O-Bi, O-Ba: The End Of Civilization

O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization (O-Bi, O-Ba: Koniec Cywilizacji) (1985)

Runtime: 85 minutes

Directed by: Piotr Szulkin

Starring: Jerzy Stuhr, Krystyna Janda, Kalina Jedrusik, Mariusz Dmochowski, Marek Walczewski

From: Zespol Filmowy “Perspektywa”

O-Bi, O-Ba, The End of Civilization... brah. If the Ark don't come then life won't go on.

With such a title (which I understand came to director Piotr Szulkin because his infant daughter liked saying o-bi, o-ba; no, really) my mind can only think of a hit-one of many-from a legendary rock group. However, the film is far more bleak than that upbeat catchy ditty. I've heard that other post-apocalyptic pictures from behind the Iron Curtain are better (especially Dead Man's Letters) but as there are multiple copies of this around-some easier to find than others-this is what I went with... although me chuckling at its title is another big reason why this Polish picture was selected.

Nuclear war has happened and right before the fit hit the shan, various people were convinced to enter a large building covered by a dome; this was done with the false promise that an Ark would eventually show up and save them all. A year later, the building is falling apart, most everyone there is crying for the Ark to finally show up and a guy who for some reason is named SOFT is among the people, attempting to find someone to try and fix the crumbling dome. He-and we-realize that just about everyone there is crazy, whether they are all of the lower class or those fortunate privileged few who are able to be lounge lizards and wear funny 80's clothes. I am personally glad that even in Communist Poland, lounges with neon lights and funny 80's clothing was a thing.

Anyway, this was a cerebral and philosophical movie which brought up many interesting ideas and points as the different characters reacted to this horrible world they lived in, where many don't get enough food and literally have to fight for scraps or the paper-infused foodstuff that comes out of a chute-again, this is all true-and not even those higher up on the chain want to be there. They found what looked like a giant abandoned factory to film in and it was perfect for this tale; most of it was bathed in blue light which I loved for aesthetic reasons. Most of the cast was unfamiliar to me although the guy that played Soft (Jerzy Stuhr) was co-star in Three Colors: White and was the lead in Dekalog: X. Personally, I was amused that he looked like a Brundlefly creation of two different people I know.

For a low budget, an interesting world was created and it was full of allegory concerning life in Communist Poland, not all of which I picked up on but they had to be sly enough to get that commentary past the censors. While it had some of the expected weirdness from beyond the Iron Curtain, it was rather straightforward; O-Bi, O-Ba is not complex like Stalker by any means... and apparently Szulkin did create more intricate stories in some of his other work. As I've heard high praise from some for the director in general, eventually I'll watch more of what he created.