Turning Censorship Into Symbolism: How State Censorship Defined and Strengthened Post-War Polish Cinema – MovieMaker Magazine
Under censorships nefarious grip, cinema becomes not just a driver of social justice but a sophisticated tool of oppression.
There is, however, a positive side effect of censorship: Sometimes it inspires filmmakers to be more experimental, innovative and free-thinking. Case in point: Poland after World War II.
Under the Communist regime, Polish authorities raged war on moviemakers who tried to reveal that the states ballyhoo about progress was nothing more than propaganda. Any critique of the Soviet Union or the Polish Peoples Republic was silenced. For a new generation of filmmakers, young people disillusioned by the sacrifices made during the war, these laws became an invitation to rebela cinematic revolution handed to them on a silver plate.
Polish censors, under the primary censorship board at Gwny Urzd Kontroli Prasy, Publikacji i Widowisk (i.e. the Main Office for Control of the Press, Publications and Public Performances), were highly literary, capable of deciphering even the most sophisticated subversions in books, newspapers and other written formsbut they were quite impotent when it came to evaluating images. So beginning in 1957 with Andrzej Wajdas Kanal, Polish films started to develop and expand upon an intricate cinematic language of metaphors, allegories, symbols, poetic imagery and other means of non-verbal expression. In Kanals devastating final act, the dying fighters of the Warsaw Uprising represent different parts of Polish society, past and present. For censors, this sequence may have seemed like a condemnation of the insurrection.
Polish filmmakers were forced to learn how to say something without saying it directly, how to depict a reality that did not officially exist, says Ryszard Lenczewski, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Pawe Pawlikowskis Ida (shot together with ukasz al). Lenczewski began his career in 1970s, when the battle for Polish cinema was raging on many fronts. This was a responsibility we all felt: to create layered images, images with double meanings that dared viewers to interpret them differently.
Andrzej Wajdas 1958 film Ashes and Diamonds
Viewers were depended upon to be active participants, decoding hidden meanings. It was all in the detailslike using wider lenses to show things you would not be able to show any other way. Something may be occurring in the background, slightly blurred. Sometimes all the film needed was to not include something or someone in the frame. Or to show a person in an unbalanced manner, i.e. a drunken assistant to a town mayor in Ashes and Diamonds.
That film, Wajdas 1958 masterpiece shot by cinematographer Jerzy Wjcik, is filled with symbols and layered imagery portraying everything wrong with post-war Poland. It made the censors heads spin. They knew the material was dangeroussome of them tried to stop it from reaching a wider audiencebut ultimately had to back off. Unsurprisingly, some messages were too cryptic for international audiences to decipher. Yet a universal cinematic language resonated for viewers in different parts of the globe. In the films most famous scene, the protagonist lights glasses of vodka as if they were candles, and the world understood the symbolism.
Censors, perturbed by the growing international acclaim, grew more paranoid. After we finished The Wedding, the censors held the material for two or three weeks without uttering a word of explanation, remembers Sawomir Idziak, camera operator under cinematographer Witold Sobociski on that Wajda film. The Oscar-nominated cinematographer (Black Hawk Down) started his career at the end of 1960s. They supposedly watched the film shot by shot, comparing it to the novel by Stanisaw Wyspiaski on which it was based to see if something was added or missing in an attack of the Communist order.
Idziak shot Krzysztof Kielowskis 1988 film A Short Film About Killing. I shot the film in this hideous yellow-greenish color to subtly hint at the directors idea that the country could be a killer, just like the main character. I remember one reviewer in Cannes writing that because the screen assumes the color of urine, it encapsulates the reality of Communist Poland. That was beautiful.
Krzysztof Kielowskis A Short Film About Killing, shot by Sawomir Idziak
The paradox was that state funding of these films and the censors decisions on how they should be seen were intrinsically linked. The government valued art, and wanted to produce films, yet wanted art to be propagandisticso instead of denying moviemakers the ability to create movies, officials chose to marginalize those that they didnt agree with, or those who they suspected of being subversive. Polish films were huge outside of PolandAmerican auteurs like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola saw them as masterpiecesbut their directors sometimes had to be content for the titles to, domestically, only reach a handful of city intellectuals who were opposing the regime anyway, as Idziak puts it. The truth is, many of these internationally applauded films, now classics, were commercial failures in Poland.
2017 marks the 28th anniversary of the fall of Communism in Poland, and the beginnings of a differentperhaps harsher and less forgivingtype of censorship: the dictates of the commercial market. Yet Idziak and Lenczewski, both distinguished film educators, consider this a good test for their countrymen.
We had to work with many limitations and yet we managed to speak our own voices, says Idziak. Now, the limitation is only within yourself. MM
Darek Kuma is a cinephile, film journalist, translator, freelancer, husband, father and Camerimage Film Festival programmer, not necessarily in that order.
Read the original:
Turning Censorship Into Symbolism: How State Censorship Defined and Strengthened Post-War Polish Cinema - MovieMaker Magazine
- Jawboning in Plain Sight: The Unconstitutional Censorship Tolerated by the DMCA - R Street - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Zhuhai car attack: China removes memorials, censors online outrage - NBC News - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Erasing tradition: Knowlton students fight against student censorship within the School of Architecture - OSU - The Lantern - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Apple complies with Kremlin censorship, removes app providing news from northern regions - The Independent Barents Observer - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Help The Campaign to Save Christmas From Woke Censorship - Daily Citizen - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Russia's federal censorship agency plans 'routine' tests disconnecting the Russian Internet from the global Internet - Meduza - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- FCC Commissioner Carr writes to Big Tech, accuses them of forming censorship cartel - The Economic Times - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Feature: A Conversation with the Curators of UNDOXX at JACK - Exeunt NYC - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- China's internet censors are trying to crush dissenters' memes and puns. It's a losing battle. - Business Insider - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- How China's censorship machine worked to block news of deadly attack - The Hindu - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- What Beijings response to Zhuhai reveals about Chinas internal tensions - Semafor - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- #BoycottBigBrother: the reality shows brush with censorship - The Bubble - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Liberty Counsel launches annual Friend or Foe campaign early to thwart Christmas censorship - The Christian Post - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Threats to Free Expression in the Trump Era - CounterPunch - November 16th, 2024 [November 16th, 2024]
- Exclusive | SUNY urged to probe no-bid contract with publishing giant accused of censorship - New York Post - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Trump's five-point strategy after becoming President - The Times of India - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Ektaa R Kapoor says, We got our censor in exactly one viewing about The Sabarmati Report getting CBFC certificate - Bollywood Hungama - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- An Open Letter to Prison Officials on the Censorship of Tip of the Spear - Public Books - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Hemingway: X Is The Only Major Free Speech Platform In A Sea Of Censorship - The Federalist - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- MTSU Professor Looks at the Controversy and Adaptation of Shakespeare and Censorship - Wgnsradio - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- National Archives Accused of Censoring Images of Civil Rights Leaders and Forced Relocation of Indigenous Peoples - ARTnews - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Under Trump 2.0, Hollywood Sees a Wave of Consolidation and Looming Censorship - TheWrap - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Donald Trumps re-election is disastrous for free speech - Index on Censorship - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- EveryLibrary warns Trump election will likely boost censorship efforts - Alabama Political Reporter - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- How the federal governments misinformation bill might impede freedom of speech - The Conversation Indonesia - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Under Trump 2.0, Hollywood Sees A Wave Of Consolidation And Looming Censorship - TV News Check - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Why Trump's free speech plan is the "MOST AMAZING" Glenn has ever heard - iHeartRadio - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Exclusive | Chinese internet censors ban anti-West firebrand Sima Nan for a year - South China Morning Post - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Increase of book bans across the U.S. in 2023-2024; Which books are being banned? - Shreveport Times - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- The censorship machine is far weaker in 2024 than 2020 - UnHerd - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Heres the Dirty Phrase Fox Censors Wouldnt Allow on The Simpsons This Week - Cracked.com - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- It looks like Ubisoft's finally had it with the Assassin's Creed Shadows outrage mill: 'When we self-censor in the face of threats, we hand over our... - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Censoring news does not protect consumers - Freedom of the Press Foundation - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Censoring the Intellectual Public Space in China: What Topics Are Not Allowed and Who Gets Blacklisted? - Political Science Now - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- I'm a dad to 6 kids. I allow them to talk openly about sex and drugs, but I still have boundaries. - Business Insider - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- SRFOE Raises Alarm Over Educational Censorship in the United States, Warning of Long-Term Impact on Future Generations - Organization of American... - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Kamala Harris Will Ratchet Up Campus Censorship - Minding The Campus - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Johnnie To Addresses Hong Kong Censorship Challenges in Tokyo Festival Conversation With Yu Irie - Variety - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Small Hours of the Night, Film About Censorship, Banned in Singapore, Cannot Be Shown at Festival - Variety - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Jim Jordan probes potential YouTube censorship of Joe Rogan - New York Post - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Were Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin really shadow banned by Instagram and X? - Vox.com - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- FBI Spent a Year Preparing Platforms to Censor Biden Story, Withheld Info on Laptops Authenticity - National Review - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves - PEN America - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Marc Andreessen, Palmer Luckey Accuse YouTube Of 'Deliberate Censorship' As Trump-Rogan Episode Controversy Rages On: 'These Are Not Accidents' -... - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Singaporean docu-drama Small Hours of the Night about censorship banned in republic, withdrawn from screening at SGIFF - Yahoo News Malaysia - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Small Hours of the Night, Film About Censorship, Banned in Singapore and Pulled From Festival - imdb - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- YouTube accused of censoring Joe Rogans interview with Trump - Washington Times - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Director of Far-Right Doc Pulled From London Film Festival Says Fear Is Its Own Form of Censorship - Variety - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing: Censoring hate speech - ND Newswire - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Media and the Gaza War: Navigating Censorship, Restrictions, and Biases - Harvard Kennedy School - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Florida health officials sued for censorship over abortion campaign ad - The Hill - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Election Meddling, Censorship, and More Bad News in 2024 Freedom on the Net Report - Tech Policy Press - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Abortion Rights Group Sues Florida Officials Over Alleged Censorship - Newsweek - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- NPR public editor really uncomfortable with censorship of Posts Hunter Biden laptop story but gives her own outlet a pass - New York Post - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- JD Vance Thinks Social Media Bans Are TyrannyExcept When They Benefit Him - The Bulwark - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Brave Books hosts sale on banned books highlighting the ongoing fight against censorship in Texas and across the Nation - The Prospector - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Frankfurt Kids Conference: Looking at Accessibility and Censorship Issues - Publishing Perspectives - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- Amid global decline in internet freedom, Pakistan classified as not free - asianews.network - October 21st, 2024 [October 21st, 2024]
- The cult of Covid censorship is finally being broken - The Telegraph - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Artistic freedom in our theatres is being lost to fear and self-censorship - The Guardian - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- 'The Wire' creator blasts Russian streamers for removing mentions that Omar is gay - Entertainment Weekly News - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- This librarian received death threats for fighting book bans. See her in Iowa City here. - The Gazette - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- JACK Partners On A Timely New Festival Tackling Censorship - BroadwayWorld - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Billboard Owner Tries to Censor Nancy Baker Cahills Body Politic Video Art - WEHO TIMES - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Breaking the Silence: The Impact of Banned Books - - The Badger - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Covid censorship was widespread and is still going on, leading scientist reveals - Collateral Global - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Nobody should tell us what to be reading: These Miami groups work to end book bans - Miami Herald - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- Debate over online censorship heats up in Washington - KEPR 19 - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- American Library Association president Cindy Hohl on why book bans are hard to stop - NPR - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- On the Shouting Fire in a Crowded Theater Excuse for Federal Censorship - National Review - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Searching for truth: the line between fact-checking and censorship - WHYY - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- The left is using bogus COVID-19 research to censor their opponents - New York Post - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Should we be worried about censorship? - The Brown and White - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- America First Legal Sues USAID and the Departments of State and Commerce for Illegally Concealing Records on the U.S. Governments Involvement in... - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Debate over online censorship heats up in Washington - Baltimore Sun - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Movement Media Are Fighting for Palestinian Liberation and Against Censorship - Truthout - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Letter to the editor: No one is calling for full censorship - Sky-Hi News - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Have a pint and fight censorship at Upscale Pub Crawl - The Almanac Online - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- State Department investigated by watchdog over memo trying to discredit censorship reporting - Washington Examiner - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]
- Voices of Resilience: Confronting Censorship in the Arts - STRAND Magazine - October 11th, 2024 [October 11th, 2024]