Blind Chance

One moment, one train - three completely different outcomes. From Director Krzysztof Kieslowski comes a film examining the effect of even the smallest of choices.

Twenty-year-old Witek Dlugosz rushes to make a train to Warsaw, his hometown, after the death of his father. Crashing into a man drinking beer, Witek is barely able to pull himself aboard by the final carÕs handrail. On the train, he encounters an old communist, who convinces him to join the Communist Party. All seems fine until his beautiful lover Czuszka is arrested by the same party with which his allegiance lies. Their love falters, she rejects him, and Witek is left alone.

Back in the station, Witek crashes hard into the man drinking beer, delaying him enough to miss his train. On the railway, he smacks into a guard and is arrested. Angry, he joins the anti-Communist resistance, thus launching another sequence of events that leaves him alone and distrusted.

Finally, in the station again, Witek misses the train because he gets slowed down by the man with the beer, but stops to catch his breath, avoiding the guard from the second scenario. He sees Olga at the platform, the two return to her apartment, make a child, and get married. Witek finds the motivation to finish medical school, and with newfound responsibilities, he refuses to associate with any political party, avoiding the Communists completely and forging a happy life for himself. Blind Chance was heavily censored by the communist regime, due to its anti-Communist messages. The now restored version of the film comprises scenes never before been shown to the public.

Accolades

1987 Polish Film Festival – Best Actor (Bogusław Linda) – winner, Silver Lion – winner.

Cast & Crew

Directed and written by Krzysztof Kieślowski. Cinematography by Krzysztof Pakulski. Production design by Andrzej Rafał Waltenberger. Music by Wojciech Kilar. Film editing by Elżbieta Kurowska. Production management: Jacek Szeligowski. © Studio Filmowe Tor. Cast: Bogusław Linda (Witek Długosz), Tadeusz Łomnicki (Werner), Zbigniew Zapasiewicz (Adam), Marzena Trybala (Werka), Zygmunt Hubner (Faculty Dean), Adam Ferency (Priest), Bogusława Pawelec (Czuszka), Jacek Borkowski (Marek), Jacek Sas-Uhrynowski (Daniel), Monika Goździk (Olga), Irena Byrska (Ciotka).