Goodbye, See You Tomorrow

Far from the earnestness of Wajda's war films, done with a quiet understatement more characteristic of Czech cinema and probably the sort of film that would later be described as a 'slacker' movie.

Prefaced by a stylish title sequence and bookended by the singular sight of Zbigniew Cybulski confiding to a rag doll, subsequently displaying a puppyish charm as he scurries about Gdansk and never stops talking; all to the accompaniment of a haunting guitar score by Krystof Komeda.

Polish film "Do widzenia do jutra", with a script written by two known Polish actors Kobiela and Cybulski in 1957, shot in 1959 can not be a carbon copy of the French New Wave films as writes one of the IMDb reviewers, because these films were just made at that time or in the years after, and shown in Poland only a couple of years later. When you look at dates carefully, you might say that often French films were inspired by Polish films of that time, shown in the festivals in the West. "Do widzenia do jutra" is an original film growing out of the student theater movement of these years in Gdansk. Today more a souvenir, but a very nice one, beautifully shot in B+W and acted. Polanski appears in a small episode, so you may feel how annoying he was at the time. It remains an interesting film, but as all films inspired by the student life "Dowidzenia do jutra" (See you tomorrow) catches many small moments that belong only to the past. It is more: "See you, yesterday..." now. So many people must say: - Who cares. Some people, who remember these years will.

As a carbon copy of a standard French New Wave film ( closer to François Moreuil than to François Truffaut ), "Do widzenia, do jutra" benefits from the same virtues and suffers from the same vices as the model it takes its inspiration from.

Among the qualities the fresh, unaffected tone of the actors who seem to be what they are in life. On the other hand, the streets and sites of Gdansk are photographed so well and so close to everyday reality that the viewer is made to feel like booking a guided tour for the Polish city immediately after the closing credits.

Unfortunately, sticking to reality is no guarantee that the material you are filming is of any interest, if this "reality" is synonymous with superficiality. For, what is this movie really about ? Nothing much more than : "I love you, you love me a little but you're capricious". Two hours after viewing this film you remember the beautiful streets of Gdansk but you have forgotten practically everything about...the characters! Pleasant but forgettable stuff indeed!