Blind Chance

At the risk of sounding like a drooling idiot... Halfway through this movie, I was about to turn it off, because I had so little grasp on what was happening, and I was... well, bored. Then the second timeline came in, and I was interested again for about ten minutes. I did watch the whole thing, but I just don't think I can enjoy this movie without watching it several times and doing research on Polish politics in the 70s and 80s

How do you rate a movie where the premise deserves 90-100, yet the final product is worth around 40? Well, nevermind that, this is where 'Sliding Doors' and 'Lola rennt' et al drew from, and the concept of parallel universes and/or multiple drafts of events is endlessly fascinating. I cannot say the same for old Polish politics.

Very nice execution of the idea. Even beyond the primary choice the film diverges on, I liked the subtle emphasis on all the other little choices in each scenario. It helps give the film a sense of a wider scope, where this is just a slice of possibilities. I also liked the way the film uses its premise not only to comment on the lead but on the society itself.

One of the more innovative films in history, but I just wasn't interested in the story too much.

This one makes me feel extra dumb because it basically tells the same story three times and I'm still confused by it. The guy ending up with a different girlfriend each time appeared to be the most significant variable in his post-train destiny sampler plate.

True innovation in form. Kieslowski's meditation on national destiny is creative and powerful.

An obvious forerunner to Run, Lola, Run and Sliding Doors. Good stuff, as always from Kieslowski.

An ingenious structure, but unfortunately, with an uninteresting story.

Another masterpiece. This one has power, has human force, has guts, has all that one has to have to win or to go down in flames.

This story occurs at a crucial time in Poland. The Soviet era is coming to a close and the nation is struggling to emerge. No matter how this young man turns he cannot avoid involvement in his national destiny.

Not only does Blind Chance have a fantastic premise, it also uses it as a springboard to give uncomfortable and/or despressing insights about life in a country on the cusp of shedding its Soviet regime from different perspectives (inside, against and above The System). Some more knowledge on Polish politics would've been nice but it's not essential.

Maybe then fortuity, that "Blind Chance " fell in my hands?

Kieslowski's use of the three separate narrative possibilities prefigures a whole host of lesser "what might have happened" films. In Kieslowski's film, the three possibilities suggest an open-endedness to life, while the tragic ending of one thread raises questions about the place of politics and activism vs. the quiet pursuit of work, family, and contentment.

In a very interesting way, Kieslowski shows how important the details can be, and while life goes on, there are always something getting out of the human beings control ... They call it destiny, some don't believe ... one thing is certain, it just happen, and no one can explain...

Maybe not the best take on branching storylines, nor the best take on the intersection of political and personal life, but the way the two ideas intersect is certainly pretty unique.

Amazing! Intellectual movies actually can work if the visuals support them! Art direction and cinematography are spot on - so much so that the film's main conceit of the alternate events feels almost redundant.

Still enjoyable, but the worst Kieslowski I’ve seen. I haven’t seen any Kieslowski in about a decade so this makes me a bit hesitant to re-watch some old favs.

(Viewed on 22/02/15): Kieslowski's narrative innovations in Blind Chance have been obviously influential, and fans should be able to appreciate it as a transitional work that builds a bridge between his earlier, more explicitly political concerns and his later films that are defined by metaphysics and mood. The premise is original, but the role of destiny in shaping human lives is not as effectively explored as it's in his key works, and the political overtones compromise its universality.

29.5.15

81.500

7?I don't like politics.

Really unique (well, except for the fact that Sliding Doors totally ripped it off) and interesting. The politics were confusing at first, but I think I got the gist of it by the end.

While not quite up to the same standards as Kieslowski's later work, this was still more visually accomplished than i might have expected (the opening pre-train sequence is particularly impressive). The film does have a very specific political context that takes some getting used to, and as such can feel a bit dry in places, but by the second segment at least i was on board with it (it helps that Witek is one of the more realistic and identifiably human characters in Kieslowski's filmography).

Run from soviet Poland Witek run. Slowly.

Kieslowski has a unique feel for the world that's evident by the parallels he creates. Beyond reason, we see a ripple effect shape one's ideology and destiny. It's uplifting to witness the various beliefs a creator decides to reveal, especially within constraints of his own environment.

Decent story, but the film itself is really boring imo.