is, with Aleksander Ford's "Border Street", one of the first narrations of the fate of the Polish Jews during the Nazi occupation. The story about a girl literally looking for her place on earth has a dramatic dimension. Especially in the age of today's journalistic disputes, often manipulative, lacking in empathy and imbued with bad will, Rozewicz's story from the past shocks with its authenticity. The small herione of the story is the only one who survives a German raid on her family home. Physical survial does not, however, mean a return to normality. Her frightened departure from the rubbish dump that was her hideout lead her to a ruined apartment. Her walk around it is painful because still fresh signs of life are mixed with evidence of annihilation. Help is needed, but Mirka does not know anyone in the outside world. Her subsequent attempts express the state of the fugitive's spirits - from hope and faith, moving to doubt, a sense of oppression, and thickening fear, and finally to despair.
At the same time, the Jewish girl's search for refuge resembles the state of Polish society. The appearance of Mirka results in confusion, and later, trouble. This was already signalled by Rozewicz in an exceptional scene from "Letter from the Camp" in which the boy's neighbour, seeing a fugitive Russian soldier, retreats immediately, admitting that "Now, people worry only about themselves." Such embarassing excuses mask fear. During the occupation, no one feels safe. Neither social status not the aegis of a charity organisation protects against repression. We see the potential guardians of Mirka passing her back and forth among themselves. These are friendly hands but they cannot offer strong support. The story takes place on that thin line between solidarity and heroism. Solidarity arises spontaneously, but only some are capable of heroism. Help for the girl does not always result from compassion; sometimes it is based on past relations and personal ties (a neighbour of the doctor takes in the fugitive for a few days because of past friendship). Rozewicz portrays all of this in a subtle way; even the smallest gesture has significance. Take, for example, the conversation with a stranger on the train: short, as if jotted down on the margin, but so full of tension. And earlier, a peculiar examination of Polishness: the "Holy Father" prayer forced on Mirka by the village boys to check that she is not a Jew. Would not rising to the challenge mean a death sentance?
Viewed after many years, "Birth Certificate" discloses yet another quality that is not present in the works of the Polish School, but is prominent in later B-class war films. This is the picture of everyday life during the war and occupation outlined in the three novellas. It harmonises with the logic of speaking about "life after life". Small heroes of Rozewicz suddenly enter the reality of war, with no experience or scale with which to compare it. For them, the present is a natural extension of and at the same time a complete negation of the past. Consider the sleey small-town marketplace, through which armoured columns will shortly pass. Or meet the German motorcyclists, who look like aliens from outer space - a picture taken from an autopsy because this is how Stanislaw and Taduesz perceived the first Germans they ever met. Note the blurred silhouettes of people against a white wall who are being shot - at first they are shocking, but soon they will probably become a part of the grim landscape. In the city centre stands a prisoner camp on a sodden bog ("People perish likes flies; the bodies are transported during the night"); in the street the childern are running after a coal wagon to collect some precious pieces of fuel. There's a bustle around some food (a boy reproaches his younger brother's actions by singing: "The warrant officer's son is begging in front of the church? I'm going to tell mother!"); and the kitchen, which one evening becomes the proscenium of a real drama. And there are the symbols: a bar of chocolate forced upon a boy by a Wehrmacht soldier ("On the Road"); a pair of shoes belonging to Zbyszek's father which the boy spontaneously gives to a Russian fugitive; a priceless slice of bread, ground under the heel of a policeman in the guter ("Letters from the Camp"). As the director put it: "In every film, I communicate my own vision of the world and of the people. Only then the style follows, the defined way of experiencing things." In Birth Certificate, he adds, his approach was driven by the subject: "I attempted to create not only the texture of the document but also to add some poetic element. I know it is risky but as for the merger of documentation and poety, often hidden very deep, if only it manages to make its way onto the screen, it results in what can referred to as 'art'."
After 1945, there were numerous films created in Europe that dealt with war and children, including "Somewhere in Europe" ("Valahol Europaban", 1947 by Geza Radvanyi), "Shoeshine" ("Sciescia", 1946 by Vittorio de Sica), and "Childhood of Ivan" ("Iwanowo dietstwo" by Andriej Tarkowski). Yet there were fewer than one would expect. Pursuing a subject so imbued with sentimentalism requires stylistic disipline and a special ability to manage child actors. The author of "Birth Certificate" mastered both - and it was not by chance. Stanislaw Rozewicz was always the beneficent spirit of the film milieu; he could unite people around a common goal. He emanated peace and sensitivity, which flowed to his co-workers and pupils. A film, being a group work, necessitates some form of empathy - tuning in with others.
In a biographical documentary about Stanislaw Rozewicz entitled "Walking, Meeting" (1999 by Antoni Krauze), there is a beautiful scene when the director, after a few decades, meets Beata Barszczewska, who plays Mireczka in the novella "Drops of Blood". The woman falls into the arms of the elderly man. They are both moved. He wonders how many years have passed. She answers: "A few years. Not too many." And Rozewicz, with his characteristic smile says: "It is true. We spent this entire time together."
路途性的消失，动作仅仅是动作的概念和它的结果，也就是场面调度的消失，所以三段叙述理所当然地用上了同样的分镜。在这里，“中世纪”只是一种装修风格。某兔姓友邻嗦得好，“角色不识字，可是导演识字呀”，上一个镜头，发情种马在交配，下一个镜头，Jean扑在Marguerite身上做爱。行吧……拍得很好，下次别拍了。
十余年后，雷德利•斯科特再度拍摄了一部中世纪题材的电影，是对自己史诗电影生涯的一次再度回归，也是历史题材电影衰落的时代少数的高光，完全不同于《天国王朝》中浪漫的耶路撒冷和富有骑士精神的战争，电影前两部分两个男主的视角与最终女主的视角对比尽显一个男权主义者和一个自恋狂的丑恶，谎言之间“骑士”的荣耀是建立在压迫和黑暗社会的麻木之上的，最后的决斗可以说是血脉喷张，在民众们看来，是秉承正义的骑士维护了妻子的尊严，可实际却是毫不在意真相的男人赢得了所谓的“荣誉”，女人在幸运中逃过了死亡和羞辱。
这电影就是花了大价钱去拍一个大家现在都能了解的一些性别议题。例如“女性的不孕其实是因为男性、被强暴是在社会上不被允许公开谈到的”等等。还有，栩栩如生地刻画了两个男人，用他们的视角分别展现了这些故事，最后用一场男性的决斗结束了整个故事。这个故事的本质就是很无聊，我为什么要看三个版本的重演？？你当我们女的是傻子吗？这就是女权主义大片？女性全场没有什么行动，就看两个傻男的在那里权利斗争，最后还要决斗？都什么年代了，我为什么要看这样的一个故事？中世纪的女性视角，这他妈的不是你们现代人臆想的中世纪的女性视角？有什么拍的必要？我看影片成立就是因为，几个白男看到这个故事兴奋个要死，潜意识里也知道这故事没啥意思，特地叫个女编剧写一个女性视角，把这个无聊的故事切分成三分，重新包装一下。大白男们，醒醒吧！求求
罗生门式的叙事，乐趣在于寻找主观叙事中的差异点。但是比黑泽明或者芥川龙之介的原版罗生门叙事不足在于，斯科特的主题先行。原版罗生门的四种叙事角度，没有说哪种才是事实，而雷得利斯科特剧本中标明了女主叙述才是事实真相。凭什么? 为什么?
D / 天呐，这真的是2021年该被拍出来的电影吗，花那么多投资整那么多服化道是为了什么，同为去年为数不多历史题材的电影，和这片比起来「圣母」是不是过于前卫了点。
稳！不过的确是闷/漫长了一点 最后司机被一刀直接插入口腔杀死一下子有点吓到 这竟然不是三级？！香港电检处真的应该吃屎 该做的不做 然后吧…I do get the charm of Driver but come on is it necessary to keep saying he is so dangerously handsome ?????
雷德利斯科特今年已经84岁了，还那么高产，关于拿破仑的新片马上也要开拍了，女主还是朱迪科默，祝他老人家长命百岁。
7/10。斯科特运用展示竞技场全貌的远景跟拍和近景的残酷搏杀，拍摄冲突双方的殊死对抗，驾马迎击的骑士被乡绅打掉手中的长矛，盾牌也被击碎，坠马后他向周围人要斧头与乡绅决斗，力量慢慢消失，乡绅拿起匕首刺伤骑士的大腿，却逐渐遭受压制，拒绝坦白作最后挣扎，骑士用刀穿透了他张开的嘴，可是事关尊严和名誉的大男子主义，性侵受害者的发声却淹没在群众对英雄的欢呼中，她的身体被男性当成了一件非人化的器具，用于传宗接代和打击丈夫尊严。斯科特的复调叙事营造的不是中世纪惯常的恢弘气势，反而一再削弱关于女性启蒙和教会王权的反思，他牵扯出一个庄园的所有权冲突、骑士对领主的抱怨和包庇强暴的神权制度，所有这些琐事不足够使人共情，而发情的劣马强上母马来隐喻性侵害这场戏，结尾女主角在飘着花香味的庄园里看宝宝学步，都稍显浅白和俗套了。
其实并不如《异形》和《末路狂花》那么有力量，算是借古讽今的作品。朱迪·科默值得一个影后，这片子男主换几个人貌似也差不太多，但女主功力差一点点都不行。一个有意思的点：第三段标题出现后，“The Truth”一个词比其它几个词多停留了几秒钟才消失；结尾字幕也够讽刺：Jean几年后在另一场决斗中丧生。
如果说《决斗的人》讲的是宿敌之恨化解于历史大义的故事，那么这部电影就毫无保留地戳破了这种“大义”，斯科特的中世纪也摒弃了《角斗士》里的返古浪漫主义，留下的只有泥泞、寒冷、一帮自私的男人和一个坚毅的女人。
角斗士+天国王朝。向天再借500年让老雷多拍几部中世纪题材的作品吧！有趣的是17年前天国王朝中的两位主角在本片中客串了一把 而女主角又让我想起了西西里的美丽传说中的玛莲娜 生而美丽就是女人的原罪呐。“微笑和好话比赤裸裸的威胁有用多了”玛格丽特是一个具有savvy/智慧的女人；“对男人来说权力是最重要的”母亲的教诲 中世纪与现代的家庭关系有啥不同？至少婆媳关系上看不出东西方有多大差异。本的台词太粗鄙 当看一部fuck不离口的中世纪题材作品总会有违和感。就全片来看，如果套用水浒传，这不就是林冲手刃陆谦的剧本吗，这一点东西是一致的：打我老婆和财产的主意就拿命来偿。从女性的角度能解读更多，但区区短评就不展开了。
雷老爷子太厉害了，能科幻能历史。三个所谓的真相，看到了男人物化女人，迷之自信的一脉相承，也看到了女人历来被物化，被作为男人的附属品的悲哀，即使丈夫为了妻子而决斗，却并不是为了妻子的清白，而是自尊心和体面。所有人，亦或是说所有男人，关心的只是决斗的精彩和男人的勇猛--无人关心真相是什么。女人却都默默知道却又只能默默承受。女性主义电影又一教科书式的作品，相信这部叫好不叫座的电影能够名垂青史。
大概是因为前 2/3 言简意赅又略显无趣所以衬托出最后一幕的精彩吧。Last duel 的惊心动魄程度高过预期，没料到冷兵器的设计可以胜过如今好莱坞大对决平均水准。印象深刻的还有两个几乎没台词跟女主也几乎没互动的女性角色。女人的 legal standing 依赖于丈夫，「xxx 导致 xxx, 这是科学！」，未来人看如今的社会也会像我们看中世纪一样可笑吧。
这应该是福克斯在被迪士尼收购前让雷老爷子拍摄的影片，以后这种机会也不会再有了。朱迪科默在片中的妆容很美，但三幕罗生门，不管是从哪一方角度去看朱迪科默都是泄欲和生育的工具，这就更揪心了。票房惨败确实只是时代的原因，就像大泷咏一和millennium在如今真的“带不动”啊，哈哈哈
六百多年前女主敢做的事，现代人不一定人人敢为；她婆婆与闺蜜的观念，六百多年后仍随处可见。女性觉醒、男女平等，任重道远。
7分，开头以为会是一部法国中世纪的罗生门，实则主题并没有超出历史范畴，男主与女主的视角区别只在于是英雄还是家暴，在那个年代的语境下观念有太多局限性，比起人性，母性才是这部作品想释放出的余音，中世纪的场景哪怕还原再好，也缺少新的视觉，无非是一集用了分段技巧去拍的历史剧。
感觉大本和司机拿错了剧本，这里的大本子感觉帅回了2000年，虽然我很喜欢司机，但是姑娘们对着司机的大长脸都称赞“英俊”有点太过分了。看到后面真的想让那两蠢货双双狗带，女主一人独美母仪天下就好了，事实上，当踩着猪粪浑身臭汗和血液的马特回到家里还要摆臭脸的时候，我已经开始想象女主毒杀亲夫的画面了……
六百多年前女主敢做的事，现代人不一定人人敢为；她婆婆与闺蜜的观念，六百多年后仍随处可见。女性觉醒、男女平等，任重道远。
从三个视角切入一起性侵事件，手法并不新鲜，真相也少了几分扑朔，但雷导沉稳的叙事，以及对历史题材的掌控，还是让影片不落俗套，尤其最后的决战拍得扣人心弦，女性在这里只能被左右命运，最后像个战利品一样让男人炫耀，rape本身无人在意。
这是古今中外，无数女性在男性强权下的一曲悲歌。
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