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Canada • Dialogism in the political films of Andrzej Wajda Man of Marble, Man of Iron and Danton by Janina Falkowska Comparative Literature Programme McGill University • PhD Thesis March 1993 A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the deqree of Doctor of Philosophy . • National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Bibliographie Services Branch des services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa. 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ISBN 0-315-87862-2 Canada • Summary This thesis is an attempt at an analysis of Andrzej Wajda' s political films, Man of Marble, Man of Iron and Lanton in a broad cultural and historical context. The manuscript is divided into five chapters. The first chapter, "The Political Film of Andrzej Wajda Issues of Methodology", presents a theoretical basis for the • discussion of political film. Bakhtin's dialogism complemented by linguistic pragmatics provides the methodology used in the thesis to illustrate the dialogical process of meaning formation in political films of Andrzej Wajda. Chapter two discusses Wajda as the carrier of the political message, while chapters three, four and five, respectively, contain the historical, the dramatis personae and the aesthetic discourses in the films under study . • • Résumé Cette thèse offre une tentative d'analyse des films politiques d'Andrzej Wajda, L'homme de marbre, L'homme de fer et Danton, dans un vaste contexte culturel et historique. Le manuscrit contient cinq chapitres. Le premier chapitre, "Les films politiques de Andrzej Wajda = question de méthodologie" présente les bases théoriques pour une discussion de la cinématographie politique. Le dialogisme de • Bakhtin, concepts dérivés d'une théorie pragmatique de la linguistique, fou~nissent les éléments pour la méthodologie que cette thèse met en jeu afin d'l.llustrer le processus dialogique de l'émergence du sens dans la cinématographie politique. Le deuxième chapitre contient une présentation de Wajda, tandis que les troisième, quatrième et cinquième chapitres contiennent une analyse des protagonistes, des analyses historiques, et esthétiques dans les films étudiés. • • Note of Thanks l would like to express my gratitude to the Professors of the Comparative Literature Programme and the English D~partment of McGill University, in particular Paul Coates, Brian Massumi, Marike Finlay, Darko Suvin, paisley Livingston, and Sarah Westphal-Wihl; these persons demonstrated an exemplary level of decency and integrity in their teaching, their studies and in their personal interactions. Their teaching and research inspired me • immensely; ,:hey were always helpful, understanding and endlessly patient. Paul Coat~s, my thesis supervisor, has taught me the true meaning of meticulous research, the benefits of which l will probably fully appreciate for years to come. Thanks to his rigorous supervision, incredible patience and constant support l was able to complete the PhD programme requirements. l would also ID:e to thank professor Alicja HE=lm:o." from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland, who provided me with recent publications on Stalinism, a period in Polish • history which had not been discussed in official writings for a long time. Only the recent changes in Eastern Europe have made such publications possible. She encouraged me in • all aspects of my work and her cooperation and support greatly enhanced my chances for success. l am grateful to have a family and friends who always offered me their unconditional love and support. l am especially indebted to my husband, Janusz, whose moral and financial baç:king made it possible for me to finish the thesis in relative psychological comfort. This thesis is inadequate considering his encouragement, and my words cannot compensate for the help he has given me along this long road . • • • TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 l Chapter: The Political Film of Andrzej Wajda - Issues of Methodology 7 The concept "political" in film analysis 8 "Political" in Andrzej Wajda' s Films 20 Bakhtin's Dialogism as an Interpretive Procedure 25 Dialogism and Film 38 Notes 48 II Chapter: Andrzej Wajda - The Carrier or the Political Message 57 Notes 78 III Chapl~er: The Historical Dialogue in Wajda' s Films Theoretical Introduction 81 Historical Context of the Films 90 The Historical Discourse in Man of Marble ................ 104 The Historical Discourse in Man of Iron.................. 122 • The Historical Discourse in Danton ....................... 158 Notes 174 IV Chapter: Tfajda and His Dramatis Personae 185 Notes 209 V Chapter: The Films' Dialogical Aesthetics 212 The Traditicn of Eisenstein's Montage 214 Socialist Ré'alism 224 Polish Romanticism 232 Citizen Kane 238 The Theatre Tradition in Poland 243 Notes 252 Conclusion 256 Appendix I: Film Synopses Man of Marble 267 Man of Iron 275 Danton 287 • Bibliography 295 • INTRODUCTION Andrzej Wajda is one of the greatest Polish film directors. M0reover, he is considered by many to be one of the most important masters of the world cinema. Also, next to Krzysztof Penderecki and Witold Lutoslawski, he is regarded as one of the most famous ambassadors of Polish culture and art in the world. He has been present in the Polish culture for thirty five years. Within this time he was extremely successful but also suffered sorne downfalls - he created superb films followed by weaker ones, and was also active in the theatre and in television. • During his artistic life he has never failed to instigate violent reactions in the spectators. His films have always aroused emotions of both love and hate, and stimulated long political discussions in the media. Most of his films deal with historical and political issues of importance to the Polish society, and, consequently, provoke unrcmitting discussions concerning the fate of Poland, its glorification and its restoration; the essence of the Polish character; the nature of political power; and the convolutions of Polish history. Wajda always says of himself "1 am a Polish film director" which is not an empty declaration in his case. His films, with very few exceptions, can be read as an incessant contention: how to be a Pole. However, "Polishness" is not the only theme of his films. He deals with historical and political questions of his time and his country - the period • l after the Second World War; the moral concerns of the fifties and sixties; the rise of Solidarity; the overthrowing of the • Socialist system; and the Jewish question. His films, however, never treat these historical processes in an impersona] or abstract way but they always present people in their conlext., both as political subjects and as ordinary human beings. In his films a man is shown as either trying to oppose the historical reality or as being annihilated by it. Wajda defends man as an independent subject of history, not its pas,ive object. In most of his films a protagonist faces certain moral choices within a defined historical reality. His or her