Żuławski w Grand Guignolu
Żuławski in Grand Guignol

Summary/Abstract: According to the author Andrzej Żuławski is the only Polish director, who in his work is subject to farreaching influence of the French culture. He was born in 1940, and spent his childhood and early youth in France (his father, Mirosław, was a cultural counselor at the Polish Embassy /1945-1949/, then he worked in Paris, representing Poland in the UNESCO /1956-1965/). This is where Andrzej finished lycée and studies at the IDHEC (1958-1959) and studied philosophy at the Sorbonne (1959-1960). He immersed himself both consciously and unconsciously in French culture and mentality. We find a proof of it in the shocking (not only in the Polish perception) poetics of his films. Researchers searched for its roots in various sources of inspirations. According to the author one may also find them in Le Théâtre du Grand Guignol – a Parisian theatre with a specific style and repertoire that existed in the years 1897-1963 and had a great influence on the culture both popular and otherwise, in Britain and America, and on film horror in many countries. But – what is very interesting culturally – had no influence on Polish theatre or film. Stachówna tries to prove that Andrzej Żuławski’s film style can also be connected with the poetics of the shows at the Grand Guignol.

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