One of the less known films by Wojciech Jerzy Has. Known as a “poet of cinema” thanks to his original talent and unique, individual style, Has was a distinguished film director and teacher, whose masterpieces such as “The Saragossa Manuscript” and “The Hourglass Sanatorium” earned him international recognition.
The film features an interesting role played by the tragically deceased Zbigniew Cybulski, a legendary actor whose superb performances wet down in history of international cinematography and won him the Super Golden Duck award for the best actor in the history of Polish cinematography. In his portrayal of Maciek in “The Codes”, critics saw a reference to Maciek Chełmicki from “Ashes and Diamonds” – the part which earned Cybulski international fame and which he was identified with for many years.
The hypnotizing score was written by Krzysztof Penderecki, an internationally renowned artist and the greatest Polish composer of the 20th century.
The film is a screen adaptation of a short story of the same title by Andrzej Kijowski.
A philosophical reflection on the role of history and the related experiences in shaping the consciousness of an individual, the film bears the hallmarks of Has’s unique style drawing on magic realism and inspired by painting and literature. It combines bitter psychological drama with phantasmagoria, authenticity with onirism, the present and the past.
After spending twenty years abroad, Tadeusz returns to Poland to see his family: the now grown-up son Maciek and wife who suffers from a mental illness. He wants to find out what happened to their younger son Jędrek, who had gone missing during WWII after reportedly being arrested by the Germans. Tadeusz’s investigation brings as many answers as new questions. Haunted by oneiric visions, the man is incapable of understanding the reality of the Nazi occupation and the experience of people who survived it. Eventually, he realizes that even if he finds the information he needs, he still will not be able to grasp the truth, which will remain indecipherable to him.
The scenes of Tadeusz’s visions constitute a reference to the narrative poem “Anhelli” by Juliusz Słowacki.
