Walerian Borowczyk (21 October 1923 – 3 February 2006) was an internationally known Polish

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

described by film critics as a 'genius who also happened to be a pornographer'. He directed 40 films between 1946 and 1988. Borowczyk settled in Paris in 1959. As a film director, he worked mainly in France.Margalit Fox
Walerian Borowczyk, The New York Times 2006 obituary.
/ref>

Biography

Born in

Kwilcz Kwilcz is a village in Międzychód County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Kwilcz. It lies approximately east of Międzychód and west of the regional cap ...

near

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

, Borowczyk studied

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

at the Academy of Fine Arts in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, then devoted himself to painting and

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

,Lithograph by Borowczyk at Desa auction house, 2003.
/ref> including the creation of posters for the

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

, which earned him a national prize in 1953. His early films were

surreal Surreal may refer to: *Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art * "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki * ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze *Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor ...

animations Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...

, some only a few seconds long, including several comic abecedaria. His most acclaimed early films were ''Był sobie raz'' (Time Upon a Once) (1957) and ''Dom'' (House) (1958, with

Jan Lenica Jan Lenica (4 January 1928, Poznań, Poland – 5 October 2001, Berlin) was a Polish graphic designer and cartoonist. A graduate of the Architecture Department of Warsaw Polytechnic, Lenica became a poster illustrator and a collaborator on the e ...

In 1959, Borowczyk immigrated to France and settled in Paris. He worked with

Chris Marker Chris Marker (; 29 July 1921 – 29 July 2012) was a French writer, photographer, documentary film director, multimedia artist and Essay#Film, film essayist. His best known films are ''La Jetée'' (1962), ''A Grin Without a Cat'' (1977) and ''S ...

for ''Les Astronautes''. Major works of this period include the

stop motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

film ''

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

'' (1964), which uses reverse motion to depict various destroyed objects (a prayer book, a stuffed toy, etc.) re-assembling themselves, only to be destroyed again when the last object (a bomb) is complete. In 1967, he directed his first animated

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

, ''Théâtre de Monsieur & Madame Kabal: un film dessiné pour les adultes'' ( Mr. and Mrs. Kabal's Theatre). Borowczyk moved into live-action feature film with '' Goto, l'île d'amour'' (Goto, Isle of Love) (1968) and ''Blanche'' (1971), both tales of illicit love thwarted by jealous husbands, and both starring his own wife, Ligia Branice. One of his most appreciated films of this period, '' Dzieje grzechu'' (A Story of Sin) (1975), which was nominated for

Palme d'or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

, is an adaptation of a Polish literary classic by

Stefan Żeromski Stefan Żeromski ( ; 14 October 1864 – 20 November 1925) was a Polish novelist and dramatist belonging to the Young Poland movement at the turn of the 20th century. He was called the "conscience of Polish literature". He also wrote under ...

. Like his 1966 short film ''Rosalie'' (a

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

adaptation and a

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

winner), ''Dzieje grzechu'' had successfully rendered the themes of seduction and

infanticide Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants or offspring. Infanticide was a widespread practice throughout human history that was mainly used to dispose of unwanted children, its main purpose is the prevention of reso ...

. ''Contes immoraux'' ( Immoral Tales) (1973) and his later work, including ''Interno di un convento'' (Behind Convent Walls) (1977) (inspired by ''Promenades dans Rome'' of

Stendhal Marie-Henri Beyle (; 23 January 1783 – 23 March 1842), better known by his pen name Stendhal (, ; ), was a 19th-century French writer. Best known for the novels ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' (''The Red and the Black'', 1830) and ''La Chartreuse de P ...

) and ''Cérémonie d'amour'' (Rites of Love) (1988) have been controversial, lauded by some for their unique surrealist vision and derided by others as contentless

pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

. Especially, '' La Bête'' (The Beast, 1975) (based on the novel ''Lokis'' by

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...

and originally conceived in 1972 as a film on its own, but then in 1973 as the fifth story in ''Contes immoraux'') was seen by many as a decline in the director's career after ''Dzieje grzechu'', except in France, where it was hailed by prominent critics such as Ado Kyrou. His 1980 film ''

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...

'' was based on the eponymous character created by

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the de ...

. In 1981, he made ''Docteur Jekyll et les femmes'' (Blood of Dr Jekyll), a version of the

Jekyll and Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...

story starring

Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...

and Patrick Magee and depicting Jekyll's transformation as a violent rebellion against

Victorian morality Victorian morality is a distillation of the moral views of the middle class in 19th-century Britain, the Victorian era. Victorian values emerged in all classes and reached all facets of Victorian living. The values of the period—which can be ...

. In his 1988 book ''Nightmare Movies'',

Kim Newman Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula (1931 ...

described the film as "dark,

misanthropic Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μῖσ ...

and interestingly offensive". He made a brief return to animation with his 1984 short film ''Scherzo infernal''. In 1987, he directed ''

Emmanuelle 5 ''Emmanuelle 5'' is a French film directed by Walerian Borowczyk. :Hu:Emmanuelle 5 Overview In 1985, ASP films (owner of the Emmanuelle franchise since the first official feature) approached Polish director Borowczyk (known for his heavily e ...

'', an installment of the

Emmanuelle Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French erotic films based on the main character in the novel '' Emmanuelle'' (1959), created by Emmanuelle Arsan. Character history Emmanuelle appeared as the pen name of Marayat Rollet-Andri ...

series, that was also released in a hardcore video-only version. He was unhappy with the project due to a dispute concerning the casting of lead actress

Monique Gabrielle Katherine Gonzalez (born July 30, 1962), also known as Monique Gabrielle, is an American model and actress. Gabrielle was selected as the ''Penthouse'' Pet of the Month for December 1982, and has appeared in a variety of mainstream and adult fil ...

. In 1988 and 1990, he directed four episodes for the series ''Série rose: Les Chefs d’œuvre de la littérature érotique'' on M6. Many of Borowczyk's films use historical settings, including ''Ars Amandi: l'arte di amare'' (The Art of Love) (1983), set in the time of

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

(and featuring the poet as a character); ''Blanche'', set during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

; and three of the four episodes in ''Contes immoraux'', set respectively in the nineteenth century, the sixteenth century, and the

Borgia The House of Borgia ( , ; Spanish and an, Borja ; ca-valencia, Borja ) was an Italian-Aragonese Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town ...

papacy. A number of his films (such as the "tale" ''La Marée'' (The Tide) in ''Contes immoraux'', the 1976 ''La Marge'' (The Streetwalker), the episode ''Marceline'' in ''Les Héroïnes du mal: Margherita, Marceline, Marie'' (Immoral Women) (1979), and ''Cérémonie d'amour'') were based on stories by

André Pieyre de Mandiargues André Pieyre de Mandiargues (14 March 1909 – 13 December 1991) was a French writer born in Paris. He became an associate of the Surrealists and married the Italian painter Bona Tibertelli de Pisis (a niece of the Italian metaphysical pain ...

. A less usual product of this cooperation was ''Une collection particulière'' of 1973, a representation of Borowczyk's collection of pornographic items, with Mandiargues having written (and read) the narration. Borowczyk was the author of two books; ''Anatomia diabła'' (Anatomy of Devil) (1992) and ''Moje polskie lata'' (My Polish Years) (2002). He died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

in Paris in 2006, aged 82.

Legacy

The nightmarish
Jeux des anges
' (1964, aka ''The Games of Angels''), an expressionist evocation of the horrors of

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as concen ...

, was selected by

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including ''Time Bandits'' (1981), ''B ...

as one of the ten best animated films of all time.

Filmography

;Film

Accolades

* Nominated:

BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film This is a list of the winners and nominees of the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film. Winners and nominees 2000s 2010s 2020s See also * Academy Award for Best Animated Feature * Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film * Annie Award ...

— ''

Dom Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...

'' (1960) (shared with

) * Won: Special Jury Award for Best Short Film — ''Le concert de M. et Mme. Kabal'' (1963) * Won: Special Mention Award for Best Short Film — ''Rosalie'' (1966) * Won: Silver Berlin Bear for Best Short Film — ''Rosalie'' (1966) * Won: Special Jury Prize — ''Rosalie'' (1967) * Won: Interfilm Award — ''Théâtre de Monsieur & Madame Kabal'' (1967) * Won: Interfilm Grand Prix — ''Blanche'' (1972) * Nominated:

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

— '' Dzieje grzechu'' (1975) * Won: Maria Award for Best Director — ''

Docteur Jekyll et les femmes ''Docteur Jekyll et les femmes'' is a 1981 horror film directed by Walerian Borowczyk. The film is a variation on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' and stars Udo Kier, Marina Pierro, Patrick Magee, H ...

'' (1981)

References

External links