A problem that has plagued philosophers, scientists and artists for years is a seemingly simple one; what is truth? Instead of asking what the truth is, they instead seek to find what we mean when we say something is the truth. Is there such a thing as a universal and objective truth? in 1972, Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi went on to direct, to my mind, the definitive film to look at this eternal question.
Illumination shows us (roughly) 10 years in the life of Franciszek Retman (Stanislaw Latallo), an inquisitive young man in search of truth. Along side this, we are shown interviews and debates with real Polish academics expanding and discussing the ideas of “illumination”. Blending aspects of documentary and fiction, we follow Retman through his search for truth in physics, spirituality and in the strangeness, grief and euphoria of life.
Latallo carries the film fantastically, keeping the film from just being a cold, intellectual exercise. You can’t help but warm to the wide-eyed young man open to all life’s experience, equally at home in the lab as he is running through fields.
Wojciech Kilar’s score is quite unusual. While featuring some absolutely beautiful pieces of music, it mainly focuses on ominous, a-tonal chords which interject between scenes. It works well, but I can’t figure out why. The best I could come up with is that it’s attempting to reflect the hopelessness of Retman’s mission station, to sythesise information into a universal truth (chances are I’m wrong, but it’s all I’ve got!).
Zanussi’s decision to fragment Retman’s story is inspired to say the least. Films of this kind can suffer from being bloated and running too long on their own self-importance. With it’s fragments and real interviews, it’s as though we are switching between fact and fiction, each lending the other more importance and insight, coming as close as it is to reach any kind of insight on the search for truth under 90 minutes.
Thankfully, Zanussi isn’t trying to answer any age old questions with empty sentiment here. Instead, he explores truth and knowledge in the most effective and thorough way I have ever seen on film. He dips into all facets of culture, from spirituality, art and religion to science and academia, but the genius in this film is that they are never in opposition. Zanussi offers us the complexities and apparent contradictions of life, which might be unsatisfying but is certainly honest.
This is a film born of the ideas of its time, and in that way it is a relic. Those are ideas that have changed the way we see the world, and in that way, it is timeless. Illumination is a real rarity, a film that delivers exactly what it promises and perfectly balances it’s emotional power with it’s philosophical exploration. It is more than just a story, it is a statement on knowledge, truth and happiness, as complicated in it’s structure and visuals as are the ideas it ponders. In my eyes, this is a legitimate masterpiece, unpretentious and filled with humanity.
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