4K RESTORATION
Dir. Andrzej Żuławski
1988 | Poland | Sci-Fi, Drama | 157 min | Polish with English subtitles | R21 (Sexual Scene)
Cast:
Andrzej Seweryn, Jerzy Trela, Grażyna Dyląg
In Andrzej Żuławski’s sprawling lunar futurist epic, four astronauts settle on an alien planet in an attempt to create their own paradise, free of the weaknesses and the vices of modern society. Their Eden is quickly warped by their degenerate descendants who unknowingly repeat all the errors once already made by the human race. Years later, when a stranger arrives on their planet, he becomes venerated as their messiah to fatal repercussions.
This dark and delirious allegory on civilisation and original sin is a haven of futurist worldbuilding, hemmed in by Magdalena Tesławska’s ornate, baroque costume design. Famous for its long, troubled and repeatedly thwarted production, ON THE SILVER GLOBE was finally immortalised in its incomplete state in 1988, with supplemented scenes of contemporary Poland that further a jarring juxtaposition to the story’s otherworldly alien landscapes.
