JOHNNY

Poland, 2022, 120 minutes, Colour.

Dawid Ogrodnik, Piotr Trojan.

Directed by Daniel Jaroszek.

Johnny, with the very English diminutive, is a film from Poland. And, perhaps surprisingly in the 2020s, rather genial film about a priest. (There have been a number of Polish films concerning priests in more recent years, some strong dramas, worth checking: Kler, In the Name of…, Corpus Christi which raise most interesting questions for discussion.)

Johnny is the diminutive nickname for Father Jan Kaczkowski (1977-2016).

We are introduced to him by a voice-over – and the voice-over later being revealed is that of Patryk, a petty thief, from a dysfunctional criminal household, who is caught after a home invasion and sentenced to jail (with the information that his first jail sentence was at the age of 12, his father being very proud of it). He is sentenced to community service and released from jail.

And this is where Johnny comes in. He is in charge of a hospice, a range of elderly patients. Johnny is 37, had ailments from birth, walks with a limp, has very poor eyesight (and his driving actually terrorises Patryk at times), and it emerges that he has brain cancer. He has an unusual manner, sometimes abrupt, direct, but extraordinarily kindly attitude, winning over most people, even appearing on a TV show and discussing work with the ill and dying, not telling them that all will be okay but rather accompanying them.

In fact, there are some very moving sequences with some of those at the hospice, a young dying woman leaving a video message for her son when he is 18, a very old man with Johnny close to him, talking, whispering, consoling, encouraging him as he dies, and an elderly woman, initially cantankerous, who had wanted an acting career. And Johnny gets on well with the volunteers at the hospice.

So, this is Johnny’s story and a tribute, seeing him with his family, seeing him at work, always wearing his cassock, seeing him celebrating Mass, seeing him sit quietly praying, seeing him on TV, seeing him on stage at an enormous rally.

But, this is also Patryk story, his encounter with Johnny (Jan inviting Patryk to call him Johnny), initially not reliable, ducking off to bars and snorting cocaine, finding working with the elderly offputting, smelly, but, with Johnny’s encouragement, gradually learning, doing the chores, taking an interest in the patients, assisting with recording the ill mother, sharing the death experience of the elderly man, told off by the woman but then becoming very friendly with her, stunned at her death. And Johnny encourages him to work in the kitchen where he has a particular talent.

The story is not all smiles and niceness. Criminals are still after Patryk and beat him up. But, there is a nice twist when the leading thug finds that his father has to go to the hospice. And then Patryk has to go back to court, a tough judge, Johnny’s heartfelt testimony, but a reaffirmation of the sentence. And, there is an Archbishop who does not approve of Johnny and the hospice, told off quietly but directly by Johnny, but helping in Patryk’s sentence.

And, pleasingly, there are sequences at the end with the actual Father Jan as well is with Patryk, his wife and children.

It is a surprise to find a film with such sympathy towards a priest in these very difficult times for the Catholic Church.

1. A biography of the actual Father Jan Kaczkowski? A portrait of the actual Patryk? The impact of the final sequences of them both in real life?
2. Poland in the 2010s, the city, homes, church, liturgies, television stations, outdoor festivals, the hospice, rooms, corridors? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3. The title, Father Jan, the nickname Johnny, his inviting Patryk to use it? Audience response to him as Johnny?
4. Jan and his background, the scenes with his mother and father, at home, sister and brother, their joking with him? His disabilities, poor eyesight, his limp? The doctors, the diagnosis, brain cancer and its effect? His appearance, bold, classes, limp, always wearing his cassock?
5. Jan at Mass, the comments of the congregation, the home owner and his rushing out, the thieves trashing his house, chasing Patryk, tackling him? Patryk, sentenced to jail?
6. The audience realising that it was Patryk narrating the story, his perspective on Jan, his perspective on himself, his journey with Jan?
7. Jan, his work in the hospice, the interactions with the Archbishop, the Archbishop’s criticisms of him, the later meeting, Jan speaking frankly of the Archbishop’s land ownerships and his alcoholism? The later indication that the Archbishop helped in Patryk’s lessening of sentence?
8. Patryk, jail, tough, first-time at age 12, his father proud of him, with the big criminals in the cell? Saying respect was important? His red letter, the 365 days of community service, the meeting with Jan?
9. Jan, his manner, direct, sometimes abrupt, yet empathetic? With the volunteers at the hospice? The pressures on them? The Archbishop not approving of the hospice? Those in the aged care, Roman, playing chess, his age, his absent son (and Patryk’s later attempt to get the son to visit his father, and the son arriving after the father’s death)? The old man and the assistance at his dying, Jan constant, praying, talking, affirming him? A personalised assisted dying? The young woman, her son, Patryk holding the phone up so that she could record a message for her son? Hania, cranky, critical of Patryk, the blanket, his knocking the door, returning, her smile, the gradual friendship, spending time with her, the gift of the ring, reading the texts, helping with his pronunciations? His sadness in sitting with her, her death?
10. The screenplay device of moving backwards and forwards within a sequence, seeing the consequences, and then going back? The effect and understanding better characters and situations?
11. Patryk, his character, visits to his family, drunken father, abused mother? The gangs, his owing money to Pablo, trying to escape him, Pablo coming in bashing him? And the irony of Pablo’s father being in the hospice and a truce?
12. The film tracing the relationship between Jan and Patryk, Patryk being affirmed, challenged, finishing jobs, yet his wanting to go to the club, the cocaine, the pot? And Jan trying it out? His gradual change, revulsion at the smell of the patients, gradually supporting them, the challenged by Roman to buy stuff and Patryk coming back with change, disproving Roman’s theory?
13. Cooking, making the cakes for Hania, Jan sending him to the kitchen, the experiments with poaching the eggs, his cooking skills, working the kitchen, the friendly but bossy cook, the possibility of his becoming a chef, Jan enrolling him in the course, his failing for the interview with the restaurant? Jan upset, Patryk upset, the reason?
14. Meeting Zaneta, volunteer, the attraction, together, his proposal, her reaction, the ring?
15. Going back to court, Jan and his testimony, moving, the judge not believing it, the sentence? Without parole? Zaneta, coming to visit Patryk in prison?
16. Jan, the television interviews, his audience, his words about death, not saying everything would be okay but working and being with people? The talk at the festival and the acclaim?
17. Jan deteriorating, Patryk released, Zaneta pregnant, the family with Jan, the sadness, Patryk with him, Jan’s death?
18. Jan as a good priest, traditional, yet pastoral, empathy, a wounded healer?
19. The final glimpses of the actual Jan, and the actual Patryk and Zaneta with their children?