aka: Diabel
Director: Andrzej Zulawski
Writer: Andrzej Zulawski
Cast: Malgorzata Braunek, Michal Grudzinski and Iga Mayr
During the Prussian army's invasion to Poland in 1793, a young Polish nobleman Jakub is saved from the imprisonment by a stranger who wants in return to obtain a list of Jakub's fellow conspirators. Following his mysterious saviour across the country, Jakub sees the overall chaos and moral corruption including his father's death and his girlfriend's betrayal. Being apparently demented by what he has seen, he commits a number of seemingly motiveless and gory killings.
Its set in 18th Century Poland at a time when the Prussian army are in the process of conquering the country During the chaos of battle a strange messenger (whom maybe the devil) arrives at a convent with orders to escort a pair of political prisoner. One of the prisoners died but the other a young man named Jakub is still custody, we learn he was accused of trying to kill the King. The messenger frees Jakub along with a nun on the promise that they head for Jakubs home. When he arrives back at his family home he finds his father dead and his pregnant fiancée about to marry the king. He also learns that his mother whom he's not seen since birth is a whore. Wherever Jakub wanders he keeps bumping into the messenger who persuades him that if he see's someone sinning its his duty to kill them. Towards the end as Jakub becomes increasingly insane he kills his remaining family and burns his fathers house to the ground, he then goes after the king whom he wins in a dual but gets shot himself. While he's dying the messenger/devil turns up and asks Jakub to sign a declaration containing the names he'd have handed over during his capture when tortured. On signing the messenger violently shoots Jakub in the head. Then hands the note to a mysterious man for an handful of gold. The mysterious man (maybe the real devil or even god) says 'you made it hard work like you was after his soul, everyone knows man doesn't have a soul'. At which point the messenger goes nuts and tries raping the nun, but she cuts his penis off, he then turns into a dog... cut to credits.
hehe I'm not even making it up either, if my synopsis sounds crazy you wanna see the film its such an odd odd story. I've seen 100s of bizarre movies over my years but this one was harsh going on my head. Most viewers I'd imagine will find it tiring. I'd suspect its one for acid casualties or arthouse fans only.
(7 out of 10)
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