Przypadek (1987)

In 1981 in the troubled Poland, when the father of the medical student Wietold Dlugosz (Boguslaw Linda) dies, he asks one year leave to the dean of the university to rethink his vocation to medicine. He decides to travel to Warsaw, but while running after the train in the station, three possible events happen. In the first possibility, Witek reaches the train, meets his former sweetheart Czuszka (Boguslawa Pawelec) that belongs to an Anti-Communist underground movement and joins the Party after saving hostages of protesters in a building. In the second possibility, Witek is caught by a guard in the station while running to catch the train and reacts, being sent to the court and sentenced to thirty days of community work. He joins the group of students that are against the system, publishing papers in an underground press. While his comrades are arrested by the government agents, Witek is having a love affair with the sister of a childhood friend and escapes from prison; however, his former companions believe he is a traitor. On the third possibility, Witek does not reach the train and decides to return to the university and conclude the medicine course. He marries his girlfriend Olga (Monika Gozdzik) and they graduate in the medical school. They become successful doctors and Witek accepts to travel to Paris to present the lecture of the dean, who was disgraced with the Party when his son was arrested in a movement against the government. The three serendipities do not bring happiness to Witek.

The original "Przypadek" discloses three possible lives of the lead character Wietold Dlugosz in the turmoil of Poland in the early 80's. The beginning of the movie is a little confused and even boring since there is no previous development of the characters or the political environment of Poland in that moment. However, the plot becomes clearer and engaging when Witek runs to catch the train. The first movie that I recall showing alternative life is certainly Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946). However, Krzysztof Kieslowski uses a totally different context in his story, but later in 1998, Tom Twyker with "Run Lola Run" and Peter Howitt with "Sliding Doors" made rip-offs of Kieslowski's idea. This theme is very attractive since most of the people have certainly had at least one daydream supposing what if he or she had made a different choice in life in the past. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Acaso" ("Chance")