Two Films by Jerzy Skolimowski

[Calvin]

On April 24th, the BFI will release Jerzy Skolimowski's Identification Marks: None and Hands Up! in a 2-disc Blu-Ray set

[swo17]

Awesome!

[beamish14]

As excited as I am by this, I do wish that Walkover could have been included. It’s basically the mirror image of Identification Marks

[swo17]

Although at least that already has a Polish Blu-ray. The big gap remains Bariera

[yoloswegmaster]

Coming in April:



Extras:

Newly recorded audio commentaries on both films by Michel Oleszczyk
Archive interview with Jerzy Skolimowski (1983)
Video essay by Polish film expert Michael Brooke
Illustrated booklet with new writing on the films by Ewa Mazierska
Other extras TBC

[charal]

BFI text on website implies HANDS UP is the 1981 (edited) version and not the original longer 1967 cut. This is a pity as is the absence of WALKOVER which was an essential part of the ‘trilogy.’

[swo17]

Has the original cut ever been readily available? The Polish DVD set also only had the later version, and that's all I've ever seen circulating on backchannels. The re-edit is a substantially new work and very engaging in that form (it's partly about the time that passed while the film was suppressed) though the original would of course be of interest as well

[foe1942]

French Malavida released "Hands Up!" on a 2-disc DVD. It includes a sepia 1981 version and the original, longer cut from 1967. I still do not comprehend why "IM:N" is not coupled with "Walkover", hmnn... Anyway, that is great news overall. "Hands Up!" is a monster, one of the strongest late 60s art-house that emerged from Europe. Hopefully, "Bariera" B-R is in the making.

[MichaelB]

Thanks for that tip-off - I had no idea that the 1967 cut had ever been commercially released, so I'll get my hands on that ASAP.

As for Walkover, the rights weren't made available to the BFI.

[foe1942]

"It's also well worth noting that when it comes to Skolimowski, "longer" probably doesn't mean "better"" Well, the original 1967 cut of "hands up!" includes for instance a FULL opening scene (Skolimowski/Leszczyc unbandaging himself / bulbs smooshing) with a longer Komeda jazzy/motorik score. And it is freaking b r e a t h t a k I n g and it is ONE OF THE BEST OPENING SCENES EVER PERIOD. The same scene in a 1981 shorter cut is much less powerful/impactful/tangible ... It would be a real travesty if the upcoming B-R is a shorter cut : |