director Marek Piwowski
screenplay Janusz Głowacki, Marek Piwowski
director of photography Marek Nowicki
music Wojciech Kilar
with Stanisław Tym, Jolanta Lothe, Wanda Stanisławska-Lothe, Jerzy Dobrowolski, Jan Himilsbach, Zdzisław Maklakiewicz
awards
Golden Samovar – Film Enthusiasts Prize awarded by the Discussion Film Club in Świebodzin, 1972
1st place in an opinion poll in ‘Polityka’ magazine entitled ‘The end of the century. The most interesting Polish films of the 20th century’, 1999
[DIALOGUE FROM THE FILM]
– Please, give me the floor! Anyone, to be sure, may criticise, but my impression is that allowing criticism, you know, is not really something people like, therefore from the point of view… taking into account that possible criticism must be allowed, we should see to it that this criticism would not be voiced, only applause and approval… for these, you know, our items we are going to set up. – I think that what you’re saying, is probably a very reasonable approach… and that’s what we probably need now.
KRZYSZTOF MĘTRAK, AUTOGRAPHS ON THE SCREEN [AUTOGRAFY NA EKRANIE], WARSZAWA 1974
Piwowski, from the beginning, ostentatiously declared that literary material was not indispensable for him, that he had no interest in professional actors, that only improvisation on the set might yield effects adequate to the intentions (…). ‘The Cruise’ is a film about a collectivity seized by the impossibility to contain reality within any form of discipline (…). Whatever the people on board the ship tackle, it immediately turns into an absurd action, a grotesque gesture, helpless pantomime or inarticulate gibbering (…). They are all prisoners of the omnipotent power of stereotypes from which they cannot extricate themselves. In this perspective, ‘The Cruise’ becomes a film depicting a case of collective schizophrenia.
history periods
