Medium

In the good old days of the IMDb message boards, it was possible to discuss a film such as Medium in order to try and figure out what the hell it was all about. Without such a resource available to me, I'm left rather confused by what I just watched.

As far as I could gather, the plot goes something like this: in 1930s Poland, a powerful medium controls a group of unwary individuals to re-enact past events that will enable him to continue his life of immortality. Meanwhile, a fortune teller and his psychic assistant try to help those involved and a policeman discovers his role in the scheme of things.

That might seem simple enough, but the manner in which the film is told leaves plenty of unanswered questions, most notably 'Where does the medium find the doppelgangers necessary for his arcane ritual?' (are they reincarnations doomed to repeat events for all eternity?) and 'What the hell do the turtles have to do with things?'.

Of course, there is the possibility that the answers to these questions, and others, were lost in translation (I watched a subtitled copy of the film), so I won't be too harsh with my rating despite being baffled for most of the time...

In order to fully appreciate the Truth espoused in this film, you need to, first, be familiar with two of the best films ever made.

The first is Chris Marker's La Jetee.

A short sci-fi film about time travelers, trying to prevent the apocalypse from occurring.

They manage to traverse the boundaries of time via memories- memories of things like falling in love.

And do so in order to get back to get back to a certain point in the spacetime continuum, from which they try to change the outcome of future events.

But the connections here are obvious...time travelers...that pier scene...

Anyways, the second is Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker...particularly the ending.

The part with the little medium girl.

Because it seems to be suggested, that this girl (from Stalker) grew up to become the rival medium (working with the astrologer), in this film.

These particular selections are notable because Marker and Tarkovsky are inherently connected...not only were they friends...but Marker would effectively define the legacy of and eulogize Tarkovsky, with his film One Day In The Life Of Andrei Arsenevich.

And, together, the three films form a mystically occult trilogy.

This film begins with a powerful medium controlling the subconscious minds of four people in Nazi-era Poland- dictating their actions in a state of somnambulism.

But, because he is an old man suffering from diabetes, he keeps passing out from exertion and losing control of them, leaving them to wake up unaware of how exactly they ended up in the situations they keep finding themselves in.

The one connecting factor they all experience is missing time.

Meanwhile, a talented astrologer and his partner- a gifted medium- are tracking his activities, as they try to discern his identity...and what the goal of his nefarious plot might be.

Inevitably, a couple of police detectives also become involved.

Though, the medium has been controlling the elder detective.

Which messes with his head, and has been driving him deep into alcoholism.

The irony being that he actually knows the man behind this.

A fishmonger who sells him food for his pet goldfish.

Thus, when he isn't heard from (after ending up in a coma as a result of his underlying disease and exertion from his activities), the detective goes to his house to investigate.

Where he discovers a man hiding, that runs when he is found.

This man is an accountant, and doesn't exactly know how he got there.

But he does know that he had given the man an injection (of insulin), and that he has since fallen into a coma.

Hence why he ran.

He didn't realize the medicine bottle was actually empty, so he never actually injected him with anything.

Hence why the man fell into the coma.

As a result of his own experiences...the elder detective is inclined to believe him.

Meanwhile, one of the medium's other victims can't even remember how he ended up in the city.

Cracking the case takes him to a bookstore, where it is suggested he check out the book "The Key To The Secret Knowledge", written by the aforementioned astrologer.

The younger detective, on the other hand, has been tasked with investigating the case of a woman who repeatedly steals the same dress from a museum exhibition (before returning it, when she snaps out her trance).

Ultimately, all the man's targets end up in the old medium's stately home together.

Where they play out a recurring narrative they have lived out many times before, over a number of centuries.

Because, it turns out they are the reincarnated souls of 4 people who were part of this medium's life, when he was 4 years old.

They played their part in a love triangle that ended up in a multiple axe murder suicide.

And by forcing this scenario to re-play itself out, this "dying" old man has figured a way to revert to being a 4 year old child.

Effectively rendering him immortal.

It's all a very complex puzzle.

If you haven't seen the above mentioned films, I highly recommend that you watch them before going into this.

But it's not necessary.

It just makes for a more rewarding experience.

You can thank me later.

9.5 out of 10.

This was indeed an interesting Polish Psychological Thriller with little horror elements. THE strangest take on psychic powers you will probably ever see. Filmed like an episode of Masterpiece Theater,

It's one of the first Polish films that is fully devoted to occult and parapsychology. It's pretty difficult in reception and it's definitely one of these forgotten movies. Action takes place in Sopot, where Wagner is some kind of fortuneteller and his sister is a medium. They detect the presence of a few people which are guided by insanely powerful medium. Those people meet in Sopot (where there is famous Polish pier shown later) but while controlled they are unaware what they did or what they were doing in that location. Later, an investigation carried out by detective and his deputy that sworn his loyalty to Nazis, results in conclusion that this is repetition of a cycle in which... The movie is accompanied by excellent music which enhances the atmosphere of the mystery. Interestingly, casual dialogues are without any background music. In addition to that we got some historical background when Hitler started to rule in Germany along with the party of the Nazis (NSDAP). To summarize, we receive a very original Polish production, however it will be difficult to examine for those who don't like movies concerning psychological things rather than gore and action. A must see for Polish horror lovers and mystery films.

Medium (1985): The Free City of Danzig (Gdansk), 1933, shortly after the Nazis have won control of the city government. An eager young Nazi Detective Sergeant is intent on replacing his DI. The DI is a tad disheveled and has taken to sleeping on the beach, drinking too much and having memory lapses. That's the most mundane thing in this film though. A powerful Medium (Mage) is performing a Ritual, bringing people together to reenact events which occurred in the past. A dark film but not all of the darkness comes from the Occult elements, the Nazis are consolidating power and their Brownshirts control the streets. Some gruesome scenes and plenty of psychological horror as the Inspector, with the assistance of lesser psychics, attempts to comprehend the mysterious events which are taking place. Writer/Director Jacek Koprowicz delivers a worthy addition to the Polish Horror Film Canon. On Netflix. 8/10.