In BLIND CHANCE (Poland, 1987), Krzysztof Kieslowski’s biting criticism of Communist Poland did not go down well with the authorities; so a film made in 1981 was finally released in 1987 after heavy censoring, but still makes its point through a style that is quite unique in that the outcome of the plot hinges on whether the protagonist is able to catch a train or not. There are three stories: in the first, he joins the Communist Party but is disillusioned; in the second he becomes a Catholic and anti-communist; and in the third, he decides to remain neutral. With a dense plot that presupposes a little bit of knowledge of modern European history, BLIND CHANCE shuttles between the two elements that play a vital role in the life of an individual: chance vs. choice.
A restored and uncensored version as it was originally envisioned is streaming on MUBI.
Ranjan Das is a Mumbai based filmmaker & faculty.
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