The Mind-body problem -- this well worn, philosophical quandary is Krzyszstof Zanussi's theme in The Illumination. Using archival science lab footage, Zanucci examines the life of a bookish fella Franciszek (Stanislaw Latallo) as he enters college deciding on studying Physics, because it's studying something concrete. But he finds out that life is nothing but. During mountain hiking trip, he encounters death first-hand in an accident. During the same trip, he falls in love too with a cute fellow student. The girl he falls in love with gets pregnant and Frank needs to drop out of college to support his new family. He gets into existential crisis, seldom coming home to domestic life. He has a change of mind about what he wants to study if he ever got back to academia- biology. He even visits a monastery to seek some answers.
The Illumination is, as the narration says in the beginning, quite different from temporary ecstasy or trance. It's the true understanding of life. With that, the film is more cerebral than Dušan Makavejev films. It is pretty similar with Alain Resnais's Mon oncle Amerique in its presentation and theme. I'm glad I got to see it.
I found the film in its entirety on youtube:
Click Here
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