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"The moment I accepted the scholarship, I sold myself to the Government — lock, stock and barrel . . .! And so now I may just as well sell myself to anyone I choose . . .!" These are the first words of the film — a young man suddenly decides to leave behind everything he has been living by for years. He packs his belongings and walks off into the country. Somewhere, sometime, some sort of splendid life is awaiting him . . .
This, Skolimowski's latest film, is a symbolic presentation of a young man's travels through Poland; a study of youth and its rebellion against the comfortable barriers of middle age. It is a quest for meaning; an attempt to discard the now outmoded revolutionary ideals and to come to grips with reality.
More objective than Walkover, the director's film in last year's Festival, Barrier presents a sharply observed view of life in the Poland of today. The style is a successful fusion of sober documentation and surrealism, and the hero's progress, bitterness and final disillusionment are dissected with wit and brilliance.
Grand Prix, Bergamo Festival.