Hydrozagadka 1/8
"Hydro-riddle". The best Polish comedy from the communist times. It links the Western ethos of the "superman-like" stories to local absurdities of communism and its ideology. The main character, Jan Walczak, an engineer, is in fact a super hero - Ace. When Warsaw, the Polish capitol, starts to suffer from the shortages in water supply, Ace undertakes the challenge to solve this problem, named here a "hydrio-riddle". In the meantime, Dr Goof and Maharaja of Cavour try to kill or hurt him, eg by immobilizing a train on the level crossing or serving him alcohol, which - everyone knows it - is deadly to superheroes (a clear reference to communist ideology that treated alcohol as a threat for workers' performance). Although it is not clear whether Ace sympathizes with communism, he occasionally utters statements like "Alcohol is lethal to a true man", or "It's crucial to adhere to Occupational Health & Safety rules if one walks for national railway" that plays on the communist rules of smooth social performance. In the same vein, he tries to "reeducate" the villains instead of imprisoning them, revealing his benevolence. The movie, directed boldly by Andrzej Kondratiuk receives additional layer of depth thanks to the soundtrack by Waldemar Kazanecki that perfectly illustrates the scenes and multiplies the meanings. "Hydrozagadka". Najlepsza komedia polska na świecie!
hydrozagadka film polski komedia polska kondratiuk polish communism communist comedy communism making fun of communism Greg Levitz
