Kanal 1957
directed by andrzej wajda
cinematography by jerzy lipman
this was an interesting study in what film quality brings to my viewing experience. i've been watching a bunch of beautiful criterion releases lately. their high picture quality has spoiled me, to the extent of seeing Swing Time on the big screen and feeling disappointed about the scratches and jumps where the frames had deteriorated completely.
i'd already started watching the facets release of Kanal, loving how dark it was (visually and in the plot) when i found out there was a criterion version. i felt i had to abandon the first disc and finish watching the cleaner version; better to see the work of cinematographer jerzy lipman (who also filmed Knife in the Water.)
surprisingly, i much preferred the darker film i had cast aside. and its because while the criterion showed so clearly the horrors of travelling through the sewers, the facets showed what the characters had become- more ghosts then people, appearing and disappearing in unending darkness. it was a much more moving experience.
beautiful light flares.
the quote is credited to dante, spoken by the artist in response to the horrors of the sewers.