King Ubu

Colour, 35 mm
Poland, 2003, 95 min
Section: Special Events

Synopsis

Perhaps young Alfred Jarry never imagined that his King Ubu would be as applicable today as ever. Szulkin’s Ubu corrupts the sympathizing dregs of society with drink; influential fellow citizens he subjugates through zealous officiousness. He then takes the throne in a bloody conspiracy, and from there he primitively and vigorously manipulates the electorate. He promises them democracy and freedom but he and his obtuse and cruel coterie only look after their own personal gain. The reforms put into practice are absurd, the state’s coffers gape with emptiness as does the plundered land, and the impoverished masses are grumbling. The royal couple and their lackeys increase the terror. Then, forced by envoys of a foreign power, he initiates a military campaign against the Russian Tsar and is defeated. The people depose the greedy king and his vulgar queen. Sporting a Stalinesque moustache, the powerful Tsar occupies Ubu’s residence and with the agreement of the envoys installs a new queen who promises to be an obedient puppet. The overthrown Ubu escapes to a neighbouring country. His spirit is buoyed by the assurance that people of his ilk will never vanish. This whirling carnival of senseless malevolence is underscored by songs and perfectly harmonizes with the film’s absurd and timeless stylisation.

About the director

Piotr Szulkin (b. 1950, Gdansk) graduated from a fine arts high school (1970) and then in direction from Lodz’ National Film, Television & Theatre School (PWSFTViT) in 1975. He directs for film, theatre and television, and dabbles in literature as well. He has shot several short films: Everything (Wzystko), The Birth (Narodziny), Working Women (Kobiety pracujące), A Girl with a Devil (Dziewce s ciortem), Charming Eyes (Oczy uroczne) and Meat (Mieso). He has incorporated his original futurological vision, drawn from pessimistic reflections on the continuing decline of humanism, in features with imaginative scenographic solutions: Golem (1979), War of the Worlds (Wojna światów – Następne stulecie, 1981), O-bi, o-ba (O-bi, O-ba. Koniec ciwilizacji, 1985) and Ga, Ga - Glory to the Heroes (Ga, ga – chwala bohateram, 1985); such films gained him several major prizes at home and abroad. After the movie Femina (1991) he returned to his penchant for absurdity, sarcasm and artistic originality in Ubu the King (Ubu Król, 2003).