Zazdrosc i medycyna

Although not so well know outside of Poland as Andrzej Wajda or Krzysztof Zanussi, Janusz Majewski is one of the key directors of the golden era of Polish filmmaking that began shortly after the war and ebbed at the end of the 20th century. Luckily, his work, including Hotel Pacific (1975) and Lesson in a Dead Language (1979) is beginning to be available in the streaming services and You Tube.

The movie: Widmar, a wealthy industrialist is jealous to the point of obsession of his very sexy wife Ewa, whom he suspects of carrying an affair with her physician, Dr. Tamten (there may be a joke here since "tamten" means "that" or "that one"). What follows is a black comedy take on Widmar's tragicomic efforts to prove his suspicions (which includes sending spies after his wife) and to take revenge on the suspected culprit.

Acting is excellent, as usual in Polish movies. Production values are also high; in particular, cinematography and set design recreate faithfully the look and feel of a wealthy European milieu between the wars, aided by haunting tango music in the background. A superior movie.