TWARZ/ MUG
Poland, 2018, 91 minutes, Colour.
Mateusz Kosciukiewicz, Agnieszka Posdiadlik, Malgorzata, Gorol, Roman Gancarczyk.
Directed by Malgorzata Szumowska.
In English, Mug has several possible meanings. Apart from something we drink out of, mug is slang for somebody stupid. It is also slang for a person’s face – and that is the particularly relevant meaning here.
If anyone was wondering what contemporary Poland is like, the first 25 minutes of the film, with the quite extensive array of quick vignettes, in the city, travelling the countryside, country towns, homes, issues of migration, traditions of the church, all rapidly glimpsed giving an overall impression.
The centre of the film is something of the other mug, foolish man, in himself. The opening scene, is a very amusing exaggerated (we hope) parody of Boxing Day sales with the forces camped outside the shops, the doors opened, a passionate invasion, squabbles and fights to get the goods which, in this case, are underwear. Jacek (Matthieu’s Kosciukiewicz), get his packet, gets into the car to go back to his village in western Poland, speeds through the countryside.
Actually, Jacek has a lot of conversations with his extensive family about the possibilities of migrating to England, obviously a Brexit theme. There are divided opinions. And, it is Christmas, there is a lot of traditional devotion in the town so visits to mass, hymn singing…
Actually, Jacek works on a huge project, (an actual project in western Poland) where the citizens of the town collected enough money to build a statue of Jesus which was to rival Rio de Janeiro – and, in fact, is larger. So, the religious tradition is to the fore, visually, with the head of Jesus standing ready to be lifted up, the body, hands lying on the ground.
And what about mug in terms of face? Jacek has an accident on site, falling down a considerable height, with damage to his face. It is pointed out that he has the first face transplant in Europe. Lest the audience feel over sympathetic towards him, he seems to be a cheerful bloke and not as put out about the injuries to his face as we might expect (or we would have had).
But, it all has its consequences. He had proposed to his girlfriend and they had engagement photos taken. She is put off by his appearance. Jacek’s sister, however, is his main support, while his mother is hugely upset, thinks that he is another person altogether, feels that he is something of a devil – which later leads to the parish priest getting in and exorcist and a parody sequence of The Exorcist. Traditional devotion might still be prevalent in Poland but there are also bizarre superstitions.
We follow Jacek’s troubles, a strong critique with a scene where his application for disability benefits is harshly rejected, where he has problems getting jobs, where he does frighten some people although, the surgeons had done a fairly good job on his face.
In the meantime, the writers introduce some themes about parish priests. At first, the parish priest seems reasonable enough, celebrating Mass, making appeals for the statue, making appeals, in fact, for financial support of Jacek. But, it is where the confessional sequences start that there is something of parody and an audience will realise why a lot of people are put off going to confession. Jacek’s brother-in-law turns up first. He is rather loud mouthed, talking before he thinks… His confession is about sexual temptation (so many thinking that the word temptation has only sexual connotations rather than for sins of anger or exploitation). The priests response is reasonable enough though a touch too curious. Then the mother comes with all that story about her son being a devil, wanting to get the devil out with the subsequent parody of the film of The Exorcist with Jacek screeching only to burst out laughing! Then the fiancee, the ex-fiancee comes and talks about sexual matters with the priest going far too far in wanting explicit detail.
Eventually, the statue was erected and the Bishop and his secretary are called to bless the statue with the Bishop being made to look rather foolish when the statue is looking in the wrong direction and there will have to be subsequent work and he remarks that he is not against Muslims working there (and being corrected to indicate that it is Gypsies who are working there who are not Muslims). So, some direct as well to one tongue-in-cheek criticism of the church.
And what will Jacek do? Is there a place for him and his town? Or, will his solution be in fact to migrate?
1. The title? The face? The slaying? The tone?
2. The Polish film, Polish perspectives? The first 25 minutes and the vast range of vignettes about contemporary Polish life and characters? The so, the crowds, fighting, the countryside, hard life, the car speeding and the music, the fairy, the farms, the cattle, the family and the houses, issues of migrating to England, the jokes with the touch of racism, the celebration of Christmas, the building of the vast statue of Jesus, the engagement, the photographs? The Catholic traditions? Western Poland? The hymns, the musical score?
3. Jacek, his age, in himself, the sale, fighting, with the parcel, driving fast, the rock music, his place in the family, working on the farm, his attention to Dagmar, the proposal, the photos? His working on the site for the direction of the statue? His future?
4. The statue, the vast amount of work, the cosplay by the local community, the information at the end? The building, the plinth, the hands, the placing of the head, the argument about which direction it should be facing, the comparisons with Rio de Janeiro?
5. Jacek and is working, the fellow workers, the collaboration, his sudden fall? In hospital, the doctors and nurses and the discussions about his health? The treatment? The time? The significance of his face in the transplant? The first in Europe? Jacek getting up, looking in the mirror, his cheerful perspective?
6. His coping with his condition, the visuals of his appearance, the surgery, the face of this texture? The limitations of his movement, smiling or not? The media pursuit, questions, that she is from the people, the television interview with the family?
7. Jacek and his sister, her continued support? Going to the board, the disability petition, the harsh attitudes of the board, the discussion, no financial support, considering that he could work part-time? And the range of works available, and the “kiss my ass� situation?
8. The approach of the advertising company, the irony, bizarre? His agreeing, becoming a model, is being photographed, the promotion of the lotion?
9. The role of the Catholic Church, the celebration of Christmas, people attending Mass, their participation, singing of hymns? The priest, his role in the town, his prayers, the financial appeal for the statue added significance? The later taking up a collection for Jacek and his welfare? The later collection people not contributing?
10. The role of the confessional? The brother-in-law, talk about sex, talking about pornography, talking about the coldness of his wife, and having to be in bed with children? The reaction of the priest, the consideraions of sin? Jacek’s mother, her thinking the Jacek was not her son, that there was another son inside, her fears, harsh treatment of him? The priest raising the issue of exorcism in the presence of the devil? Dagmar are going to confession, the priest asking her to continue with prurient detail? The lack of credibility for people considering the sacrament of reconciliation at present?
11. The dedication of the statue, the presence of the Bishop, the priests, the discussion about the direction the face of Jesus should be? The work to continue, the Bishop thinking that the Gypsies were Muslims and being corrected?
12. The mother, her reaction to her son, the priest in the exorcist coming, the parody of exorcist sequences in films – the cries, the movement, the violence? And Jacek finally laughing and sending it up?
13. Dagmar, her avoiding Jacek, the visit to her mother and the mother ousting them? His bringing flowers? Waiting for her? Her date? Her imagining him like the old Jacek? Her confession?
14. Sympathetic grandfather, Jacek the embrace, his death, the funeral? The family fight at the funeral and the issues of the land and inheritance?
15. The effect on the family? Family traditions in Poland? The role of the church? Family divisions? Jacek finally getting on the bus and leaving?
